DEWSBURY RAMS skipper Matt Garside expects to face a more challenging competition on the club’s return to League One.
Dewsbury romped to the third-tier title in 2023 with 15 wins from 18 but tasted success just twice in 26 Championship games last season.
Garside, who has also joined the coaching team as an assistant to boss Paul March, told the Dewsbury Reporter: “We are looking at it as a different prospect to the last time we played in League One.
“Teams have strengthened a fair bit. There has been some money spent.
“We have gone down the route of really good local talent, who were absolutely excellent against Batley (in their Boxing Day pre-season game). It is a different route to how we did it last time.
“We want to be really competitive, week in, week out, with big energy, intent and effort. It is going to be a stronger league this year but we’re 100 percent going to be at the top end of it.”
Dewsbury’s pre-season game against Bradford, postponed on Sunday due to unplayable pitch conditions at the FLAIR Stadium, has been rearranged to Sunday, February 2 with a 1.30pm kick-off.
The Rams have strengthened their squad with the arrival of winger Tom Delaney on a season-long loan from Wakefield.