Dolly puts us in the injury picture:

The lads have come back for the pre-season exceptionally fit and looking well.

Everybody's weight and body fat is excellent, and they are looking sharp. They had a tough first week, with a good gradual build up in to some really hard work. We had a hard start to this week, and we have tailored it down a little bit now to work on the game v Barrow tomorrow.

Simon Hackney is flying in training, with no problems at all with his knee, and he looks strong this season. Hopefully we have given the Gaffer a full squad to work with.

The lads are given a programme to do while they are away, and we know that if they do that fitness programme they will come back at the required level.

Our training and our running and football sessions are all on the clock, everything is monitored from day to day, and we have the heart monitors, watches and belts that they wear.

 Everything is a bit more advanced now, in that we know exactly how they are doing and what levels they should be at as each week goes by. It's definitely more scientific than it used to be a few years ago.

We've had some young lads join the Youth set up this season, and the lads are heart scanned and heart screened as they come in. We screen them purely and simply because they are going to be coming here, to work at a high level of fitness, and we need to know that their body is capable of doing that.

The doctor does a small medical on each YTS, where he checks out the joints, ankles, knees, hips, backs and shoulders, for signs of wear and tear, and of any adolescent injuries and growth problems. It's a general health check really, and nothing for them to worry about..

Other than that, we're just ready for the season to start, as everyone is.

Keep well,

Dolly.