First friendly approaches as Valley begin preparations for a higher level

Valley’s 2023/24 squad face further sessions this week before starting their friendly schedule this Saturday at Leicester Nirvana - the first of four away outings against teams from the UCL Premier Division South, which Town won promotion out of at the end of the last campaign to end a six-year exile from step four of the non-league football pyramid.

Rugby travel to Racing Club Warwick next Tuesday (July 11) evening, before further tests at Aylestone Park and Daventry Town on July 15 and 18 respectively.

Town then complete their July warm-up schedule with three Butlin Road fixtures against Leamington, Hednesford and Atherstone, before their competitive season starts for real on Saturday, August 5 in the extra preliminary round of the FA Cup – with the NPL Midlands Division campaign beginning the following weekend.

Adams is banking on the continuity strategy which served him so well last time round, and once Loyiso Recci reconfirms his expected commitment to the club, he will have secured 12 players on contract from last season's record-breaking line-up for the forthcoming challenge.

With new arrival Kyle Burke and youth team graduate Ryan Sahota also having signed one-year deals, and assistant-manager Liam Francis again planning to play, Adams took his guaranteed initial roster to 16 last week with the news that striker Tom Fielding will line-up in a Town shirt once more after impressing in two separate spells last season.