MATCH PREVIEW: Proper football is back

After eighty-eight games and over 250 goals in the wonderful, but protracted FIFA World Cup, normal football returns to Frenchfield (2pm) on Saturday when Reds take on Penrith in our first pre-season game of the summer.

Jim Nichols’ side launch their league campaign in three weeks, a home game against Easington Colliery, but Reds face six practice matches before the start of the Northern Premier League season on 8th August.

Billy Barr has put the squad through six sessions so far, including two at Frenchfield, and we are grateful to all at Penrith for allowing us to use their excellent facilities in recent months.

Billy Barr

Since losing on our first visit to Frenchfield sixteen years ago, Reds have played ten pre-season games at the ‘new’ Penrith ground and our ‘friendly’ record there reads: won five, lost three and drew two.

Twelve months ago, it finished all square with Steven Rigg opening the scoring for us before DJ Taylor levelled matters for the Bonny Blues.

Kai Nugent in actio vs Penrith

Billy will use a squad of twenty players for the first run out, and his simple message to the players will be to get something from the game on a personal level by ‘running hard and looking after the ball’.

The team will use last season’s all red outfit for the game on Saturday.