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Smith set to sign
BARRY Smith is set to sign up for another season with Brechin City in the next few days, manager Jim Duffy has confirmed.
Smith impressed when he spent four months of last season on loan from Dundee, providing stability to a back line which had lost the influential David White just a month prior to his arrival, and Duffy confirmed that he expects a season long deal for the defender to be tied up within the next few days.
Jim also said that the players have reported back for the new season full of enthusiasm and that he hopes to use Saturday's first pre-season fixture, a closed-door game against East Stirlingshire at Glebe Park, as a chance to have a look at five players who have been training with the team.
"Obviously like any time we start back you get a really good atmosphere around training because players enjoy the break, but they also enjoy being back again," he commented.
"For me, particularly at part time level, you don't have as much time to spend on fitness and it is difficult to get fitness levels up to where we would like them to be and I think that it is better to get through games if we can. That is part of the reason for starting the pre-season games so early.
"Jim McInally is a good friend of mine, we go back 20 years, and with it being a closed doors game we can play it by ear a little bit with regards to changes, whereas if it had been an open doors game it would have been more restricted by regulations.
"We have to make sure that the players are ready for it though and make sure that no one picks up any injuries, but it is important to get the legs moving again.
"There were four players in training with us on Saturday for us to have a look at and I think there is another one coming along tonight (Monday) and we will have a look at them in the closed doors games as well.
"We need new players, but there are a number available at the moment and we just want to take our time make sure we get the right ones.
"The plan is that all the trialists will play on Saturday, as I know all of our players and it is important we give the other one's as much of a game as we can."
One negative for Duffy is the spectre of injuries, which is still hanging over the squad from last season.
At the time of going to press it was unclear whether or not Barry Smith would be available for the East Stirlingshire game. David White and Ian Nimmo have still not overcome injuries they picked up last term, while David Murie is recovering from a cartilage operation and Richard Walker has a problem with his groin.
"We are still carrying a few injuries at the moment and we have to be a little bit careful to make sure that we have enough players to play all the games, including changes," Jim concluded.
"It's no use having 11 players but no one to bring on, so we will have to try to steer clear of injuries."
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Weather for Brechin
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: East
