wBamber Bridge will not be intimidated when they face the might of Preston North End
Bamber Bridge will relish the opportunity of pitting their wits against Preston North End on Wednesday evening.
Brig welcome their illustrious neighbours to Irongate for the annual pre-season fixture between the two clubs.
Fitness is always the order of the day in pre-season but the chance to showcase their talents against Championship stars is always a special moment for Brig’s semi-professional players.
Rather than feel intimidated, boss Jamie Milligan believes his men will embrace the occasion.
"It’s really good of Preston to agree to play against us because at one point I didn’t think it was going to go ahead because of their pre-season schedule,” said Milligan.
"I can only thank Preston for coming to us because it helps us so much financially – the money goes towards our budget for the season.
"It’s a good occasion – it’s always good to have the game against Preston and the attendances are usually good.
"It’s going to be a tough game for our lads coming up against quality Championship players.
"We look at it as getting more minutes for our boys but it’s a good test for our boys to see what that kind of level is all about. A lot of our lads won’t have played against players at that level so it will be good to see what level they are at.
"I don’t think it’s a game that our boys should feel daunted about because it’s only a pre-season game but it’s one they should be looking forward to.
"I remember when I used to play, I always looked forward to playing against lads who played at a higher level than myself.
"It’s a good opportunity to test yourself and also learn from the players you’re up against on the pitch.”
Having brought in nine new players over the summer, Milligan will be keen to bed-in his new stars ahead of the big Northern Premier League kick-off next month.
"We have signed quite a few new players and the squad is quite heavy,” he said.
"Everybody is competing for a place. This time last year, the squad wasn’t big and pre-season was a bit of a struggle.
"We were borrowing players here, there and everywhere but I have gone a different way this year. I have tried to get a few more physical players in.
"We are a stronger, fitter side – I think you can see that. I won’t try to change the way we play, we will always try to play football but I have gone for a more physical profile in terms of recruitment.”