It has been a month since the cup final and the end of the close season is in sight – at least for the players as they look out the boots for the start of the new campaign.
The early bird season ticket window enjoyed a boost thanks mainly to the introduction of the e-ticket system at Fir Park. The club reports a healthy 13% increase in sales at this stage but a more realistic count will come in early August. Nevertheless the signs are encouraging and if we can increase our home gate by a few hundred on a regular basis the treasurer will be smiling.
Our fan base gained another young addition when a proud Mr Burrows introduced his new daughter to the world. Mother and baby look good in the first snaps but our chief executive admits to being “a blubbering wreck”.
Craig Tanner seems to be well on the way to recovery after suffering knee damage in a training session in early March. We missed his productive runs in support of the strikers as the season ended but with the news that he has the green light to push forward his rehabilitation we can hope for a return early in the season.
The squad will have a first taste of action in under a fortnight when they play in a testimonial match in Belfast against Crusaders. Kick off at the Seaview Stadium is 1pm.
Although three additions have been made to the squad with the arrival of Johnson, Donnelly and Gillespie we can expect another midfielder to arrive soon according to Stephen Robinson. His enthusiasm for the next signing was obvious as he shared his thoughts on MFC TV.
The fixture list for the new league season and opening Betfred ties is here.