MINEHEAD'S footballers will be back in training under new manager Craig Carr on Saturday, June 29 - only 49 days after the first team's last match of the season.

Carr said: "We've got a good atmosphere at the club at the moment - there's a buzz about the place and naturally we want to keep this going.

"The close season is short these days - gone are the days when it lasted for months."

Besides Carr taking on the permanent role of manager, the experienced Mark White has become his assistant, having played 300 times for Shaftsbury while Michael Nields is the new first team coach, having been very much involved in the club's youth set-up. Carr will also be working very closely with Steve Jackson, the club's director of football.

Although Carr was head coach under the previous manager Matt Harris, he was not involved in signing or choosing the side.

He added: "I was only there to back him up on match days and to attend training sessions.

"I've always felt we've had good enough youngsters at the club who were capable of playing in the first team. They just had to be given a chance and we saw this at the end of this season.”