Falkirk boss Paul Hartley delighted with Welsh pre-season

The Bairns left for Wales on Monday, arriving by bus, and Hartley told the Falkirk Herald that the players are getting to know each other in the best environment possible.

“The weather has been terrific, the facilities are first class and the pitches are in perfect condition.

“The boys are working hard, as they should be because it’s pre-season. It’s a good time to go away, you’ve not got the distractions of family life.

“The players are spending every minute of the day together, so they are getting to know each other better. They have created a good spirit so far, and have mixed really well.”

Falkirk have announced ten new summer signings, with more expected to come, but Hartley is impressed with how well they are working together on the pitch during the first few days of training.

The Bairns boss said he was looking forward to giving the players a chance to play when they face a TNS side who are preparing for Europa League qualifiers on Friday.

“It’ll give us an opportunity to have a look at a few things. Everybody will get enough game time and a chance to play on Friday night.”

The Bairns are likely to be adding to their summer signings and, as reported on last week’s back page, are rumoured to be interested in 20-year-old Dan Turner of Port Vale.

Hartley, though, wasn’t giving anything away when asked about the likelihood of Turner joining the Bairns: “We will comment when we have something to announce, we won’t comment on any speculation,” the Falkirk boss said. “We’ve been linked with a lot of players and I expect to do more business but we have to wait and see what happens over the next few days and weeks.”

Falkirk will arrive back from Wales in the early hours of Saturday morning, and the first pre-season friendly in Scotland is against Aberdeen in Arbroath on July 4.