Orient plan pre-season game in Belgium

9:58am Thursday 26th June 2008

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ORIENT boss Martin Ling is hoping a pre-season tour of Belgium will help the O's make another flying start to the new campaign.

Following a team-bonding trip to Ibiza last year the east Londoners started the season like a house on fire with five wins and a draw in their opening six fixtures.

And with seven new faces set to arrive at Brisbane Road this summer, Ling hopes that the Belgium tour and friendly against Antwerp-based outfit KFCO Wilrijk on Wednesday July 16, will help provide the same results.

He said: "When you spoke to any of the players last year they all said how good the trip to Ibiza was for bringing a togetherness to the camp.

"We had a lot of new faces and will have another seven this summer, so I don't think there is anything like spending three full days in each others company. It will also give us a break away from the training ground and a new environment, and hopefully things will go as well as they did last year."

The O's will travel to Belgium on Monday July 14 for their training camp, returning home on Thursday July 17.

The friendly against Wilrijk will be played at the club's Universiteits Plein ground, with kick-off at 7.30pm CET.