Pre-season will be a-dam test

Published 29 Jun 2010 09:30 0 Comments

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DUMBARTON assistant Alan Adamson revealed the Sons squad must "hit the ground running" as they began preparations for the tough start to the new season.

Jim Chapman's new-look Dumbarton squad, which now has 12 fresh faces, started training on Saturday at Posties' Park, in Dumbarton, after their summer break.

And despite the fact this was their first session together as a full squad, Adamson insisted the players were going to be severely put through their paces.

Dumbarton face a tricky start to the competitive season as they take on First Division sides Morton and Queen of the South in the Alba Challenge Cup and Co-operative Insurance Cup competitions.

The challenging start continues into their league campaign as their first three games are against newly-promoted Forfar Athletic, Livingston and relegated side Ayr United.

Adamson knows the players will have to make an immediate impact in training and in their warm-up games if they are to be ready for the difficult start to the new season.

He said: "We start training this week and we meet the boys we have brought in and obviously the guys from last season as well.

"We have a lot of games arranged - against Partick Thistle, St Mirren and Oxford - so the team are ready for the first league game.

"I think the first three fixtures we have in the league couldn't be any harder so that means we will need to hit the ground running.

"That is why we will need to prepare in training and use these warm-up games."

Manager Chapman has been busy rebuilding his squad this month and has landed experienced First Division campaigners including defender Allan McManus, striker Ross Campbell and goalkeeper Stephen

Grindlay.

And Adamson reckons, with the new players added to the side, there will be a competitive edge in the squad as players battle for first-team places.

He said: "I think it is going to be a more competitive squad.

"There will be competition with two or three players competing for one position.

"It's hard to tell what it's going to be like.

"We can't say until you see them play in action and there are no guarantees about players. But we have brought in a lot of quality players.

"Ross Campbell is one player who I think will score a lot of goals of us.

"But we will know a lot more after we have seen them play."

This article appeared in Dumbarton & Vale of Leven Reporter 29 Jun 10

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