RUFC - Pre-season. what are your thoughts ...

Like all the other football clubs in the country, Rotherham United will soon be back in for pre-season training.

Pre-season to footballers usually includes catching up with old team mates, getting to know new faces in the camp, seeing how the summer break has affected everyone and getting the fitness back ready for the new campaign ahead.

That`s probably where the difference between the lower league clubs and the Premiership clubs end. The Millers will be playing Huddersfield, Scunthorpe, Grimsby, Sheffield Wednesday, Parkgate and Stocksbridge Park Steels. While Manchester United are going on a tour of the United States Chelsea are off to Asia where they will be taking on the likes of Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Hong Kong.

I sometimes do wonder if this is actually a pre-season for football with the Premiership or just a ploy to expand their fan base and therefore sell more stock - not that that is a criticism. Football is now a business and not just the fun game it used to be. Business means keeping afloat and to do that you need more money. I mean, our own Rotherham United once crossed the seas to play in a pre-season tournament - to the Isle of Man. Personally, I think pre-season has become an enterprise to get more money out of the fans - for the clubs to use every resource possible to get the coppers in - and you can`t really blame them. I just think it`s a pity that the big clubs in England don`t think of the little clubs in England and play pre-season friendlies against them.

OK, we may not be going to America or Asia or even out of the country but Millers fans will at least have the chance to see their new players before the start of the season.

Pre-season friendlies have become the start of the season now and Millers Manager, Andy Scott said earlier this week, 'Every professional footballer knows that it`s vital to get a good pre-season under your belt not only for the tactical stuff but physically as well. It`s important to get them conditioned to maintain their fitness throughout the season and continue to play at a high tempo and be strong throughout what is a long season.'

Personally, I think pre-season has become an enterprise to get more money out of the fans - for the clubs to use every resource possible to get the coppers in

We might only be travelling the short distance to Bracken Moor, Roundwood and Cleethorpes while the 'big boys` are going thousands of miles for their pre-season but I bet you won`t hear the lower league clubs complaining about being 'tired` at the end of the season…..


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