Weekly News - 1/7/19
Matlock Town boss Steve Kittrick is itching to get stuck into his new job in earnest as pre season training got under way this week.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back into it, it’s a new challenge and it’s a really exciting time for me” said Kittrick who is in talks with three potential new additions this week.
“I’m talking to a goalkeeper, central midfielder and a striker and we’ll have a couple of trailists involved with us. We’re not far off, we’ve a couple of positions to sort but we’re now at the point where the silly money stuff’s done.”
Kittrick is happy with how the Gladiators pre season campaign has been formulated with the opening session taking place on Tuesday and the first game being at home to Burton Albion on Saturday week.
“The games against the league clubs are revenue for the club by getting bums on seats, we’ve got three really good clubs in Burton, Chesterfield and Sheffield United coming here. Some teams have been at it a couple of weeks now, sometimes you can start too early, timing’s a big factor in your preparations. It’s all about being ready and firing on 17 August, it’s five or six weeks before we kick a ball in anger and we don’t want to pick up any injuries. The players are all fit when they come back now anyway, the drinking culture’s gone, it’s about who’s got the biggest arms and looks the best nowadays. Match practice is the key and I think we’ve got it just about right.”
Results in pre season are not the be all and end all for Kittrick.
“It’s not all about the results, if you can get wins in pre season then all well and good. Don’t forget it’s a brand new team virtually at Matlock this season. I’m more bothered about the negatives that can come out of the pre season, say you’re 3-1 down and how people react. The positive side looks after itself. A Loss isn’t just a loss, it’s a learning curve.”
Matlock have seven pre season matches. After the Burton game they face Chesterfield at home on Tuesday 16 July (7.30 pm) while their other game at the Proctor Cars Stadium is against Sheffield United on Tuesday 30 July (7.30 pm). Their four away matches are at Frickley on Saturday 20 July, Worksop Town on 27 July, Loughborough Dynamo on 3 August before rounding off their warm up matches at Lincoln United on Saturday 10 August.
Experienced midfielder Cleveland Taylor has rejoined Stamford after returning to Matlock from the Daniels last September.
Ian Richardson