The Evo-Stik League Northern Premier

While most Non-League teams enjoy relaxing during the summer break, Curzon Ashton's players and management have been taking extreme measures to ensure they keep fit, writes Aaron Flanagan.

The efforts of defender Simon Woodford and assistant manager Steve Brockley were rewarded when they won their local Tough Guy competition - the pair typifying the lengths the Evo-Stik NPL First Division North outfit's squad are prepared to go to to achieve their preseason fitness goals.

Going into the event, Woodford and Brockley set no expectation levels for themselves - it was all about getting fit. A few hours later, the duo had passed everybody to cross the line together in first place.

Brockley said: "People were looking really keen at the start, it looked like a few were taking it really seriously and they all bolted off from the start. We just went at a good pace. It was a good laugh going round with someone and watching them fall over and stuff!"

The pair gained a lot of time in the competition by simply being fearless. While a lot of competitors would analyse the obstacles and ditches, Woodford and Brockley just jumped straight into them.

Woodford is no stranger to adventurous pre-season expeditions as he has recently completed two triathlons.

He said: "I like challenges and I saw it online and it was something I had always wanted to do. I used to watch them on Trans World Sport in the morning and thought it would be good.

"At the end of the season, I wanted to be stronger and fitter for the new season so my sister suggested doing a triathlon, and did quite a lot of training for that."

In Woodford’s latest triathlon, he competed against an Olympic athlete who went on to win the event.

Assistant manager Brockley is hopeful that the added impetus on fitness this year could also help Curzon push on as they look to better last season’s second place finish.

He said: "The squad is stronger this year and we have a winning mentality about us. I think it helps that we’ve now got a team who have spent a season at the top of the league.

"Last year we didn’t end the season badly, we won eight and drew two, it’s just that one team was significantly stronger in the run in and one team was better than us on the day in the play-offs."