Archived News from September 2018
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FLITCROFT PREVIEWS CAMBRIDGE & NEW TRAINING GROUND
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Stags' boss discusses impact of new training ground
mansfieldtown.net, Thursday 20 September 2018 Stags’ boss David Flitcroft believes the new RH Academy training facility at Woburn Lane will make a ‘massive difference,’ as the project nears its completion. The venue’s name - short for the Radford and Hymas Academy - honours the two benefactors, chairman John Radford and academy director Steve Hymas, whose funds have made the project possible. Speaking of the new training facility, the Stags’ manager says that it will be ‘fundamental’ as the club moves forward. “A key decision on me coming here was the fact that the chairman, Carolyn [chief executive], Steve Hymas and the board were developing the new training ground,” he said. “I think it’s a fundamental part of any infrastructure. “When you get up there and see the actual site, the building that’s been built and the size of it is phenomenal. It’s got a 4G pitch with a stand, which is probably unheard off at League Two level. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2018/september/flitcroft-pre-cambridge/ “I can’t wait to get up there. Credit to the football club for the vision it’s had and the support from the chairman and Carolyn. The hard work behind the scenes, Steve Hymas, Mark Burton and the direction they have put the club in, [the club] is in good hands. “We certainly want to lead the message up there and the values up there. It’s a training ground for the community, but we have to set the standard as the first team going up there. “I think at the stadium it can be quite departmentalised. You have the physio room under one stand, you eat under another stand. On your own training ground you can spend more time with the players. It’ll make a massive difference to the way we do things. “The biggest thing will be the implementation of the under-21s training alongside us. The plan is that the scholars will stay down at Brooksby, but the best three scholars will come and sample the new training ground. If you’re doing your stuff, it doesn’t matter how old or young you are, you will get the chance to train at this top class facility. “The vision that the directors have had for this is phenomenal and I can’t wait to get up there and get started.” The manager also spoke of Tuesday’s 5-1 Central League victory over Doncaster Rovers, a game which he attended and selected a strong Stags’ side for. “We looked at the work on Saturday and the forward work,” he added. “We had something like 30 quality entries into the last third, but with a real poor end product. “The chances we created in the last bit weren’t right. [There was] a lack of quality and a lack of end product. We weren’t picking players out or missing the first man. “We went through it with the players on Monday and took responsibility. In that first 25 minutes, we had to make more of an impact. We have to dominate teams and then go and win the football match. “We were going to put a session on the One Call [Stadium pitch]. I felt with live opposition, it was a good opportunity to play [on Tuesday]. Doncaster switched the game to the Keepmoat, which is a fantastic stadium and a brilliant pitch. “The performance was good and the attitude was great from the players which I expect, whether it’s a training session or they go to a hospital or a visit to a school. That commitment has to be there whatever we do with the Mansfield Town badge. “On the [training] pitch here we have a sort of grub infestation and the crows have chewed it to bits, so we’re really unlucky. Mez [Michael Merriman, head groundsman] has done a fantastic job with both pitches, but it’s in a bad state to be fair. “We’re going to have to spend a couple of days off it [training pitch]. Luckily we have the opportunity to train on our actual pitch today, and we’ll get a really good session in on the pitch as the surface here is beautiful. “We might have to stay off that [training pitch] for a few days as we might have to get it resurfaced and levelled out a bit. “It’s one of those things that nobody can do anything about. We’ve found the problem and we’re dealing with it.” Ahead of this week’s trip away to Cambridge United in Sky Bet League Two, manager Flitcroft touched on the unpredictability of the league, before providing an injury update on striker Craig Davies. “You look at League Two and it’s such an unpredictable league. You see Newport flying at the top of the league then Yeovil absolutely demolish them. There’s been some real surprise results. “I don’t think the form has settled down yet, it’s still at an unpredictable stage. Any League Two team has threats. We’ll try to take advantage of the work we’ve put in this week and take advantage of us not just being upset by Exeter beating us, but out of a pride thing. “We have to start putting more points on the board. It’s alright the performances being good, but scoring goals and stopping goals is the responsibility. That starts with me and ends with me. “With any hamstring injury, what you don’t want it to do is get worse. The medical staff are managing that at the minute. He [Davies] has been out on the grass, and he’ll have an opportunity on Thursday and Friday to get more done on the grass. “Now it’s a case of taking that up a level and seeing how the hamstring reacts to that. That’s where he is for the next 48 hours. Then we’ll make an assessment to see how he gets through that. “I’m hopeful of having him but again, until Friday 2pm, we’ll still leave it until then to make a decision on whether Craig is involved or not on Saturday.” iFollow Stags subscribers can watch the manager’s news conference in full by logging into mansfieldtown.net/ifollow later today. --------------- Flitcroft keen for Mansfield Town to turn domination into goals chad.co.uk, Thursday 20 September 2018 Mansfield boss David Flitcroft says extra work has been done this week with the aim of making the Stags a more potent attacking unit. Flitcroft cited last weekend's defeat to Exeter as his main driving force behind fielding a very strong line-up in a 5-1 victory at Doncaster on Tuesday in a reserve team game. And he hopes to now see the continued work pay off when Mansfield travel to Cambridge United on Saturday. He said: “We’d looked at the work we’d done up front on Saturday and had around 30 entries into the last third but with a really poor end product. “When we’d reviewed it we decided it wasn’t right such was the lack of quality, end product, responsibility and factors like the final ball and picking players out. “In that first 25 minutes on Saturday we had to make more impact on them. It’s no good dominating teams and not winning, we have to dominate and go on to win the football match which we didn’t do. Read more at: https://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/sport/football/flitcroft-keen-for-mansfield-town-to-turn-domination-into-goals-1-9358704 “We were going to put a training session on at the One Call Stadium but I felt with live opposition it was a good opportunity to give the players that have been playing a chance to get out on a really good pitch at Doncaster after they switched the game to the Keepmoat Stadium. “There we could keep trying to improve our body of work and improve the players and also get good game minutes in for players like Mal Benning and Danny Rose who both got 90 minutes. “The performance was good and the attitude was great from the players which I expect whether it’s a training session, a visit to a hospital or a first team match. “Our attacking play was improved which was important.” Saturday's opponents Cambridge are just three points behind Stags in the early standings, but Flitcroft says it's been hard to ascertain teams' true form such is the unpredictable nature of the league. He said: “When you look at Leagues One and Two they’re both such unpredictable leagues - you’ve got Newport flying at the top of the league but then Yeovil absolutely demolished them. There have been some real surprise results and I don’t think the form has settled down yet and that unpredictable stage remains. “Any League Two team has threats but we’ll try and take advantage of the work put in this week and also aim to put right the things we got wrong on Saturday and we’ve been working hard to do that. “We’ve got to start putting more points on the board because it’s alright the performances being good and the level of play being of good quality but the responsibility of scoring goals and not conceding them lies with me and we have to get that right come Saturday. “I’m seeing a group of players that are prepared to stay behind, get to the training ground early and commit to what we’re doing. “The attitude for the reserve game on Tuesday was phenomenal and I want to see them commit to what they do, which is what I’m seeing and while they’re committed in all senses then the results will come.” Flitcroft added that he hopes to have striker Craig Davies back involved one way or another on Saturday after a hamstring njury, commenting: “With any hamstring injury, you don’t want it to get worse. He’s been in the gym and we’ll get him out on the grass by the end of the week and get his running and movement going to see how it reacts. “I’m hopeful of having him for the weekend but until about Friday at 2pm we won’t make a decision.” ----------------- Mansfield Town boss excited by new £2m training facility chad.co.uk, Thursday 20 September 2018 David Flitcroft says Mansfield Town's impending move to a brand new training facility will be of huge benefit to everyone at the club. The new training ground at Woburn Lane in Pleasley has been named the RH Academy, short for The Radford & Hymas Academy, which honours the two benefactors, chairman John Radford and academy director Steve Hymas, whose funds have made the project possible. And Flitcroft can't wait to begin using it when, barring any delays, it opens at the end of this month. He said: "I'm buzzing to get up there. A key factor in me coming here was knowing that for the first time in the club's history, the club was developing its own training ground. Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/mansfield-town-boss-excited-by-new-2m-training-facility-1-9359481 "I think it's a fundamental part of any infrastructure. When you get up there and you see the actual site, the building that's been built and the size of it all, it's phenomenal. "It's got a 4G pitch with a stand which is probably unheard of at this kind of level, and full credit to the John and Carolyn Radford and directors Steve Hymas and Mark Burton for the vision they've had in making the project a reality. "I'm not sure it was originally planned to be used as a first team training ground but we certainly would love to lead the values and the message up there whilst it's also a training ground for the community. As the first team, we've got to set the standard when it comes to professionalism, punctuality, preparation and the standard of excellence because the facility is that good. "I think it will be a lot easier too as at the moment we're a bit departmentalised here, for example with the physio room in one stand, eating under another stand and so on. "With your own training ground you can spend more time with the players and it's a lot more confined and compact and it'll make a massive difference to the way we do things. "Relationships with the staff and players will benefit, particularly with the under-21s training alongside us which we can't do at the moment due to only having one pitch and it's a three-quarter pitch at that. It'll be a great opportunity for the scholars too as the best of those will get the chance to come and sample to facility as well. "The squad will be tighter-knit and in each other's environment all the time and it'll strengthen the drive to come to work each day - it's harder to do those things at a split site as we have now where it's difficult to keep your eye on everything." The state-of-the-art facility, costing £2 million, will boast a new full-sized and floodlit 3G pitch, built to FIFA standards. Three-full sized grass pitches and a mini-pitch will make the facility a hive of activity at weekends, while the pavilion will consist of four dressing rooms, showers and associated physio rooms. A function room will be situated on the ground floor, which will include kitchen facilities to allow the room to be used by the local community for functions. Located on the first floor will be two classrooms and offices which will be used as an education hub. ------------------- |
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