Cheltenham Town's players reported back for work this morning after the summer break.

For the next five and a half weeks the squad will undergo a process of intensive pre-season training designed to top-up fitness levels and develop team play for the new campaign, which begins on Saturday 8 August at home to Grimsby Town (for a full fixture list please click here).

The players all returned from the summer break fit and well and the first task for them was to be weighed by club sports therapist Ian Weston to ensure that they have been following their summer nutrition plans.

On Friday the players will undergo rigorous fitness testing at the University of Gloucestershire prior to the opening pre-season friendly of the summer at Bishop's Cleeve FC on Friday evening (7.30pm).

Robins manager Martin Allen said: "Everybody is in training today but it will not be a tough day either physically or mentally.

"It will be a question of ticking over the players and splitting them up into three groups for the first part of their work. All the pros and Scholars, including the new intake of first years, will train for about two hours.

"Tomorrow we will start about 9am due to the hot weather and the process of hydration. On Friday they are into the University for fitness assessment to ensure that they have done the necessary work over the summer.

"We are taking the whole squad over to Bishop's Cleeve on Friday night. Hopefully it will be a lovely evening and it will give me a chance to see some of my Dad's old players from when I was a little boy and used to come and watch Cheltenham. I believe there are a few of them involved over there so it will be a chance to meet up. We'll be looking to get all of the players involved and to give everyone at least 30 minutes on the pitch.

"It's going to be a busy couple of days followed by a warm-down on Saturday morning then we will step everything up for week two starting on Monday."

Former Shrewsbury Town and Hereford United midfielder Ben Smith has linked up with the squad for training this week. Smith was a player former Cheltenham Town manager John Ward tried to sign in 2007 but he opted for Hereford having had a previous spell at Edgar Street earlier in his career. The 30-year old former Arsenal trainee, who counts Reading, Yeovil Town, Southend United and Weymouth among his other previous clubs, has been invited in on a trial basis and could feature in Friday's match at Bishop's Cleeve.

Smith is the only trialist training with the club at present, although Martin Allen revealed that further players could be involved in training from next week.

All of last season's first year Scholars have returned for training with the exception of Cleo Hoare, who has left the club to concentrate on a career path outside of football. The new intake of first years are due to sign forms next week.

Pre-season friendly fixtures
Fri 3 July Bishop's Cleeve A
Sat 11 July Weston-Super-Mare A
Tue 14 July SOUTHAMPTON H
Sat 18 July BRISTOL CITY H
Tue 21 July BRISTOL ROVERS H
Fri 31 July WEST BROMWICH ALBION H
Sun 2 Aug BIRMINGHAM CITY H