HEYBRIDGE: Bond convinced early start will reap benefits

By dward

HEYBRIDGE Swifts players will probably be the fittest in the Ryman League Division One North this coming season and manager Wayne Bond is convinced it will lay the foundation for an instant return to the Premier Division.

Pre-season training started early for the Swifts and after six hard sessions they are yet to see a football, let alone kick one.

"This time we want to make sure that the players are properly fit for the start of what is a crucial season for the club," said Bond.

"We're working them hard and they probably won't see a football until next week, just before we go to play our first friendly match away to the Watford Academy on Saturday week.

"Nobody has moaned, they've all turned up and got on with it at every session which is a credit to them."

Swifts have been training three times a week - Tuesday and Thursday evenings plus a 9.30am Saturday start.

"We know that it's going to be a really tough league this season because we will be up against some good sides that will probably have more riches to offer than we have," Bond explained. "But I'm not worried about that because I have the basis of a good squad of players and if we can carry on playing as we did at the end of last season we will do well."

The big plus factor for Bond and his management team in starting pre-season training earlier than other clubs is that he has had more than half a dozen experienced newcomers joining in at each session.

"Some have Ryman League Premier Division experience too and they say they're interested in coming, they like the club and the way we're tackling the pre-season," he said. "But we'll wait and see what happens because training and signing for a club are totally different and everyone knows we have a limited budget compared to others.

"Obviously some of these players would bring an improvement to our overall first team squad but we'll see how things pan out," he added. "They also may rightly think that they would be given every opportunity at this club to prove themselves which doesn't always happen elsewhere."

Meanwhile, Bond has brought in Phil Yearling the manager of the successful Stanway Rovers U18 team last season as Swifts' new reserve team boss.

"It's nice to have a fresh face in the camp and another opinion because sometimes players can get too used to us regular voices in training and also Phil hopes to bring in some of his ex-youth players to help bolster our reserves," he said.

"Relegation last season hurt me and I know it did everyone else at the club and so it's up to me to make sure we give it a real go this coming season to get back up.

"There are some good teams in our division but at least we'll be one of the fittest from the start and also better organised to begin picking up points from the first game on August 15. I can't wait for it to all start."