About 5 years ago, me and my grandad were in Springfield Park when we noticed Rochdale AFC training on Milton FC's pitch. Being keen supporters, we wandered down to watch our heroes preparing for the new season, to find David Flitcroft, Gareth Griffiths and the rest of the team performing sit-ups on an overgrown pitch, before trying out some shooting practice into the rusty old goalposts, which had no netting fixed on - meaning when someone scored they would have to sprint off toward the running track to retrieve the ball.

But how things have changed for this club. Now I see 'Flicker' stride out onto a state of the art astro-turf as the coach of a club that are likely to be gunning for promotion next season. At around quarter to eleven, the players run out onto the pitch ready to start their training for the day, and around half an hour  later, they stand thoroughly 'warmed-up'. The players have just completed a session enough to kill most of us, constantly sprinting heading and passing for thirty minutes.

And if they thought that exercise was strenuous - worse was to come. The players were then put into small groups and one from each side made to close down the opposition whilst carrying a medicine ball for a good three minutes at a time, leading young Joe Thompson to comment on how very relaxing the goalkeeper training looked.

Another factor of Hill and Flitcroft's training technique is that they always want the players to be using footballs. For example, instead of having the squad run around the pitch several times, they have the players running in to head the ball back to a partner. In a game of football, a player does not run 10km at a constant speed. Whilst players run this distance, they would not run at the same pace during the game which is why the players do not go for long runs, but participate in exercises that are short and sharp but leave the players well-trained.

Players such as Kallum Higginbotham are revelling in the way the training is being run. When the rest of the team are grabbing a drink or having a chat as the gaffer sets up a new exercise, 'Higgy' is shooting at Sam Russell in the goal, like an excitable child new to the joys of the game. Even during the medicine ball session he is enjoying himself and Flicker states that his 'enthusiasm is infectious' making the rest of the players more hungry for the ball.

It was also interesting to see the new players in the practice matches. Simon Heslop is a powerful midfielder with two good feet, and also showed good ability with crossing. Jon Shaw showed why he was one of the top scorers in the conference last season, bagging goal after goal against Russell and Handford. Clark Keltie and Ciaran Toner showed that life after Perkins might not be too difficult, both showing great awareness and vision along passing ability, and Keltie in particularly showing a fantastic first touch and technique. Wiseman also could be a great acquisition - strong in the tackle and driving forward down the right wing on many occasions. Overall , all the players looked sharp and attentive and I'm sure they will do so even more upon return from Spain

After this experience it is clear to see that Rochdale AFC has improved another aspect of the running of the club over the last few years and Keith Hill and David Flitcroft have built a squad more than capable of claiming promotion next season. Rochdale AFC are going places.

Dean Smith

As Rochdale Football Club, this week welcome back its refreshed side after an extended summer break Keith Hill has taken no sympathy as he puts his squad through its paces.

Today, he led his side to Salford Village at which the weather conditions were overcast ahead of their trip to Spain. On their final day of training in Britain before the pre-season fixtures arrived the players were met by a Sky Sport News reporter as they looked to follow what was going on.

After an extensive day of training yesterday,  Messrs Hill and Flitcroft firstly setup an extensive warm up to exercise the aching muscles from yesterday's activities. The warm up contained a circuit volleying, running up and down ladders, heading and sprinting with all first team players completing the circuit. This took roughly 45minutes to do without a break enough to tire anyone. After their 45minute of extensive warm up, all the players seemed relatively sharp, with Simon Ramsden and Gary Jones completing this with ease. 

As the camera's watched over Keith Hill's talk the players were regaining vital body fluids after their warm up. The lads them were then spilt into teams of four for their next activity. As each group descended onto its applied area, the aim the manager had set them was soon unfolding, with a medicine ball in the centre each group had to pass the football in between each other avoiding the medicine ball in the centre. This was one touch football and was aimed at the player's movement and accuracy of passing..

Shortly, after this it was weight training, with the medicine ball still placed in the centre of the player's designated zones one player had to pick up the ball and close down the players who were kicking a football around the player. This was another tiring exercise especially when it came to swapping sides and the player had to run with the ball to another area. Nathan Stanton did very well at this. After a pretty hard warm up this tired all of the players excluding the goalkeepers who were practising shot stopping and catching. Young winger Joe Thompson found that rather amusing while he was weight training and the keepers were talking by saying 'How easy is that!'

Finally, after two hours of running the players again split themselves up into three separate groups. One group were doing squats and press up with the medicine ball, while the other two groups along with the manager and his assistant took part in a 5 side game which all of the players looked sharp and were laughing and joking between themselves, Dave Flitcroft scored the goal of the day with a volley that went in off the post to leave Sam Russell stranded. My favourite player out of this section was either Ben Muirhead or Simon Heslop because both players movement was very good.

But ahead of the squads second trip to sunny Spain all of the squad are starting to look fit and sharp ahead of a very important season.

Dale Brookes