Carlisle United are inviting ALL supporters to meet the players at an open training session to be held at Brunton Park on August Bank Holiday Monday.

The club will be throwing open the gates to the Paddock and allowing fans on to the terrace along the length of the pitch to watch John Ward's first team squad being put through their paces.

The players will train on the roped-off pitch for 45 minutes once the session gets underway at 10.30am on Monday August 25. And don't rule out the manager being joined by Dennis Booth and Greg Abbott in taking the mic for a little light-hearted running commentary over the PA system!

Once the session is finished, the players and coaching staff will remain so fans can then chat to them, get their autographs or have photos taken with them for a further period.

Tables are likely to be set up on the gravel area in front of the Paddock to allow players and fans to sit together after the training session.

There will be no admission charge. The club will be arranging for kiosks to open at the ground to sell refreshments. A raffle with special prizes will also be held and the club shop will be open.

Managing director John Nixon, who is one of the club's four new owners, said: "The emphasis will very be much on family-orientated fun. We would like to see lots of youngsters coming along but mums and dads and fans of all ages will be very welcome too.

"As the club's new owners, we want to try to do all we possibly can to further strengthen the bond between our players and our fans. It is only early days yet but we think that holding an open training session at Brunton Park is a good idea to kick off with and one which will be well received by supporters - and indeed John Ward and the players.

"We would have liked to have had more time to arrange to get extra things in place but we will see how this goes. If it is as successful as we hope, then we will look at expanding it into a fully-fledged open day next summer."

The first team have a fixture at Leyton Orient on Saturday August 23 and after a day off on the Sunday, they will be in for training at the open session in front of fans at Brunton Park the following day. The Blues are likely to have a match the following day in the second round of the Carling Cup if they win their first round tie at Shrewsbury on Tuesday August 12 but John Ward has agreed that the open session will go ahead no matter who or where they may be drawn to play.