Carlisle City start their pre-season build-up this afternoon with a visit from Threave Rovers to Gillford Park.
It will be Dan Kirkup’s first game in charge since he took over from Jim Nichols and he’s looking forward to seeing City in action again after the summer break.
He told Cumbria Crack: “We have players away on holiday and we will have a stronger squad to pick from when we go to Workington on Tuesday night, but that’s what it’s like at this time of the year.
“I have a couple of trialists in the squad that I will be looking at but I have signed Liam Lightfoot a central defender or midfield who was with Carlisle United and Workington.
“I’ve also signed an attacker Kieran Blair, who has been here before but taken time out. He came in for training and has looked really sharp.
“I know Paul Simpson and Billy Barr at Carlisle United and we are trying to build closer relations between the two clubs – which there should be. As a result I’m hoping that we will be able to take one of United’s youngsters on loan.”
City have lost defender Jack Dickinson and midfielder Jordan Holt to Gretna, as well as Sam Atkinson who has linked up with brother Jim, a top-rated goalkeeper who has left Workington to join the Lowland League side.
Threave Rovers, today’s opponents are from Castle Douglas and play in the West of Scotland League, part of the pyramid system in Scottish football. They won promotion from Division Four in 2022/23, their first season after switching from the South of Scotland League.
They finished fourth in Division Three last season and have already started their pre-season last Wednesday with a 3-0 win over Abbey Vale.
