WITH fitness one of the key components of professional football today, it is good to hear that a team like Bury return for pre-season training already well on the way to peak condition and ready for the opening pre-season clash, away to Radcliffe Borough on Saturday.

It just shows that the town's Market Street running track is just as good as any flashy Portuguese base.

"You have to be a bit careful in this hot weather," was the only negative Bury boss Graham Barrow could find, as he put his charges through their paces, doing laps of the town centre facility.

"Joe Hinnigan and myself are only organising it and standing around, they have to do all the leg work. But I suppose you know this kind of weather isn't going to last forever in this country.

"They have all turned up in good nick, and on the track they have all had better times than last year.

"But it is a general trend now in football, players young and old realise that the more you look after yourself, the longer you can play.

"Young lads especially like to have good physiques and they tend to be far better than when I played, they all look in good nick and fair play to them."

In addition to diminishing the pre-season pain a few degrees, returning fit has other benefits.

"Because they have looked after themselves so well over the close season it means we can now introduce the ball to training quicker than we used to do," said Barrow.

"In my day you didn't see a ball the first two weeks, whether that was right or wrong I don't know, but because they are already well on the way to the level of fitness we require, pre-season training is now starting to become more fun and not the shock to the system it used to be.

"In fact they are in such good condition that they could have done with a game before Saturday's trip to Radcliffe.

"All the professionals will get at least half a game, some will get a full 90 minutes. They all deserve an equal go at it.

"I have an idea in my head of my starting line-up. The biggest decision we will have to make is whether we start with two or three up front.

"Last season in my mind it was Newby and Jones, but it finished up Nugent and Porter for most of the season.

"We again have good options up front, so it is up to the players to swing it their way.

"Tom Youngs looks quality, Stuart Barlow never seems to miss and Allan Smart really looks the part.

"Jon Newby is just a little bit behind because he is still coming back from his operation, but the other three have looked really good in training.

"As for midfield, I have a lot of faith in the three we used last year, but Jake Sedgemore will put them all under pressure for a place.

"He is one of the best runners I've seen.

"So he can either nudge in front of them or drop back and force his way into the back four, because he played right across the back for Shrewsbury.

"In today's game being a utility player is a big plus, unlike a few years ago when it meant you were struggling to get into a side.

"Jake prefers to play in midfield and I've seen him play there and play well, but the fact he can play further back is a big bonus.

"Simon Whaley can do it, so can Lee Unsworth and Brian Barry-Murphy, which is also a major plus."

In addition to the clubs new signings, there may also be one or two trialists featuring on Saturday.

"We will probably have a young lad, an Irish lad who spent time at Notts County, play at some stage," said Barrow.

"Gareth Taylor suffered a fairly serious knee injury but has recovered well from it and has been training with us this week.

"He's been staying with me and he is more than likely going to get a run out.

"He's really up for it and if he shows what he can do he can hopefully challenge Tom Kennedy, because for two years he has not been challenged. Up to a couple of years ago Gareth was being chased by a number of teams."

When it comes to Saturday's trip to the 'Inn2together Stadium,' as Stainton Park is now known, Barrow is sure to have mixed feeling about the outcome.

"Ideally I'd like to go away for a two or three really competitive games and then start the season, but you can get just as much out of games with the likes of Radcliffe; last season we lost there 4-1 but then went on to have a really good start to the league season, so it is hard to predict the effect the result can have," he said.

"I played non-league at Chorley and so I know what it means when you play a league team.

"We've had Preston and Manchester City come to us, so in turn if we can help out our local non-league teams we will do.

"Radcliffe are a fantastically friendly club, they always make you welcome and you are guaranteed a good crowd, so if we can help them out by playing them at their place we will do.

"All I'd ask is people be patient. There a few fresh faces, it's their first run out and they will be trying like hell to impress. But at the end of the day the only thing that hinges in these games is fitness.

"It is the beginning of the process of preparing for that opening game at Cheltenham on August 6, nothing more, nothing less."

l Bury 2005-2006: 1 Neil Edwards; 2 Lee Unsworth; 3 Tom Kennedy; 4 John Fitzgerald; 5 Dave Chalinor; 6 Colin Woodthorpe; 7 Dave Flitcroft; 8 DwayneMattis; 9 Allan Smart; 10 Tom Youngs; 11 Brian Barry-Murphy; 12 Paul Scott; 14 Stuart Barlow; 15 James Barrow; 16 Simon Whaley; 17 David Buchanan; 18 Jake Sedgemore; 21 Craig Dootson; 29 Jon Newby.