AFTER waiting two months for his first match as Basingstoke Town manager, Frank Gray is looking forward to getting his reign at the Camrose under way.
Gray was handed the task of managing Town in early May but has had to wait an agonising nine weeks to send a team out for the first time.
He will finally take charge of his first game on Saturday, when Basingstoke open their pre-season campaign with a home fixture against a Southampton XI, with former Saints chairman Rupert Lowe, who has recently returned to the club, due to attend.
"It is nice to get back after the summer and I am looking forward to the game," Gray said. "It will give the players I have signed already the chance to get their fitness up, while also giving me the opportunity to have a look at some others I have on trial."
The game will begin at noon as Saints' reserves have a match against Winchester City that will kick off at 3pm.
While Southampton are not expected to field a full-strength side at the Camrose, Gray thinks that some first-team players will feature. "I expect Southampton to have a few first-team players in their side," he said. "It will be a mix but they will be strong enough to provide us with a good test."
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Gray has only secured the services of five players since taking over but plans to add several more names to the squad before the start of Town's Blue Square South cam-paign, using pre-season as a testing ground for potential recruits.
"Ideally I would have a squad of 16 or 18 players, with a couple of young players on top of that," he said. "That is what I am aiming for, but we will have to see how it goes.
"Pre-season is the best time to have a look at players and I am hoping that a few of them will impress me enough to earn themselves deals."
Among the players looking to impress Gray in pre-season will be Sean Hankin, Tom Bird, David Tarpey and James Taylor, who are hoping to join Jason Bristow, Joe Dolan, Matt Warner, Ben Wells and Rob Watkins in re-signing for the club.
"There are a few more players returning and I am hoping to tie up deals with some of them in the near future," Gray explained.
However, striker Scott Fitzgerald and goalkeeper Nick Jones will not feature at the Camrose next season.
Town players returned to training after the summer break on Tuesday evening. While Gray had them doing some fitness work, he was keen to get the balls out in order to better judge the ability of the players on trial.
Basingstoke have been drawn at home to fellow Blue Square South outfit Fisher Athletic in the opening round of the Setanta Shield, a competition that features teams from Blue Square Premier, North and South.
The match is likely to take place on Tuesday, September 9, and will be the first game of a double-header, with Town travelling to south London in the league four days later.
"It's a home game and we will be looking to progress but it will be tough," Gray said.
"I will take the competition seriously. It may be that we use it for players who need a game, but we will be playing to win."
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