Indeed, the Forfar Athletic playing squad got together for their opening pre-season training session on Tuesday evening (last night).

The Loons, to date, have boosted their playing squad by four - bringing in two defenders, a midfield player and a striker of note.

The new faces are 23-year-old defender David Mowat, who, last season, played his football for Heriot Watt University in the East of Scotland League, manager Dick Campbell's son Iain, who joins up after a spell with Alloa Athletic and former East Fife duo Kevin Fotheringham and Chris Templeman.

Meanwhile, plans for the pre-season build-up are well in hand, with games against Dundee United, Dundee, Stenhousemuir and Highland League opposition in the pipeline.

The opening fixtures will be played during a weekend sojourn into the Highlands on Friday and Saturday, July 10 and 11, the Loons facing Inverness Clachnacuddin on the Friday evening and then taking on Forres Mechanics the following afternoon.

A friendly fixtures for Tuesday, July 14 has yet to be fixed up, but, Stenhousemuir, promoted to the Scottish second division through the play-offs, will visit Forfar on Saturday, July 18.

The following Saturday, July 25, sees the first competitive action of the new campaign, away to East Fife in the opening round of the Challenge Cup.

Dundee will visit Station Park for a friendly fixture on Tuesday, July 28, then it is off to Clyde for a CIS Cup first round tie on Sunday, August 2.

This match was originally scheduled for the Saturday (August 1), but the Forfar board have agreed to Clyde's request that it be put back for a day, to allow the cash-strapped Bully Wee to host a Manchester United eleven on the Saturday.

It must be noted, however, that these arrangements have still to be ratified by the Scottish League, who may yet turn down the Clyde request.

Whatever, the action will continue with a visit to Station Park by a Dundee United X1 on Tuesday, August 4, ahead of the opening league fixture of season 2009-2010 on Saturday, August 8.