Rovers to begin pre-season programme with trip to Melksham
BRISTOL Rovers will kick-off their pre-season campaign away at nonleague opposition, the club have confirmed.
The Gas are due to return to training in the final week of June in preparation for life in League Two, and their first friendly will see them face Melksham Town.
Joey Barton’s Rovers are set to travel to Oakfield Stadium on July 2 for a 7.45pm kick-off to face Richard Fey’s side, who will play in Southern League Division One South next season.
The Gas, who are set to embark on an SAS-style boot camp in Hereford in early July, will then travel to Westleigh Park to face National League South side Havant & Waterlooville on July 13 (7.45pm).
Rovers plan to announce their home fixtures at a later date to digest further Government updates and guidance on crowd numbers.
It will be the first time Gasheads will see Rovers play in the flesh since March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Tickets are on sale for both games from the host clubs, with an initial 1,500 capacity planned for the trip to Melksham, and supporters will have the chance to see new signings Paul Coutts, Sam Finley, Mark Hughes and Nick Anderton play their first game in a Rovers shirt.
Discussing his pre-season plans
before Rovers’ relegation season concluded, Barton warned his payers they face a testing period over the summer.
“I’ve said to the lads, if anyone comes back for pre-season out of shape, it’ll be their last day at the football club,” he said.
“What do you need to get on the booze for in the summer? You’ve had a season off. After what we’ve done this year, why do you need to go and have a holiday and a rest?
“You had a prolonged break last year through Covid, it doesn’t look like you’ve had a pre-season based on physical output this season.
“I think lads should take a week off, just to get mentally reset and then they should be getting their bodies in shape for our first day of pre-season. The way I like my group to train, the intensity level is far, far beyond where our lads’ current intensity level is.
“So if they have the off-season off, they aren’t going to be able to deal with it so they’ll pick up injuries early on in pre-season and be left behind the rest of the group and the players we do bring in.
“If you coast this off-season you won’t be at Bristol Rovers.”