Gary Hamilton insists his East Kilbride Thistle squad are buzzing for the new campaign after they were put through their paces in pre-season training.
The Jags gaffer even joined in with some of the drills as he cast an eye over his new squad, which includes 15 new signings.
Hamilton is still keen to add to the pool of 20 signed players he has assembled and after the Jags took part in their latest session on Monday night, he said: “There’s more players coming in this week for talks, one of them is quite exciting as well, so hopefully we will be adding to the group.
“We’ve also had people getting in touch to see if we’d be interested in signing particular players, so the networking is going well and we are getting the club’s name out there.
“Fitness has been key this past week and, to be fair, the guys have come back in pretty good shape.
“I was last in the running drills last week, but I wanted to show the boys I was prepared to do the work I’m asking of them.
“They’ve been great. Nobody has moaned so far and the players are buying in to our ethos.
“It’s been all positive so and the guy’s are responding well.”
Thistle play their first official pre-season match on July 17 when they host Blantyre RGM but they have organised a bounce game with Duncanrig Amateurs on July 13 to bed the players in.
Behind the scenes, the Showpark is undergoing a small facelift and the West Region One club have secured a number of sponsorship deals.
Hamilton added: “There’s a lot of work going on at the Showpark to tidy things up and make the place a bit better for everyone.
“The committee are working away in the background to get some money in with a couple of new sponsorship deal, which we’ll look to announce soon, and they will allow us to be a bit more professional.
“We’ve got new training gear and club polo shirts coming and a company will provide lunch for the players each week as well.
“There’s a real buzz around the place right now.
“We’ve had messages of support from all over the world on Twitter. Messages from as far as Australia, the US and Germany wishing us well for the new season. It’s nice to get messages of support like that.”
Thistle's fixtures for the new campaign
East Kilbride Thistle will kick-off their competitive campaign at home to Larkhall Thistle in the Sectional League later this month.
New gaffer Gary Hamilton will see his reign get underway with a Showpark clash on Saturday, July 27.
And in West Region League One, they will begin their 2019/20 season away to Greenock Juniors on Saturday, August 3.
It’s a hectic start to the league campaign with seven games in the opening month.
The Scottish Junior Football Associaition have only released fixtures until the end of the year and the matches for 2020 will be announced later in the season.
Thistle’s fixture card as it stands is as follows:
PRE-SEASON FRIENDLIES
JULY
17 – Blantyre RGM (H), 6pm
20 – Colville Park (H), 2pm
22 – Eastfield Amateurs (H), 6pm
LEAGUE CUP
JULY
27 – Larkhall Thistle (H), 2pm
29 – Rutherglen Glencairn (A), 7pm
31 – Blantyre Vics (H), 7pm
WEST REGION LEAGUE 1
AUGUST
3 – Greenock (A), 2pm
7 – Shettleston (H), 7pm
10 – Bellshill (A), 2pm
17 – Girvan (H), 2pm
21 – Carluke Rovers (A), 6.45pm
24 – Port Glasgow (H), 2pm
31 – Lesmahagow (A), 2pm
SEPTEMBER
7 – Lanark (H), 2pm
14 – Maryhill (A), 2pm
21 – Wishaw (H), 2pm
OCTOBER
5 – Royal Albert (A), 2pm
12 – Ardrossan (A), 2pm
19 – Kello Rovers (A), 2pm
26 – Glasgow Perthshire (H), 2pm
NOVEMBER
2 – Larkhall (A), 2pm
16 – Greenock (H), 1.45pm
23 – Shettleston (A), 1.45pm
30 – Bellshill (H), 1.45pm
DECEMBER
7 – Girvan (A), 1.45pm
14 – Carluke (H), 1.45pm
21 – Port Glasgow(A), 1.45pm
28 – Lesmahagow (H), 1.45pm
