Shropshire Star

AFC Telford keeping players in tune during down-time

AFC Telford United are focused on keeping players mentally active, as well as physically, during their period of inactivity.

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The Bucks have not played since mid-January and their 2020/21 National League North campaign was declared null and void due to majority vote from clubs.

But boss Gavin Cowan has stressed the importance of reaching out to players, who are on furlough leave, and ensuring they are coping while there is no competitive football action.

Cowan said: “We’re very focused on helping them on not only a football perspective. What you’ve got to remember is, similar to myself, you go from totally immersed in football to it being taken away.

“But I’ve been utilised my time, I’ve been to watch games, I have wonderful wife and kids and business I can focus on.

“But we’re also very mindful that even if other parts of life, sometimes you don’t get what you get from football. So we’re very focused on keeping the group together, we’re speaking loads.

“When the time’s right and we’re allowed to do so, we’ll be reaching out and offering the players opportunity to come and sit down and do sessions on mindset.

“There’s a lot to be working on, we won’t be leaving them to their own devices.”

Telford offered players the chance to return to the New Bucks Head last week for a once-weekly training session, which the club are permitted to hold because of their elite status.

Cowan has already revealed that the Bucks will be hosting trial fixtures at the New Bucks Head as they begin scouting for talent once the lockdown restrictions begin to ease from next Monday.

It has been confirmed, meanwhile, that Telford’s 2021/22 National North season will start on Saturday, August 14 – one week earlier than step one clubs in the division above.