Hollins excited by new squad

8:19am Tuesday 1st July 2008

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WEYMOUTH have bolstered their squad with the signings of goalkeeper Danny Knowles and defender Cameron Mawer.

The pair have signed one-year deals with the Terras to take John Hollins' squad to 14.

Knowles, a Grays Athletic player last season, spent most of his time on loan, with spells at Fisher Athletic, Crawley Town and AFC Wimbledon last term while Mawer joined Grays in 2005 from the Watford Academy.

However, the 22-year-olds were both released by the Essex outfit at the beginning of May.

Boss Hollins was pleased with his new acquisitions and the way his squad is coming together, with two more new faces expected today.

He said: "The squad is taking shape, players have left the club but we've got a completely fresh approach and now there's a blend to the squad.

"We've got a back four and a goalkeeper now with five players of dual purpose. We've got a variety of midfield players and three good attacking forwards. There's two more to come, hopefully today, and that will give us a nucleus of around 16 players.

"Alan Lewer, Gary Calder and myself are all quite excited about what we've got. I like the size, we're big but none of the players have come back overweight, they're all in great condition.

"Having come into the club during last season these players are now our players and they are the ones we want to develop. I feel good about it.

"Most of the players we have got are experienced at this level and some in the division above, which is important.

"They've got the ambition to try and get up to that level, it's a tough ask but I'd like to think the blend will work."

The duo put pen to paper yesterday at the Wessex Stadium during the Terras' return to pre-season training, where the squad was put through its paces by Sergeant Major Stef Collins.

And Hollins is hoping that the gruelling regime will spark a positive response from his players.

He added: "He's not just an army guy to shout at them, he's there to make them mentally strong and fit, to make them fight. How far can we take these guys? We'll take them as far as we can but they've got to find the drive.

"It's about getting the mental attitude of I'm a good player, I'm a strong player, I can do it' and it goes right through the team, that's the idea - to make them have higher targets."

Hollins will also run the rule over trialist keeper Martin Horsell who trained with the Terras yesterday.

The former Torquay United stopper had a brief spell with Dorchester Town last season, playing just twice before being released by the Magpies.

Meanwhile, the county town side return to training today at Chapel Gate, Bournemouth and this evening at Thomas Hardye Fields from around 7pm.