With their first pre-season friendly just five days away, Barrow Raiders have been stepping up the intensity of their training sessions this week and they’ve been doing so with a new schedule for the campaign.

Head coach Paul Crarey has switched the days where the Raiders train around, which he believes will ease the burden on the players who travel up from Lancashire several times to a week to maintain their fitness.

It is also hoped that the new timetable will allow them enough rest ahead of their matches on Sundays, with them looking to bounce back into the Betfred Championship at the first time of asking.

They will get their first impression of how this plan of action is working out when Oldham come to visit Craven Park to kick off the Raiders’ series of pre-season tune-ups, just as they did last year.

Crarey said: “We’re going to train right through the friendlies anyway and what we’ll do as well is that instead of three nights a week, we’ll be going to training on Wednesday and Friday before playing on the Sunday.

“We’ve changed the nights for the lads so they’ll be getting an extra day off, which will be Saturday and then we’ll be playing on the Sunday, getting ready for how we’re going to have our structure in the season.

“It saves us a little bit of money as well because the players aren’t travelling as much and it’s good as well because they get to spend more time with their families because it is demanding if you’re an ‘away’ player, there’s no doubt about it.

“What them players do is come up here three times a week and train on the Sunday and it’s very difficult to do, but they’ve managed to do it and they’ve always got a smile on their face when they come. But we’re going to make it as easy as possible and this year as enjoyable as possible for the players and their families.”