Pre-season is usually one of the hardest periods in the footballing calendar for players, with Isaac Hutchinson feeling no different.
The Gas returned to The Quarters Training Facility last week and are being put through their paces by Darrell Clarke ahead of the 2025/26 campaign. The opening game of the Sky Bet League Two campaign might be edging closer, with the Pirates welcoming Harrogate Town to The Memorial Stadium, but there is plenty of work to do between now and then.
Six games and a trip to southern Spain separate Rovers and their fixture against the Sulphurites, with the first match scheduled for this Friday night against Chippenham Town.
Speaking to BRTV for the first time since returning to training, Hutchinson confessed he is delighted to see everyone and get back out onto the grass.
“It’s good to be back,” he said. “I had a good break, a lot of rest, and it always comes around really quickly, but it’s been good. The vibes have been good, and there have been loads of changes around the changing ground, which is always nice when you come back in, and it feels like everything is new and the start of a new era.
“It’s been tough, really tough. We’ve all been pushing each other. The first few days of pre-season are always at 100 miles per hour. Everyone is just buzzing to be back playing football, but it’s just been enjoyable. It’s nice to be around all of the boys again and playing football again.”
Hutchinson and the rest of the Rovers squad have been given a fresh start under Clarke, who gained back-to-back promotions with the Pirates between 2014-18. The midfielder has been impressed with Clarke after conversations with the Head Coach and believes everyone is on the same page.
“He seems really good,” said Hutchinson. “I had a good conversation with him in the summer, and everything he said, with how the Club is going to be run from this point onwards, was really promising. Since we’ve been in, the atmosphere and the vibe and the energy levels have gone up, and it’s just a nice environment to be in now.
“Not just for me, but for the Club as a whole. All the players and all the staff need to be on the same page. It’s probably one of the most important things, and I feel like we’re getting to that point.”
The Pirates have been busy in the summer transfer window, making five signings. Jack Sparkes, Alfie Kilgour, Macauley Southam-Hales, Brad Young and Josh McEachran have all joined the Club, with Hutchinson confident they will all add quality to the squad.
“They have fitted into the group really well so far, and they are all really good characters, and I feel like they’ve all shown their personality early doors, which is good,” he said. “They are going to add a lot of quality for us.”
The countdown is now on for the Gas' return to action, with the Pirates travelling to Chippenham's Thornbury Surfacing Stadium to build towards the new season. The Bluebirds finished 14th in the National League South last term and will be looking to make it tough for the Gas in Clarke's first game back at the Club.
With everyone working hard at The Quarters, fixtures provide players a chance to implement what they have been practising at training on the pitch in front of a crowd and a new opposition. Hutchinson emphasised the importance of pre-season games and is excited to be playing again.
“When the games start happening and it’s Saturdays and Tuesdays and you start building your fitness in that aspect, it’s probably the most enjoyable part,” said the 25-year-old. “So, we’re all buzzing for Friday to be back out on the pitch. It’s a proper game and we’re all looking forward to it.
“I think there is always a period, especially in pre-season, to get used to each other again, get used to the new players and get used to the new way of playing. It’s all about working on that stuff, and performances are probably the main thing. It would be great to win all of the games, but I think we’re more worried about getting the fitness out of it and the performances where we want them.”
