Montrose boss Stewart Petrie is hoping a short summer Angus staycation will fire his squad up for the new season.
Montrose will kick off their pre-season plans as they host Raith a week on Tuesday.
They will then play two games in under 24 hours at home to Forfar and at Arbroath.
And with plans for the players to spend the weekend together in Montrose, Petrie insists the packed schedule can help his squad bond.
“I’ve got the players together a lot next week and it’s deliberate,” said Petrie.
PRE SEASON FRIENDLIES
We can confirm the following fixtures as part of our pre season schedule@RaithRovers @ForfarAthletic @ArbroathFC pic.twitter.com/X6eaepn0Q6
— Montrose FC (@MontroseFC) June 13, 2023
“I want to get minutes into their legs but I also want the players to spend some time together.
“When I was a player at Dunfermline I didn’t fully feel part of the group until I went away on pre-season.
“That’s when you really got to know your team-mates, to form relationships and have a laugh away from the pitch.
“We have a great spirit here and I want my players to spend time with each other.
“I want new players to buy into our ethos and understand that Montrose is one big family.
“We aren’t getting away together as that’s very difficult to organise when you are part-time.
“Friendlies are important for minutes and we really wanted to support Ricky Little for his Arbroath testimonial.
“But the players will stay up for the weekend and we’ll have a night out with some of the directors.
“Everyone is together at Montrose and socialising as a group is important.
“I want them to have nights out during the season too.
“When there’s work to be done you are serious, but you have to have fun together too.
“Having a strong team spirit will be crucial to our success.”
Stewart Petrie has Championship ambitions but wants safety first for Montrose
Montrose chairman John Crawford outlined his desire to take the club into the Championship in a wide-reaching interview with Courier Sport last week.
Petrie’s first target is securing his side’s League One status for a sixth successive year.
But he also shares that Championship dream.
Petrie added: “We all have a goal of being in the league above.
“I’m sure there are a lot of teams with that ambitions but it gets harder and harder every year with the number of full-time teams we are up against.
“The first target is always to secure your place but after that then you can look up.
“The board are backing us. They invested in Rory McAllister last year and Kane Hester this year year and we are all striving to kick onto the next level.”
