DARLINGTON take a strong squad to Billingham Synthonia tomorrow evening for their latest pre-season friendly.
With manager Martin Gray eager to step up the pre-season programme, which sees Quakers return to The Northern Echo Arena on Saturday, there will not be any trialists involved at Central Avenue (7:30pm).
“It will be a full-strength squad, no trialists or youth players,” said Gray. “It’s still about fitness and getting minutes into the players’ legs.
“But it will be a strong team and all of our players are available.”
Gray might like to have given another game to Ryan Winder, the former Lancaster City midfielder who has been on trial, but he is unavailable this evening due to work commitments.
Winder has impressed and Gray is keen on signing him. He played in each of Quakers’ first two pre-season matches, wins at Buxton and Harrogate RA.
Darlington did not have a friendly fixture on Saturday, instead heading to the Army Barracks at Catterick Garrison for a day focused on fitness and team bonding with three sports psychologist brought in.
“We did a lot of team-building and it’s something you hope to see the benefit of during the season,” said Gray, who explained that he first discovered the benefits of using a sports psychologist during his days playing for Oxford United in the 1990s.
“The theme was team building and on going the extra mile for each other. We did a lot of workshops throughout the day. It involves talking to the players about their mentality, when they feel like they can’t give anymore.
“It’s about making them stronger in the mind to see if they can cope with the pressures that are going to come. I’ve done this year every year, it helps the new players join in, but this year we also had two students down from Edinburgh along with a sports psychologist that I use all the time.
“It’s not something we’ve ever shouted about too much, but the lads have bought into it in a big way.”
A strong team ethic has been a key element in Gray’s approach to management since being appointed Darlington manager in 2012.
He added: “I use it myself and started when I was playing for Oxford. If you can give the player that extra one or two per cent to help them perform, alongside traditional work, then it’s worthwhile. It’s no different from having a specialist goalkeeping coach helping the keepers, it can only make the player better.
“In the modern era, the world we live in now, psychology is being used more in sport, both team sports and individuals, and you’ve got to move with the times.
“Four years ago some of the lads’ response was ‘you’re having a laugh aren’t you?’ Now, they all understand it better than they did four years ago and enjoy it.”
On Saturday Darlington face Newcastle’s under 21s at the Arena, and then Sunderland’s youth team on July 19.
Tickets can be bought on the day of each game, while they can also be purchased in advance from Quaker Retail in the Dolphin Centre, open Wednesday and Friday (10am-1pm), as well as from the Arena (9am-5pm).
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