Bridlington Town set for busy pre-season programme

Brid Town are set for a busy pre-season programme

Saturday July 8 will see Adrian Costello's side take to the field for the first time for nearly three months, when his side will take on Beverley Town at Beverley Leisure Centre's 4G facility at 1pm, writes Ben Edwards.

The artificial pitch should prove to be an interesting first test as players look to impress Costello.

Beverley almost knocked the Seasiders out of the East Riding Senior Cup in the second round last season.

Brid take on Boro last year in pre-season.

They were 3-1 ahead, though were eventually beaten 5-4 on penalties by the 2023 winners.

The two clubs also played each other on the 4G surface in a mid-season friendly at the end of December, which ended in a 2-0 victory for the Seasiders.

Just three days later the Seasiders are back on the road, travelling to Scarborough Athletic to take part in the annual David Holland Memorial Match.

The Seadogs had a strong previous season in the National League North, having earned promotion from the Northern Premier League the campaign before.

They finished in eighth position, only missing out on the playoffs on goal difference so it should prove to be a very tough test.

It was this fixture that opened Brid's pre-season calendar last season, ending in a promising 2-2 draw at the Hudgell Solicitor Stadium which saw the trophy shared.

On the topic of strong opposition, last season's Northern Premier League East Division champions Worksop Town should be another good challenge, when they travel to the seaside on Saturday July 15.

The Tigers enjoyed a memorable 99-point season, losing just one fixture to Stockton Town on the opening day.

However, Brid were the only club to not lose to Worksop Town last campaign, having drawn both fixtures 2-2, so they will be hoping for a similar level of performance to give them confidence going into the 2023/24 season.

Yet again Brid will host Hull City Academy for a pre-season friendly.

The young Tigers were the only team to beat the Seasiders in pre-season last campaign, having defeated them 4-2 in Bridlington Town's final game before the competitive season.

The fixture, which should offer a different, more technical test, will take place on Tuesday July 18.

Maltby Main are another team that Bridlington Town faced in their last pre-season, drawing 2-2 at Muglet Lane.

This time the game will be played at Queensgate on Saturday July 22.

A fourth consecutive home game will see Brid take on Pickering Town on Tuesday July 25.

The last fixture against the Pikes, who have managed to change division into the NCEL Premier, was the penultimate game of the 2021/22 campaign.

It concluded in a 5-2 Brid victory, which confirmed Pickering's relegation from the NPL East Division, while playing a massive part in Bridlington's survival from relegation.