Cobblers announce pre-season friendlies against Derby County and Frome Town

Gary Rowett brings his Derby County team to Sixfields for a pre-season friendly in July

The trip to Somerset to take on Frome will be played on Tuesday, July 18 and will be in support of the SpecialEffects charity, while the clash against the Rams will be a week later on July 25.

The trip to Frome (ko 7.30pm) has been organised as SpecialEffect are one of the club’s official charity partners, and Frome Town supporter and SpecialEffect ambassador Tom Clark sadly passed away last year.

The game will be played his memory.

SpecialEffect help people with physical disabilities to play and enjoy video games.

By using technology ranging from modified joypads to eye-control, they find a way for people to play to the very best of their abilities.

Their work helps bring families and friends together, having a profoundly positive impact on therapy, confidence and rehabilitation.

“With my links with SpecialEffect, and Tom and Frome Town being so involved with the charity, when asked, it was an easy decision to agree to this fixture, particularly as it gives is the chance to remember and pay tribute to a very special young man,” said Cobblers chairman Kelvin Thomas.

Frome play in the Evo-Stik Southern League Premier Division, and last season they finished eighth, one place above Town’s county neighbours Kettering Town.

They are managed by Josh Jeffries, and last season they included in their ranks former Cobblers youth academy product Connor Roberts.

Town boss Justin Edinburgh said: “This is an ideal game for us in terms of that stage of our preparation, and if it helps the charity and gives everyone the opportunity to remember Tom then so much the better.

“We were looking for an away game against opposition from this level as we return from our training camp in Spain, and we are looking forward to travelling to Frome in support of an excellent cause.”

Derby will arrive at Sixfields a week later (ko 7.45pm) with Gary Rowett no stranger to bringing his teams to Sixfields.

He has managed Burton Albion at the home of the Cobblers, and also brought his Birmingham City team to town for a pre-season friendly in the summer of 2015.

Derby finished ninth in the Championship last season, missing out on a play off spot by 13 points.

Their squad includes the likes of Scott Carson, Darren Bent, Tom Ince, David Nugent and former Cobblers Bradley Johnson, Ikechi Anya and Alex Pearce.

Ticket prices and details will be confirmed in due course.