The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Lewis Thorogood feels Spalding United are perfectly prepared for the start of the new season.
The Tulips get their 2020/21 campaign under way with an Emirates FA Cup extra preliminary round clash with Barton Town Old Boys at the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field on Tuesday (7.45pm).
Having been taken over by AK Holdings owner and CEO Andrew Killingsworth last week, Spalding’s aims for the coming season have now shifted.
Previously, boss Thorogood would have been tasked with securing another year at step four and blooding younger players.
Now he’s required to build a side with the aim of securing promotion – and the boss is doing his best to improve things.
“I’ve been happy with pre-season,” said the Tulips chief. “Four weeks ago we returned with quite a young squad that was hungry and looking to compete.
“We were a work in progress and I’d expect that we’d have won some games, but also lost quite a few too.
“Now with the takeover, the remit has changed and all of a sudden we are looking at getting different kind of players in.
“The difficulty is that most of those players are already attached to other clubs now, so it’s a difficult task convincing them to walk away from their clubs before a ball has been kicked. Hopefully the new owners understand that process.
“That being said, I’m very much looking forward to the FA Cup. It’s a bit of a banana skin for us, though.
“Barton have a number of ex-pros in their squad and some other really good players.
“If we can come through that challenge, we then have an equally tough game against Quorn or Melton.
“But we planned pre-season meticulously and will arrive at the Barton game in as good a position as we could have hoped.”
Spalding conclude their pre-season campaign with a derby against Holbeach United in the Lincolnshire Free Press Trophy Carter’s Park on Saturday (3pm).
