Swans are hoping for a flying restart

Storrington FC have wasted no time getting back on the training pitch – and are now out to climb the SCFL division one table.

The Swans went into the latest lock down 14 thin the table but having strengthened the squad.

Boss Bob Paine has already got the players training again – and they play their first game on Saturday.

Paine told the County Times: “The past four weeks have gone by very slowly!

“Finally we are able to look forward to getting back to training and playing again.

“We have tried to keep in contact with the players, we had a group quiz night, had a first team squad meeting as well as individual player meetings, all virtually of course.”

Storrington were training last night – the earliest it was permitted – and will face Horsham YMCA in a friendly on Saturday.

“Then we are back to league action at Shoreham next Tuesday, so it’s a bit full-on once we get going again,” said Paine.

“I’ m not sure why the league is not starting on Saturday.

“Division two is, so it’s just more in consistency.

“I don’t think a further few days makes a lot of difference – we should just have got on with it, in my opinion.

“It’s a tough time for the club at the moment particularly with the new restrictions meaning the bar can not open.

“In the short term we will get through but the longer it goes on without the bar then the more difficult it will become.

“I don’t envy the government trying to keep us all safe and the tough decisions they are having to make, although painful. If it keeps us safe and well then in the end it will be worth it.

“I just hope the club can get through however long it is before we can get back to some kind of normality.

“I know the players have been looking forward to getting back together again and the break has meant some of the injured players are now fit enough to return, which is a positive.

“The season so far has been challenging which we knew it would be given the change within the squad over the summer. But with the new signings we made just before the second lock down I hope we will start to pick up points to push us into a more respectable mid-table position.”