Ahead of our first pre-season friendly this Saturday away to Portland United, we sat down with skipper Tom Bearwish, who talked us through our first training sessions, the “experience” of our new signings, and more…
On the start of pre-season:
We’re all excited. We’ve had two sessions so far, which has mainly been fitness and running, so we’ve not had time to bond yet – we’re too out of breath. The manager is tough on us and wants to get the best out of us as soon as possible. He’s brought in a new fitness coach who’s putting us through our paces!
On the importance of fitness in pre-season:
It’s huge for every team – the more work you put in during pre-season, the more that work will carry you through the season, especially towards the end where energy levels may drop. Last season was tough, and I think part of that was because I didn’t feel that I was as fit as I can be – as a player, that catches up with you.
On our new signings:
I’m really pleased with who the club has signed so far. You look at the players, they’re all experienced. In our previous transfer windows, we signed younger players with lots of energy, but you also need characters who know all about non-league football. I think that’s what the manager is looking to bring back into the team.
On the benefits of signing experienced players:
It’s certainly boosted the physicality levels, but you can see the standards being raised, too. It’s no wonder they’re continuing to play at this stage in their career – they’re all super professionals. It’s very important for me to see this level of professionalism, being younger than these new players and hoping to carry on playing as long as they have. Hopefully the fans will see their quality.
On what else helps the signings improve the squad:
Some of the players who we’ve signed are local players, who know the atmosphere and what it means to play at the Bob Lucas Stadium. They know how well they want to do for the club – Oakley Hanger was buzzing to sign, being a local lad. These are the sort of players we want.
On the desire to turn things around:
There are a number of us who stayed at the club last season, who experienced the lows, and we were all hurt. But, now, there’s a huge desire from everyone at the club to correct things – we know how big this club is and where it should be. We all want to get back to winning ways.
On our upcoming friendly this weekend:
It’s why we play football!
We just want to be on the pitch, in the sun, and kicking a ball around. Hopefully it will be a good game. We all want to win, but we’re also eager to build bonds on the pitch with some fresh faces in the team.
On whether he’s looking forward to this season:
I’m excited to see what this season will be like. A lot of us are local, so team bonding won’t be an issue, and we’ve had a lot of time to reflect, and we can’t wait to get the campaign started.
Interview
By Jack Webb
