Matlock Town's preparations for the new UniBond League season were interrupted in their infancy when their opening friendly at Teversal on Tuesday night was washed out following the unseasonal wet weather. A telephone call from Teversal Secretary Kev Newton on Tuesday lunchtime advising that the Northern Counties East League First Division club's pitch was waterlogged meant a night's extra training instead of the opportunity of the Gladiators squad and trialists getting some much needed match practice under their belts.

Now their first test is a much tougher assignment with Saturday's visit to Blue Square North Hucknall Town, and joint boss Phil Brown could not disguise his disappointment and frustration with the Teversal postponement.
"The match at Teversal would have given us the ideal opportunity to look at some trialists as well as giving current squad members at least forty five to sixty minutes football to start our programme of pre season games . Now to have to face Hucknall in our opening run out is not how we would have liked things but we have to accept it. Having said that I remember when Gareth Williams and me took over three years ago when our first game was the friendly with Sheffield United's first team which we won."

Matlock moved quickly to add a further game to their pre season list when they accepted an offer from Northern Counties East League Premier Division Long Eaton United to play them at Grange Park on Saturday August 4.

On the playing front Brown said "negotiations were ongoing" with a number of potential new signings, and with both Dave McNicholas and Richard Taylor expected to have increased work commitments during the forthcoming months, the Gladiators management duo will be keen to add to their squad. "Both players will sign on but can't commit on a regular basis" said Brown. "We had a large squad at the end of last season but we needed it with all the games. But since then we've lost the likes of Tom Cahill, Kris Bowler, Wayne Diuk and Liam Howley. The others plus two or three new faces have looked fit and sharp in training and now its a matter of getting some games in."

A big boost for Gladiators fans is that striker Dene Cropper, who missed the whole of last season following a cruciate ligament injury, has had three full training sessions and is expected to be ready for competitive action soon. "There was a little soreness after the third session but all in all he's coming along nicely" said Brown who also reported that midfielder Steve Circuit was now "fine" following the calf injury which forced him to miss the final two months of the 2006/07 campaign. Ian Clarke has not trained fully yet following his cruciate surgery, his rehabilitation consisting so far of general running and bike work.

Meanwhile Matlock, as a Premier Division club, have been given a bye to the 3rd Round of the UniBond Challenge Cup, as they will be looking to go one better than last season when they lost 1-0 in the final to Fleetwood Town.