Dolly Blues looking to hit ground running should season re-start

Lancaster City boss Mark Fell revealed his players are making it known that they are keeping themselves in tip-top shape during lockdown.
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The Dolly Blues are no longer prescribing fitness programmes for their players after the season was halted at the start of this year.

The Northern Premier League Board suspended the campaign until March 6 when they will carry out a further review about the feasibility of re-starting in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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With little likelihood of any more football being played in the foreseeable future, City boss Mark Fell admitted that he could not ask his players to continue to adhere to a strict training programme – especially as they were not getting paid.

Lancaster City boss Mark fell (photo: Tony North)Lancaster City boss Mark fell (photo: Tony North)
Lancaster City boss Mark fell (photo: Tony North)

But Fell revealed that his players are continuing to put the work in of their own volition – something which might pay dividends later down the line. The Government announced this week that financial grants are available to non-league clubs at steps three to six. The news means there is a very real possibility that the season will start up again.

And Fell reckons those teams who hit the ground running straight away are the ones which will go on to achieve success.

“I speak to my players regularly,” said Fell. “I have touched base with them all this week and I have said before that I don’t feel the need to be having them on structured fitness programmes at the moment but that could change.

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“The players, though, generally look after themselves. They do their own stuff.

“They all put up their own fitness stuff on social media – how much they have run each day. The las are happy to publish what they have been doing and they do it because they know managers and staff will see it.

“What I will say is if you’re a player and you’re not keeping yourself fit, then you’re not going to be playing football when it starts up again – it’s as simple as that.

“If you’re a player that comes back in no sort of condition then you will get replaced. That is the harsh reality of the situation that we are in.

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“The players have a responsibility and whenever we get them in, then it’s looking like it will potentially be a very short turnaround to return to playing and if they’re not up to it, they won’t be playing.”

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