Damien Johnson enjoyed his first official day as a Fleetwood Town player after the squad came together yesterday for their first pre-season training session.
By Liz OwenDamien Johnson enjoyed his first official day as a Fleetwood Town player after the squad came together yesterday for their first pre-season training session.
“I signed a few weeks back but I hadn’t met any of the lads; it feels like my first day as oppose to a few weeks ago when I actually signed,” he said. “It’s been nice to have a few weeks off, but at the start of July you’re ready to get back to work, so it’s good to finally meet the lads.
“I’ve been warmly welcomed by everyone, so that’s been nice. They all seem nice lads – I think there’s five or six of us [new signings] and we’ve all been made to feel very welcome.
“It’s a big year for Fleetwood,” Johnson added. “The set up here is as professional as any I’ve been at, so it’s been really good to meet everyone and settle in.”
Manager Micky Mellon’s pre-session team-talk centered around the club’s high ambitions for the coming season, and the aim of promotion from League 2 is one that Johnson himself is targeting.
“It’s a big reason why I came here,” he said. “I want to challenge for league titles and promotions and stuff. I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t be up there challenging.”
Town’s home tie against Nottingham Forest in the Capital One Cup is the perfect way to ‘warm up’ for the club’s first season in the Football League, and it is certainly a fixture that the majority of the squad are looking towards.
“Forest are probably one of the biggest teams in the draw at the minute – to get them at home is an exciting game to finish off pre-season,” said Johnson, “[but] we’ve got plenty of hard work to go before then.”
Town’s first competitive game as a Football League side is the Capital One Cup (League Cup) tie at home to Nottingham Forest on Monday 13
th August. The first npower League 2 game is at home to Torquay United on Saturday 18
th August.
Tickets for both games, and the first six home games, are now on sale. See here for details of ticket prices.
Season tickets and Junior Cod Army memberships, allowing free entry to league games for under 12’s, can be found here.
Parkside Hospitality Suite packages are available by calling call Dave Riche on 01253 775080 or 07854 846820 or e-mail
dave.riche@fleetwoodtownfc.com
