Hopefully we can start from moving on from Holdsworth himself.

I feel for him in his “hard” job.

Christ he’ll have done next to nowt for 100 days. He wants to try working for a living.

Couple of murmurs that there could be some sort of announcement in the offing regarding the plans for next Season - Possible dates and the likes...

Ground capacity set at 25% but no pies or bovril and a September start.

I’d be surprised if the paddock bogs at the waterworks end are Covid secure

Ground capacity set at 25% but no pies or bovril and a September start.

Sept 12th seems to be the date that’s buzzing about, but I’d heard 40% - Some of the Teams with smaller Grounds could struggle with only a quarter open?

Season Ticket Update:

Part 2:

And Part 3:

Part 4:

Part 5:

Final part:

We get a small refund amounting to 19% of our iFollow subscription automatically according to the email I've just received. Should almost cover my CUOSC subscription for next season.

Transfer Window dates confirmed: Monday 27th July until 5pm on Friday 16th Oct (International moves to be done by 11pm on Mon 5th Oct)

So looks like theres no away days next season... and huge competition over seats - being a suggested lucky dip to fill 20-30% of the stadium. Do we know if the club will prioritise season ticket holders or they getting shafted?

30% of Brunton Park is about 5460, a fair bit over our attendances

20% is about 3640 so which probably wasn’t that far away from how many home fans were at a game last season

Thankfully we have a big capacity so most of us will be able to attend anyway.

From the PM’s briefing just now:

“Johnson also says he hopes that spectators will be allowed to return to football stadiums from the middle of October”

Not sure if he means full capacity etc, sure the details will come out through the day...

Holdsworth on Recruitment:

More from DH:

EFL confirm 20/21 Season will start on Sept 12th:

With 7 weeks until the season start, you’d assume we’ll start playing preseason friendlies within the next couple of weeks.

Danny Graham releases by Blackburn, could he be tempted here with offer of captaincy and a coaching or scouting role?

Doubt it

Should see some action on the incoming players next week. Going to be a strange but interesting time. I like going to the friendlies and training sessions at this time of the year going to miss that.

Danny Graham releases by Blackburn, could he be tempted here with offer of captaincy and a coaching or scouting role?

Doubt it


me too.....couldnt wait to leave Carlisle before signing for Watford.

It’s not feasible for clubs to unfurlough players with no fans. Unless there’s a cash injection from somewhere some clubs won’t be able to continue.

Orient saying it’s cost them around £1.5m in lost income So far.

With 7 weeks until the season start, you’d assume we’ll start playing preseason friendlies within the next couple of weeks.

Club would need to unfurlough players, which won't be done until last minute knowing our lot.
Peterborough have had their players in now to compensate for the longer lay off (Ferguson wanted six weeks and club gave him eight).
Seven weeks now - so would normally be in next week. Still a few weeks away I'd say. Any less than a normal pre-season would be criminal and penny pinching (again).

I don't know what kind of wages Danny Graham was on at Blackburn but he always seemed to be one of their better players so the release in football terms is a surprise..

I'd like to think Lummy has been on the phone trying to sweet talk him into a return but in truth there would be around 20-25 clubs ahead of us in the queue ready to sign him.

Club would need to unfurlough players, which won't be done until last minute knowing our lot.
Peterborough have had their players in now to compensate for the longer lay off (Ferguson wanted six weeks and club gave him eight).
Seven weeks now - so would normally be in next week. Still a few weeks away I'd say. Any less than a normal pre-season would be criminal and penny pinching (again).

Players are training already...

Club would need to unfurlough players, which won't be done until last minute knowing our lot.
Peterborough have had their players in now to compensate for the longer lay off (Ferguson wanted six weeks and club gave him eight).
Seven weeks now - so would normally be in next week. Still a few weeks away I'd say. Any less than a normal pre-season would be criminal and penny pinching (again).

Players are training already...

Only in small groups and mainly trialists though. Public park in Preston is where Chris Beech has his group.

Aye I know, but still training nonetheless!

CW implied we weren’t/wouldn’t be for the foreseeable...

Club would need to unfurlough players, which won't be done until last minute knowing our lot".

Plank of the year comment goes to.............................

Why on earth would you pay out for wages when you don't need to???? especially if there is absolutely no money (or very little) coming in, no gate receipts, no season ticket money, no catering or hospitality, do you honestly think a couple of hundred replica shirts are going to pay the entire wage bill of a football club?
Or do we need to get into further debt, what did I hear the other day? Orient are now in £1.5 million debt because of Covid?????

Beggars belief how some people think.

bluebry .... Surely if the players are training with each other or coaches that classes as “Working”
So the club are now paying the wages??

Clubs don't pay trialists when they are training with them, or do they?

bluebry .... Surely if the players are training with each other or coaches that classes as “Working”
So the club are now paying the wages??

You can work and be part furloughed since 1st July.

Club would need to unfurlough players, which won't be done until last minute knowing our lot".

Plank of the year comment goes to.............................

Why on earth would you pay out for wages when you don't need to???? especially if there is absolutely no money (or very little) coming in, no gate receipts, no season ticket money, no catering or hospitality, do you honestly think a couple of hundred replica shirts are going to pay the entire wage bill of a football club?
Or do we need to get into further debt, what did I hear the other day? Orient are now in £1.5 million debt because of Covid?????

Beggars belief how some people think.

Bri - maybe so the team can be prepared ready for the new season, having done sod all for five months. Why bother at all then, lets stay furloughed until the end of October when the scheme ends. It's only football after all. Sure we can catch up the points lost in the six weeks until then.
Hands up by me if they are training, but all posts I have seen (granted there are not many) say that the only people "training" are trialists.
The fact they have not announced any signings seems this is the case.
Yours sincerely Mister 4 x 2.

bluebry .... Surely if the players are training with each other or coaches that classes as “Working”
So the club are now paying the wages??

You can work and be part furloughed since 1st July.

Be interesting how players who train two hours a day can do this as part time.

Be interesting how players who train two hours a day can do this as part time.

Quite simple? Say two organised sessions in a week, then do their own stuff other days?

All logged for clarity etc...

Are other clubs going part time then or is it just us? Can’t help thinking we’ll be at a huge disadvantage come start of the season if everyone else has trained as normal in the preseason weeks. We could be way off the pace.

Be interesting how players who train two hours a day can do this as part time.

Quite simple? Say two organised sessions in a week, then do their own stuff other days?

All logged for clarity etc...

Sounds like you are describing AJs dream scenario - a nice little part time team.
Where is the sodding ambition, to try and get ahead of the other teams, properly ready, instead of penny pinching and boasting about how the salary cap has no effect on us as we are so far below it.

No change there then, we've been off the pace for years

Teams are busy building up their squads back in training and showing ambition. We are hiding yet again behind some sort of secrecy don't tell the fans anything way, even though a lot of the info is already public knowledge they don't release anything until its already old news. No wonder we are stuck in the bottom rung of the league.

The Season is starting on Sat 12th Sept. If they return fully on Mon 3rd August then that is six full weeks to train and prepare - ample time (And roughly the same as a normal pre-Season).

Also, the Players have been doing plenty of training in the downtime, so are likely in as good, if not better, condition than a ‘normal’ Summer. Not like they’ve been going off on any Holidays or the like either is it?

The Season is starting on Sat 12th Sept. If they return fully on Mon 3rd August then that is six full weeks to train and prepare - ample time (And roughly the same as a normal pre-Season).

Also, the Players have been doing plenty of training in the downtime, so are likely in as good, if not better, condition than a ‘normal’ Summer. Not like they’ve been going off on any Holidays or the like either is it?

That's what I said (before I was termed a plank) but there has been nothing said by the club or the silent Trust, so seems unlikely. If its a choice between the chance to save a week or two (or more) of furlough and being properly prepared for the new season I know where my monies are on (but do hope I am proved wrong).
It's naive to think, after five months away (not two like a normal pre-season) that they can be football ready, however physically fit they are. They will be much more suseptable to pulls and strains if nothing else.
Sure you would have been shouting up about this if the club had not gagged you CCU

Why would the Trust be producing stories about pre-Season training?!

Gagged? Not my scene! (You starting to get an obsession over CUSG?!)

Why would the Trust be producing stories about pre-Season training?!

Gagged? Not my scene! (You starting to get an obsession over CUSG?!)

The Trust, you know, the supporters organisation, keeping supporters up to date with basics, like when the team start training.
I'll take your word on the gagging

It never ceases to amaze me when they ask the fans to get behind the team and then do their utmost to drive us away with their lack of communication with us "Holdsworth out" he's just a gobsh!te and as for the others they just hide behind him. The trust are as bad crowing how they've raised six grand, teams tiers below us put in more effort at fund raising than that shower. For the first time in years I'm seriously considering not getting a season ticket this year and just doing my usual away days

FFS, I guess any new signings contracts will not start until the 01st August so can't be announced until then!

It's a new season, a new start chill out and see what happens.

I personally can't wait and feel really optiimistic

We will probably get Pre season games against Liverpool, Man City, Newcastle and Barcelona. All behind closed doors.

Then back to Penrith, Kendal, Workington and AFC raffles next season.

Well I don't and I'm chilled out, I'm just not a fan of the incompetents running the club, you obviously are