Football
Pershore Town eyeing a turnaround in fortunes

EXCITEMENT is building at Pershore Town as they prepare for the new Midland Combination Premier Division season with a host of pre-season friendlies.

Pershore will head into the 2012/13 campaign with a new management team of Gary Aldington and Andrew Rogers and the objectives are to build a team over the next couple of seasons which focuses on local emerging players, creating a competitive, determined and skilful side.

Chairman Damien Rourke said: "For years now the club have been struggling on and off the pitch.

"We want the players to want to play for the club and for supporters to return and we think these will be the ingredients for a successful season.

"We are aware success takes time and are aiming to put the foundations in place off the field, where we now have a football committee directly supporting the team. This committee includes a number of previous members of the football club during the club's successful years."

Town have lined up seven pre-season home fixtures to give fans an early glimpse of the team, who have been training for a fortnight now and will take to the field on a reseeded King George V Playing Field pitch.

Rourke has now called on the fans to come and back the new managerial team as Rogers prepares to lend an important hand as Aldington's assistant.

He added: "Gary had to be persuaded by myself to carry on as last year he did nearly everything on his own, from taking training to being on his own at a number of matches.

"There was a general lack of commitment from certain people last year with the first team, but Gary stuck with it and should be commended for it.

"Now Gary has taken over he has a football committee around him and everybody helping each other, people that have long involvement in the club and new fresh faces.

"Also for first time in many, many years the junior and senior committees are all working together to help around the club to get the place looking tidy again, so the signs are really positive.

"We have teams from academy, U18 and U21 level to the first team and also a junior girls team and a ladies team, so over last couple of years we have really put it all together and hopefully the club will now move forward."

The pre-season schedule begins on Saturday, July 14 (3pm) when Westfields from the Midland Football Alliance visit.

On Thursday, July 19 (7.30pm) Evo-Stik Southern League Division One South & West's Bishops Cleeve are the visitors, before Tipton from the Alliance visit on Saturday, July 21 (3pm).

Another Alliance outfit, Stratford Town, arrive on Tuesday, July 24 (7.30pm) before Tuffley Rovers from the Gloucestershire County League on Saturday, July 28 (3pm) and Southern League Division One South & West neighbours Evesham United on Tuesday, July 31 (7.30pm).

The big league kick-off is on Saturday, August 4 and on August 7 (7.30pm) Southern League Premier Division side Redditch United will visit King George's Way in the last of the friendlies.

Pershore are looking for a physio who can attend first team games and training night. For more details please contact Gary Aldington on 07747 767638.

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