Ben Burgess became a fan favourite at Griffin Park during the 2001/02 campaign, netting 18 goals in 51 appearances while on loan from Blackburn Rovers. In total, Ben led the line for ten clubs during a 14-year career.

Now a teacher in Lancashire, Ben still keeps a close eye on the Bees and will be providing his thoughts ahead of each game this season…

Playing foreign teams in pre-season

There was a time when seeing a fixture against a foreign team in your pre-season calendar would result in a sigh from the more cynical players in the squad. It was commonly perceived as a ‘running session’ because teams from abroad were so good in possession they’d often just kept the ball off you, which resulted in 90 minutes of chasing shadows.

At Hull City, in 2005, we had just been promoted to the Championship and took on French side, Nice. I recall sitting on the bench and laughing because their goalkeeper kept spraying the ball around the pitch like Paul Scholes, while our ‘keeper was on a one-man mission to boot the ball as far as he could. Oh, how times have changed!

Real Betis’ mystery player

Every time I think of Real Betis, a funny memory returns to me. During my time at Blackpool, we had a regular conveyor belt of mystery trialists (one was even a waiter who had served us the night before).

Walking into a new club is never easy, so on this particular day I started up a conversation with a nervous-looking newbie:

Me: “So which club were you at before?” (I expected Sunderland or Newcastle given his strong North East accent)

Trialist: “Real Betis”

Me: (Nearly choking on my toast) “Wow! What was it like there? Did you play with Denilson?” (the only famous Betis player I could name)

Trialist: “Err, yeah! He was rubbish and used to smoke and drink all the time” (Betis had signed Denilson for a world-record £23m)

By this point, the other boys were beginning to doubt his story. This was exacerbated by his inability to control a football or even run without falling over. Suffice to say, he wasn’t there the next day.

Pricey: Denilson

Women’s EURO

My family and me were part of the record 60,000 spectators at Old Trafford for the opening game of the Women’s EURO. The atmosphere during the tournament has been happy and friendly; groups of girls from every background have been attending or watching on TV.

Through my own daughter, Daisy, and the children I teach, I have seen first-hand the participation levels and quality of the female game improving. For Daisy, I’m just delighted she is growing up at a time when girls and boys are given (nearly) equal opportunities in sport, and football in particular.

Lionesses: Beth Mead celebrates with Lucy Bronze, Fran Kirby and Ellen White

Training camps

By the looks of it, the Bees had a fantastic training camp in Germany. Getting away in pre-season is great for squad cohesion. There are tactical benefits, too.

I experienced a variety of pre-season trips during my playing career, from the glamorous destinations of Colchester and Devon - and even an army camp with Martin Allen - to the warmer climates of Spain and Austria.

It was with Notts County that I visited Austria. Every player was expected to jump off an extremely high bridge into a lake. Fortunately, nobody was injured too badly but there certainly wasn’t a check of swimming badges before each player hurled themselves into the water!

Blackpool were always a club that liked to save their money. When we went to Devon, the rooms were so small that my roommate (Ian Evatt) and I couldn’t both stand up at the same time! I’m sure the Bees players had a little more luxury than I ever did!

Secure your seats for our final pre-season game against Real Betis. Tickets for this fixture are available from £15 Adult, £10 Senior and Young Person and £5 for Juniors.