Paulton Rovers have their first pre-season friendly on Wednesday, 10th July at Ashton & Backwell; kick off 7.30 p.m., then on Saturday, 13th July they travel to Bridgend, home of Welsh Premier League side, Penybont; kick-off 2 p.m.
On Friday, 19th July, the first home game sees a strong Bristol Rovers U23s side come to Winterfield Road; kick-off 7.30 p.m.
Former Captain, Dale Evans – who had agreed to sign for another season – decided to seek pastures new and join Larkhall Athletic, citing several issues.
Manager, John Rendell, has seen a number of players from last season commit to Rovers through the summer but have since moved on (the joys of the semi-pro circuit these days)!
Ben Withey, Liam Monelle and Adam Forster opted to play at a higher level, while Trey Anderson had issues with travelling and moved to a club closer to home.
Last season, we under-achieved and it was clear that individuals didn’t have the hunger and desire to perform regularly at required levels, hence the lowly finish.
So far, the pre-season programme has been tough and the lads have really settled in well and are enjoying the sessions. With such a turn-around of personnel, we are keen for the lads to bond and get to know each other, and the sessions and matches we have planned will help to quickly gel the group together.
Paulton Rovers’ Sports Therapist, Jack Benden, has been working on the lads’ fitness levels and has noticed an immediate impact in most. Player/Coach, Kye Mountford and Paul Tovey, have also put the lads through their paces with football-related fitness.
It’s not an enjoyable time of year for players, but it’s imperative they buy into the session plan, and also do their own training away from the club.
New signings Joe Perry, Craig Allen, Braeden Symes, Brad Abrahams, Ben Bament and Ed Butcher have all settled into the club well, along with the lads retained from last season, including the young prospects stepping up from the thriving Youth Team. I envisage one or two further signings to be added to the group before the season kicks off on 17th August to strengthen key areas.
The League fixtures are due to be announced at 10 a.m. on Friday, 12th July, with the FA Cup draw awaited.
Tony Walsh