Cobblers to host Barnet and a Manchester United XI in final pre-season friendlies

Former Cobblers loan man Regan Poole is part of the Manchester United Under-23 squad

The PTS Academy Stadium will play host the Vanarama National League Bees on Tuesday, July 24 (ko 7.45pm), before the Red Devils select come to town on Friday, July 27 (ko 7.45pm).

United’s first team squad are away in Michigan in the USA at the time of the Cobblers friendly.

They are taking on Liverpool in the International Champions Cup on July 28, so it is likely to be a team mainly made up of Under-23 players, and that could mean return to the club for Regan Poole, who spent last season on loan at the Cobblers.

Town will then have a free week ahead of their opening Sky Bet League Two game of the campaign against Lincoln City on Saturday, August 4.

“Both games will be good tests for us for different reasons,” said Town manager Dean Austin.

“Barnet were obviously in league two last season and will present us with the type of challenge we may face from visiting teams week in, week out this season.

“It will be a good test for the players.

“The Manchester United game will be a different type of test.

“They will be full of players who are technically very good, and they will test our ability to stick to the good habits we will have been working on.

“We may have periods without the ball and it will be about how we cope with and deal with those situations.”

The two home games come at the end of a run of four trips to non-League clubs, starting at Sileby Rangers next Tuesday, and a date with Hull City Under-23s on the club’s training camp in Spain.

As well as going to Sileby, Town travel to St Albans on July 7, Brackley Town on July 10 and Chelmsford City on July 11.

“I think our pre-season build up has a good balance of opposition,” said Austin.

“It has been put together to make sure we get to August 4 prepared as well as we possibly can be.”

Tickets for the Barnet and Manchester United XI fixtures will go on sale at 10am on Thursday, priced as follows:

Season ticket holders

Adults £10.00

Seniors (over 65) £8.00

Juniors £4.00

Under 7s Free

Non season ticket holders

Adults £12.00

Seniors (over 65) £10.00

Juniors £5.00

Under 7s Free

Tickets will be on sale from both the ticket office at the PTS Academy Stadium and online via ntfcdirect.co.uk - to secure the season ticket discount online season ticket holders must be logged in to ntfcdirect.co.uk