THE old season may seem like only yesterday but planning at Guiseley for the coming one is well under way.

Lions manager Mark Bower has got most of his recruitment done and work on the Nethermoor playing surface is in full swing.

The pitch looks like a ploughed field at the moment but the drainage system has had an upgrade, the surface has been levelled and — given some good growing weather over the next month — it should be like a bowling green when Bower’s former club Bradford pitch up for a pre-season friendly on Saturday, July 12.

Bower said: “It’s only three weeks since the season finished and we have nearly got our squad for the new one assembled. I’m really pleased with where we are at the moment.

“The aim is to come back and pick up where we left off from the last two thirds of last season.

"Most of the friendly games are arranged as well. We are just waiting for another couple of clubs to come back and fix dates.”

Bower is preparing for his first pre-season in charge, the former Bantams centre back having only taken over the hot seat last September. That was as a caretaker manager, with the appointment made permanent in early October.

This closed season is going smoothly but Bower has been in the game too long to get complacent.

He feels he has been fortunate with his three major new signings but says that telling players they were not part of his plans and could look for other clubs was the most difficult thing he has had to do in football.

Rhys Meynell, Jack Rea, Michael Potts and Macauley Parkinson were all released but Adam Boyes joined on a permanent basis, while Ryan Toulson and Danny Lowe were captured from neighbours FC Halifax Town.

“I felt we may have an opportunity to get Ryan, so we were following the situation closely, but landing Danny was a bit of a surprise," said Bower.

"I played with him at Halifax and know just how good he is and when we heard he was available we jumped on that straight away.

“He was a proper captain and a true leader at Halifax. I believe they wanted him back but he fancied a change.

"We went to speak to him and he likes the way we are doing things here at Guiseley and I’m delighted that he wanted to be a part of it.

"We know exactly what we’re getting with Ryan because he had a good spell here before.

"The same goes for Adam. We spoke to him throughout last season when he was just here on loan and, again, we are really pleased that he wanted to remain at this club.

“There were other offers on the table for these players but they have chosen to come to Nethermoor and we’re all looking forward to the new season.”