BRADFORD Park Avenue's new-look squad have started pre-season training and the management and players are looking forward to Tuesday's opening friendly at Selby Town.

It will be a new-ish experience for Avenue boss Martin Drury and right-hand man Jamie Price.

The pair stepped up to take charge of a few games last season when then-manager John Deacey was forced to have a short break due to illness. Now Drury is in the hot seat in his own right and Price is his assistant.

"I can't wait to work with the new squad and they're all looking forward to the friendly games," said Drury.

"We've been in constant touch with the players over the break, speaking and sending texts regularly.

"It's an exciting time for the football club and the players themselves and they have been telling us that they just wanted to get going.

"The season starts early this year, so we had to get everyone in a week or so earlier, and the lads are all in pretty good shape.

"They got programmes to work to from Jamie just over three weeks ago and they seem to have stuck to them.

"Now we've got five or six weeks to work with them, put them through their paces and get them in peak condition, ready for the real stuff by the time the season starts."

Avenue's first two warm-up games are away to Northern Counties East League sides before they face three of their neighbours.

Fixtures against Farsley Celtic, FC Halifax Town and Guiseley follow before they complete their friendlies with a trip to Shaw Lane Aquaforce.

The Shaymen and Mark Bower's freshly-promoted Lions are the highest-ranking clubs Avenue will face this pre-season.

There are no visits from Football League opposition, which disappoints Drury – but he still feels the list will give his players exactly what they need.

The Avenue boss said: "The games I looked forward to most when I was a player were the ones against the pro clubs. They are the ones that jump off the page at you when you look at the schedule.

"Because of all the work that's been done at Horsfall, it's been difficult to get them in this year. The pro clubs have their arrangements made early and you have to start talking to them months in advance.

"We knew we wouldn't be able to host them, with the pitch improvements making it impossible for us play at home too early, so we haven't got any Football League teams to play.

"But take nothing away from the sides we are playing. They're all good sides who will give us a good test. We'll get the runaround and they will all be competitive games.

"I think the balance is right over the six games and it will set us up for the season."