It has been a tough preseason for Jamie McGhee’s Greens facing a series of top opposition in their preparations for the upcoming campaign, most notably including Peterborough Sports and Boston United U23s.

The club has also been active in player recruitment in preseason, bringing a host of new names to the club as well as some familiar faces returning. These include Ben Robson, Jake Henderson and Josh Parker as returnees, whereas Crisoivao Pissi, Dotmond Adeoti, Alfie Sheen, Fin Parker and new captain Liam Harper join the club for the first time.

Speaking after Wednesday’s 3-3 draw with the young Pilgrims, Sleaford manager McGhee reflected on preseason, as well as looking ahead to the “bread and butter” of the league, as he put it.

“Preseason has been good; we've learnt a lot from the group. We've kept the nucleus of the side from last season as well and added quality to it” he said. “I’ve been pleased with the input from the group. They've had a really tough preseason you can see by the games as well and the teams we've played so I'm happy.”

“I think I think all season long we're going to come up against sides that will take points off each other continuously throughout the season. Swallownest will be no different. We're looking forward to it we're at the bread and butter of it now, so we can't wait to get started.

“We are going to give a team back to the club and the fans that they can be proud of.”

A Word From The Board

Earlier this week, Vice Chair Josh Donner spoke about looking forward to the season, as he begins his second full year in the role.

“There’s a real sense of optimism around the club, but it’s important that we remain grounded. We know where we finished last season and the amount of work that’s still required if we’re to be looking up the table rather than over our shoulders. That said, the commitment and attitude shown throughout pre-season gives us every reason to believe we’re moving in the right direction.

“Our pre-season performances have also been encouraging. Competing well against teams from higher divisions has demonstrated the standards we’re striving for and the ambition we have as a football club. While pre-season results don’t win points, they’ve given everyone a belief that we’re capable of building something positive this year.

“Off the pitch, the club continues to go from strength to strength. The support we’ve received from both our loyal existing sponsors and those joining us for the first time has been fantastic, and I’d like to thank every one of them for their continued backing. Their support allows us to keep moving the club forward”.

Opposition Look

Swallownest will undergo a new era under the manager Jamie Housley, who returns for his second spell in the dugout at Swall-Siro. The club will be hoping to improve on their fourteenth-place finish last year, where they defeated Sleaford 3-1 on opening day as well as a 1-1 draw later on in the season thanks to a late leveller from Andy Whalen’s goal.