FC Halifax Town: “We’re really pleased with how they’re working from home” - Wild praises attitude of Town squad

It is unclear if or when the National League season will resume with all football below National League level having cancelled the rest of the season and expunged the results from the 2019-20 campaign.

In the meantime, Wild has initiated training regimes and match preparation for his squad, in anticipation of the season being resumed at some point.

”I’ve spoken to other managers and tried to gauge what everybody else is doing,” said the Town boss.

“The government’s telling us to work from home where possible, so I think it’s only right we follow suit.

“We’ve potentially no game until the start of May so I’ll keep them at home this week and then keep looking at it every week.

“They’ve been excellent with what we’ve asked of them, sending in their videos and photos of what we’re asking them to do, so we’re really pleased how they’re working from home.

“We’re trying to keep spirits high. It’s given us time to look through clips of stuff we could do better, so we’ve been sending some clips out to the players, we’ve been asking for feedback from groups and individually.

“We’re also sending out, with nine games to go, a game a week of teams we’ve got to play.

“So, for example, Boreham Wood’s last game went out earlier this week and the lads will be asked to watch it and comment in the group on what they think their strengths and weaknesses are.

“Hopefully it focuses the mind a bit on doing something football-related.”

Wild added: “They’re working the same days they would normally, including Saturdays.

“They’ve got pitch-based running, so they’ve got to go find themselves a local football pitch, which is not just straight-line stuff, it’s twisting, turning, stuff they’d do within football.

“Then on certain days they’ve got home gym sessions to do and they do have access to a bike, there’s some bike work to be done as well.”

And Wild says there is a clean bill of health from his squad too.

“Nobody’s showing any symptoms (of coronavirus), so we’re all as fit as we can be.

“The lads are out and working as hard as they can.

“If needed we do have a physio clinic, but there’s nothing to report at the moment.”

Wild says “three quarters” of the Town squad are out of contract at the end of the season, and says those contracts are due to expire after “either the last game or the first week in May if the club isn’t in the play-offs”.

The Town boss said the break from games has given him and assistant manager Chris Millngton the chance to firm up their plans for next season.

“Our plan is firmly in mine and Chris’ minds, and phone calls round recruitment are already taking place,” Wild said.

“But if you’re phoning someone up saying ‘fancy coming to Halifax next season?’ they say ‘when’s that going to be?’ and ‘how’s it going to work?’ so it’s more expressions of interest at the moment.

“Obviously I’ve got three quarters of this squad that have done so well this season to discuss what we do with.

“There’s a lot to do but not a lot that can be done at this time. We’ve put a lot of plans in place over the last 10 days but we can’t action them.

“But it has given us a head start on being firm in our minds what those plans will be.”