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Gillingham change their pre-season schedule with Folkestone their first game on July 11

Gillingham manager Mark Stimson
Gillingham manager Mark Stimson

Gillingham's pre-season schedule has been reorganised after Tonbridge declared their pitch would not be ready for this Saturday’s game.

The Gills were due to make their pre-season bow at Longmead but will instead head to the coast and face cash-strapped Folkestone Invicta this Saturday.

The game at Cheriton Road has been brought forward from July 25 with Gills boss Mark Stimson (pictured) expected to give all of his squad a run-out.

Gills have also cancelled their match with Le Havre, which was due to take place on July 25 in Montreuil.

However, the Gills have confirmed that the four-day training camp to Le Touquet will still go ahead, with an alternative fixture likely to be pencilled in.

The Gills did a similar exercise last season with a trip to Le Manga in Spain but this year’s foreign excursion won’t be as physically demanding.

"It probably won’t be as hard as it was in Spain last year," said Stimson. "We’ll go to France on Friday and we’ll hopefully get a game on the Saturday and then we can rest and recover on Sunday, then train on Monday.

"In Spain, we were working hard for four or five days. It’s a massive bonding experience for the boys and with 22 players going away it should be a great trip. It’s not too far for the supporters to travel."

The Gills have 10 pre-season fixtures, all away from home.

Fixtures: Saturday, July 11 v Folkestone Invicta; Tuesday, July 14 v Dartford; Thursday, July 16 v Faversham Town; Saturday, July 18 v Welling; Tuesday, July 21 v Bishop’s Stortford; Wednesday, July 22 v Aveley; Tuesday, July 28 v Bromley; Thursday, July 30 v Croydon Athletic; Saturday, August 1 v Thurrock; Tuesday, August 4 v Whitstable Town.

The games at Aveley and Croydon Athletic are Gillingham XI games.

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