New Kit For Grantham

Grantham start their home pre-season friendlies on Saturday with the visit of Blue Square North Eastwood Town and a new kit for the new season. Stripes again make a return to the Meres as main sponsors Stoneacre continue their sponsorship of the club for a second season. A limited number of replica kits will be on sale at the game at £38 each. Other orders can be taken for a £10 deposit.

The Gingerbreads go into the game, which is the first of three in less than a week at the Meres, with only the one game under their belts. Last Saturday they visited Lincoln Moorlands in a game that turned out to be just what joint manager Jimmy Albans expected.

“We got the chance to open our lungs up.” Albans said. ”There was nothing negative from the game at all about any of our players. The weather and pitch played their part, but we showed good first touch and kept possession well. Grant Brindley and Scott Helliwell both played well, but they have got to learn how to defend the way we do. It is different playing in a back three compared to a flat four. They will pick it up, though. We want them to get in front of the forward, where they have been used to staying tight behind. Tom Maddison looks a good 19 year old prospect and Tris Whitman and Paul Grimes both looked lively.”

The Gingerbreads joint boss went on to say why he expected all the new signings to fit in quickly.

“They know they are at a club with very good players” He said. “They realise they are part of a team that wants to succeed and have good group ethics.”

Albans admitted that there were areas he and fellow joint manager Wayne Hallcro felt they needed to improve on after last season. This weeks’ departure of Chris Glarvey despite being a loss to the Gingerbreads might help to achieve the aim of the Gingerbreads management team.

“We need a better return of goals from our midfield players and forwards this season. “ Albans explained. “Chris has been a great player to have around, but he is primarily a defensive midfielder. Niall O’Rafferty, for example, is naturally an attacking player and wants to get forward. With Sam Saunders as the anchor in midfield, we can play two who want to get into the box and get on the end of things as well as create them. Rhys Lewis has shown his ability as a box to box player and got us a number of goals last season. We will look for more of the same. He can also do the defensive side well and across last season, not many players got the better of either him or Sam.”

Opponents Eastwood will give Grantham a good test. They almost made it into the Blue Square North play-offs last season, and despite a number of changes as a result of that, will look for a high finish again this season.

“They will be a strong Blue Square North side.” Albans said. “Their players know that the infrastructure has changed at the club and they are now dong it on a budget, but they will still put out a strong side. We will be looking to use a squad of 16 on Saturday and the same again in the next two games. On Saturday we have a number of players absent which forces our hands slightly, but we will be able to give everybody 90 minutes and get them into game thinking.”

Gio Carchedi, Rob Norris, Matt Glass, Matt Millns, Steve Melton, Lee Potts and Paul Grimes all miss the game. Gary Sucharewycz in expected to play for the first time since his ankle injury towards the end of last season.