ANDY Preece will lock horns with his former Carlisle United team-mates this summer in a pre-season friendly at St George's Lane.

Worcester City entertain the Cumbrians on Thursday, July 14, in the first of three home fixtures.

Preece's side also host Paul Merson's Coca-Cola One Walsall side on Saturday, July 16, before entertaining county rivals Kidderminster Harriers on Tuesday, July 26.

City are in talks to arrange more pre-season friendlies and have agreed to take a team to Travel Factory Midland Alliance side Malvern Town, but the game will be re-arranged from its original July 13 date.

Chairman Dave Boddy admits the clash with Carlisle will be a special occasion for player-manager Preece, who left Brunton Park in February this year to take up the Worcester managerial post.

United gained promotion to the Football League earlier this month after sinking Stevenage Borough in the Conference play-off final, earning Preece a winner's medal.

Boddy said: "It should be a good game and it will be poignant for Andy. Certainly, he was well loved up at Carlisle and did well for them last season, picking up a play-off winner's medal.

"Unfortunately, the Carlisle game is on a Thursday night and we don't expect too many of their fans to travel all that way. We wanted to fix it up on Saturday but it was not to be.

"Walsall will be a nice game, particularly with Paul Merson coming here. It is Walsall's first pre-season game and I'm sure quite a few of their fans will come. They will be playing their first-team.

"Kidderminster games are always competitive and exciting for our supporters. It will be a testing game.

"We've had to postpone the game with Malvern because of the Carlisle friendly, but we are still looking to set a date with them. We are also looking to set up one or two more pre-season friendlies."