Melton Town look to settle unfinished business... beginning with challenging pre-season contests

Tom Manship wants to deliver a positive season as Melton Town look to complete unfinished business.

Town appeared set to secure promotion to the United Counties League Premier Division when the COVID-19 crisis saw last season declared null and void.

Now Manship wants his squad to pick up where they left off in the 2019-20 campaign.

“Let’s keep on improving, growing and setting ourselves challenges,” the manager said.

“We just keep trying to grow each year on and off the pitch.”

Town will return to training on Tuesday (July 28) with their first fixture expected to be an FA Cup qualifier on September 1.

To ensure his squad are in top shape, Manship has arranged six challenging friendlies for August, including tests against Northern Premier League Basford United, Northern Premier League Division One South East Stamford and UCL Premier Shepshed Dynamo and Quorn.

All four of those teams were pushing for promotion last season before their campaigns ended early.

“Everybody we’re playing in pre-season will be feeling the same as us,” Manship added.

“Every opposition we’ve got lined up is a real good test, teams that are pushing in their leagues. We’ve got Stamford and Basford, big teams compared to us.

“It’s a compliment that they want to come and play us.”

Former Grimsby Town and Lincoln City attacker Nathan Arnold, ex-Leicester City keeper and current Northern Ireland Under 21s coach Carl Muggleton and Phil Chamberlain, who managed Quorn last season, will be part of Manship’s management team this season.

Meanwhile, Muggleton’s son Sam, a Melton-born former Barnet, Chesterfield and York City defender, will train with the club as he overcomes a long-term injury.

“There’s no pressure for Sam to play, he’s had a long term injury and he can come in and get fit with us,” Manship added.

“What we do is professional and I’m sure Sam will be familiar with that."