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The Nailers are
taking the unusual step of employing a fitness instructor when pre season
training gets underway on Tuesday, July 1.
Joint manager
Danny Hudson explained: "We intend to be 100 per cent fit by the
time the new season starts and by getting an outsider in to take training
we will be able to focus more on the fitness side of things and we reckon
that the new approach will be a great success".
Currently the Nailers' only new face is Adam Nixon who is a left-sided
player and was an apprentice at Rotherham United in Hudson's time there.
"He's coming down for pre season and we'll take a look at him",
said Hudson. "We have some other players coming to train with us,
but we are still awaiting decisions from some of our key targets although
in some cases their wage demands are too high for us".
The Nailers have signed James Colliver, Anthony Wilson, John Hobson and
Lee Stevenson on contracts for the coming season and all the remaining
squad have committed themselves to the club.
The exception to this is last season's top scorer Ross Hannah who has
moved on after being tempted away from Christchurch Meadow by Matlock
Town.
Nailers' supporters will miss Hannah but his departure came as no
surprise as the young striker has long harboured ambitions to play at a
higher level, and it was the Gladiators who stepped in to secure his
signature ahead of Worksop Town who were also thought to be interested.
There will be seven new clubs in the UniBond Division One South next
season with three, Glapwell, Rushall Olympic and Loughborough Dynamo all
having been promoted from step five to step four of the non league
pyramid.
Relegated Leek Town and Lincoln United are no strangers to the Nailers
but Stamford, who also came down from the Premier Division, will give
Belper a new destination to look forward to next season.
Willenhall Town
have switched back to the UniBond League from the Southern League to
complete a complement of 20 clubs which means 38 league games and no need
to play anyone three times as was the case last season.
The clubs competing in the 2008/09 season are:
BELPER TOWN, Brigg Town, Carlton Town, Goole AFC, Glapwell, Grantham
Town, Gresley Rovers, Kidsgrove Athletic, Leek Town, Lincoln United,
Loughborough Dynamo, Quorn, Retford United, Rushall Olympic, Sheffield
FC, Shepshed Dynamo, Spalding United, Stamford, Stocksbridge Park Steels,
Willenhall Town.
Belper have lined up an interesting programme of friendly fixtures that
for the first time in many years doesn't include any Football League
sides.
Derby County declined an invitation to send a team to Christchurch Meadow
so the Nailers will concentrate on more meaningful workouts against sides
that are more representative of the standard they will face next season.
Games arranged so far are:
Tuesday, July 15 Shirebrook Town (Away, 7.30pm)
Saturday, July 19 Hednesford Town (Home, 3pm)
Tuesday, July 22 Ossett Albion
(Away, 7.30pm)
Thursday, July 24 Worksop Town (Home, 7.30pm)
Tuesday, July 29 Hucknall Town (Home, 7.30pm)
Tuesday, July 5
Hallam (Away, 7.30pm)
Saturday, Aug 9 Matlock Town (Home, 3pm)
Tuesday, Aug 12 Ossett Albion (Home, 7.30pm)
Nigel Oldrini
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