Bully sets up Wolves clash

Stafford Rangers boss Steve Bull today clinched a pre-season game against Wolves and pledged to have a revamped outfit with which to take on his pals.

Wolves will come to Marston Road on August 5 in what is likely to be their last friendly before the Championship programme gets underway.

And the Rangers side their legendary former goalscorer is piecing together should be taking shape by then.

Bull has already been lifted by the news that goalkeeper Danny Alcock has had a change of heart and is staying at Rangers.

However, after giving great service to Rangers, veteran striker Neil Grayson has moved on and joined newly-promoted Unibond Division One outfit Glapwell.

But Stafford have clinched the signings of former Leek, Witton and Stone midfielder Dave MacPherson as well as re-signing striker Nick Wellecomme.

But that is just the start of the transformation Bull is hoping to bring to the club in his efforts to inspire a

spirited response to last season's morale-sapping relegation.

Bull, relishing the chance to put his own stamp on the team, said today: "This is my first experience of a close season as a manager and it's a little strange.

"There are things you want to do, players you want to bring in, but they're all waiting to see where the best offer is going to come from. But I'm sure it's the same for Mick McCarthy and we play our first pre-season friendly on July 8 and by then I would expect the fans to start seeing the changes.

"We have retained 10 of the old squad and we anticipate five or six new faces to come to put some backbone into the side. There are also six or seven players we are in contact with who are currently without a club but who we will be having a look at."

Personnel changes are not all Bull has in mind – he plans to extend training this season to three sessions a week. "We weren't fit enough last year," he added. "We were okay for about an hour, then we tired badly. We need to be fitter and sharper. We will be working Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights."

Of Alcock's decision, he said: "It's a bonus. He said he had had a good think about things and decided he wanted to commit to us, which is great."