Bradford City's players are being put through another 'pre-season' slog . . . in October.

Bantams bosses Chris Hutchings and Malcolm Shotton are making life extra hard on the training ground this week even though there are no Premiership games this weekend.

While some clubs may ease off for the next few days, City are treating the enforced break as a chance to have the squad in for some lung-busting sessions.

City entered the campaign with more match practice under their belts than normal after the hectic Intertoto Cup schedule through the summer.

They were thrown into their first game in Lithuania on July 2 - just six days after returning from holiday - and have been playing regularly ever since.

But with no game on Saturday, the management are keen to ensure fitness levels remain topped up to maximum before the pitches start to get heavy.

Coach Shotton warned: "We're treating it like pre-season, with lots of hard work. We're really putting the players through it."

City don't want to fall into the trap of last season's Intertoto flag-bearers West Ham, whose form dipped alarmingly at this stage of the year. The Hammers took only five points from eight games between mid- lContinued - Page 43

September and mid-November.

City are determined not to slip up the same way which is why there is no respite during the top flight's blank week.

The players endured gruelling sessions at the start of the week and after yesterday's day off were back under the cosh at Apperley Bridge again today.

Shotton said: 'On Monday we didn't do any ballwork, we just got the players running and running and the next day it was much the same.

"They have been tough sessions, the sort I used to hate as a player. But you can feel the benefits and you know afterwards when you've really gone through it."