Weekly News | 27.6.23
Just ten weeks after their NPL play-off semi final defeat at Warrington Town, Matlock Town fans can look forward to seeing their favourites back in action against the county’s two highest placed clubs.
Chesterfield come to the Proctor Cars Stadium to open up the Gladiators pre-season programme on Tuesday night (7.45pm) with Derby County following them on Saturday 8 July (3pm).
The Derby game was sold out inside four days and tickets for the Chesterfield game are also going well with close to 1500 having been sold online at 6 pm on Tuesday night.
Matlock officials are again emphasising their previous request for fans wishing to attend the Chesterfield game to buy online before the day.
Graham Mumby who is in charge of ticketing at Matlock has emphasised the previous request from the club for fans wishing to attend the clash with the Spireites to buy their tickets online before the day.
“Buying online would ensure your place for what is always a popular game with local fans and it would help us immensely on the night to ease the smooth entry of fans into the ground and save any unnecessary congestion on the turnstiles” he said.
“You can still pay at the turnstiles on the night, provided of course there’s not a last minute rush using the online method and we’ll keep fans updated via our website.”
Matlock returned to pre season training last Saturday with three more sessions, some double sessions planned before the Chesterfield game.
Manager Martin Carruthers says that organisation is the key against full time opposition.
“Chesterfield will be tough opponents so it’s important we’re solid and organised out of possession. We’ve been working on a few little details, set pieces being particularly important for us offensively. We know we’re going to have our hands full, they were really unlucky in the play off final in May against Notts County, they’re a Football League club in all but name.”
Carruthers says the first two training sessions went “really well”.
“Things are shaping up nicely with some trialists and our under 21’s joining in. Everyone’s at different levels of fitness, some lads have just come back from holiday, others have been training throughout the summer. Pre season’s about getting the lads up to the fitness levels we require and we’ve also had some eleven v eleven match practice sessions bearing in mind the games we have coming up. It’s an intense period with the training and the games. The lads need the base fitness which the training gives them, then there’s the match fitness which will come as the pre season progresses.”
The trio of youngsters on loan at Matlock from Chesterfield have been handed professional contracts by the Spireites. Archie White, Alex Duhameau and Sam Hooper will be with the Gladiators in the coming season but will not be available to wear Matlock colours on Tuesday with Chesterfield wanting them to remain with them for the initial part of pre season. Chesterfield could include winger Jesurin Uchegbulam who was almost instantly signed by manager Paul Cook after Uchegbulam put in an impressive performance in last year’s pre season meeting which Chesterfield won 2-0 in front of a sell out crowd.
Matlock are using Tansley Fete Field for their pre season training while regular venue Cavendish Fields is being reseeded. Chairman Jay Beaumont says the venue fully met their needs.
“Martin and the players say it’s a great facility which we already knew, they were really impressed, it was just what we needed. As a community club we all feel it’s good to make use and promote facilities in the local area. A huge thank you to Ralph Emmerson and the Tansley committee for working with us to make this happen, a partnership which will see players from Tansley Juniors get to meet the team and watch the sessions over the coming weeks.”
Ian Richardson