General manager of football operations Lee O’Neill says the Blues are still looking at whether there will be a home pre-season friendly this summer and revealed that the Germany trip will feature three games with the squad set to take part in a tournament.

Town are staging a Rod Stewart concert at Portman Road on Friday 7th June, which has put the traditional final game of pre-season at home in question as it limits the time available for the annual work on the pitch.

“Obviously you’ll be aware that we have the concert going on which then we’re talking renovations on the pitch, so we are looking at a fixture at home, we’re trying to work that around, but it’s obviously in collaboration with the ground staff to try and make sure we can get the pitch in a really good state for next season,” O’Neill told TWTD.

”If you’d have seen the pitch this year, even up to the last couple of games, it was in great shape and I think that’s by learning where to put the games in when the weather’s bad, especially with our additional fixtures, the U18s and the U23s and stuff like that.

“But we’d love to have a fixture at home and if we’re able to do that, absolutely fantastic.”

He says the club’s preparations for the campaign ahead have viewed as very significant since he took on his new role and manager Paul Lambert came in towards the end of last year.

“Pre-season was massive, right from the first moment we came in, about getting that structure in place, knowing where we’re going, who we’re talking and stuff like that,” he said.

“I can confirm when we’re going out, on July 4th and we’re flying back on the 15th. It’s long trip, we’re going out to Germany.

“We can’t confirm the exact opposition and when those games are yet but we’re very close to doing that.

"I think probably in the next seven to 10 days we’ll be able to let you know exactly who they are and where the games are going to be because I know there are a number of people that may want to go to Germany.

“I was out there a few years ago when we did that trip [to Dusseldorf], albeit for a weekend and it was a really good pre-season for the club, just that small bit, so the idea behind it is that we want to get an exclusive training camp where the staff can work with those players comprehensively about getting the things in place for next season.

“We’re working it through. We’re hoping to do a game and then hopefully a tournament, so we’ll have more on what that might look like.”

Town will play a friendly on Saturday 6th July and then are hoping to confirm involvement in a four-team tournament with German and Dutch opposition on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th July close to the border with Holland when the Blues would play a game on both days.

Photo: TWTD

jdtractor96 added 16:17 - May 13 This is brilliant news. Me and my brother are hoping to make the trip to Germany
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 16:29 - May 13 How definite are those dates, Phil? Cos it says in the article, "We can't confirm...when those games are yet."
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PhilTWTD added 16:33 - May 13 Those are the dates under discussion and close to being confirmed without being 100 per cent. I can only go on what the club have said, they're obviously definitely enough for them to mention them publicly, so can't be too far off being rubberstamped.
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Girthyguy added 16:51 - May 13 What are Lazio doing this summer
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budgieplucker added 18:03 - May 13 I appreciate that having a major concert is good income for the club which we wouldn't necessarily want to turn down at the best of times but it does seem to me us long suffering fans still get a very raw deal from the club when wanting to see a couple of home friendlies in the warmth of the summer. All credit to the grounds man the pitch has been great this year right to the final game. I note Paul has already mentioned that results in pre season are not important, I am not going to disagree with him, we do though have to install a winning mentality this coming season, performances though still matter in whatever game you play even friendlies - we lost to Wet Spam at home last year but put in a terrific performance. Let me say I am a great Pl fan but time for excuses has run out. We may have cancelled the ambition along time ago of becoming a priemiership club again, but we have to show desire and passion to have our Championship status returned.

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AljoBlue added 22:38 - May 13 Really hoping one of the teams is SC Preußen Münster as this is the team in Germany i support. So many similarities with us. A friend there is now a town fan too
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FrankMarshall added 01:02 - May 14 Sure it will be a mix of teams from the Regionalliga. Good games and great to play different kinds of opposition. Might pick up the odd signing there also as players will be well within our financial budget.
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