THIS is my final Team Talk column of the season and I hope you have enjoyed reading my views and found it informative. I've certainly enjoyed doing it.

It has been a strange season, to say the least, both on and off the field.

As I write, it is still not over and we have Saturday's trip to Scunthorpe United to look forward to so just where we will finish in the table remains to be seen.

But at least it is finishing postively and the future of the club is looking brighter in all areas.

Obviously, I will be having a lot of talks with the new chairman over the coming weeks and I am certainly excited for the future. I want everybody else to be as well.

We are finishing the season with a bang, which we have also managed to do in the previous two campaigns.

Our finish to the season is different to the start we endured.

What we wanted was a good start and an injury free run and in the end we got neither.

Fingers crossed we will have better luck at the start of next season.

One of the major plusses for me and everyone at the football club has been the development of our young players this season and particularly in this good run we are now enjoying.

They have come into the team and done very well and have shown a lot of maturity, which must bode well for the future.

Our immediate future is Scunthorpe but by Saturday night I'm sure everyone will be ready for a well-earned rest.

However, while the season will be over in terms of games the players will not be going off on their holidays just yet.

I am still putting the finishing touches to my pre-season plans as we speak, but we will return for pre-season training on July 3.

Given that this season is ending a few weeks earlier than normal because of the World Cup, that would leave the players with a very long break between the end of the season and the start of our preparations for the next.

That is why the players will be coming in for two days next week and two days the week after.

A lot of that time will be spent at the Fitness First gym at Clifton Moor, where the players will be given specific fitness programmes to follow. In particular, the younger players will be given programmes that should help them build up their strength.

With such a long break this year, we have to make sure the players return at the beginning of July reasonably fit and the younger players stronger.

As most City fans will be aware, there are a number of players whose contracts are up in the summer and by the end of this week I hope to have sorted out just who is staying.

And the sooner I get my plans for pre-season organised and confirmed the better.

We usually go away to a training camp as part of our preparations for four or five days and a change of environment but i am still finalising where we will be going.

We also want two pre-season friendlies at home and I can confirm we will be playing Middlesbrough on July 31.

I am still in the process of arranging the second game, but we will have at least one other game at home because Paul Stancliffe will be having a testimonial game in recognition of his long-standing service to the club.

At our training camp we will also play some matches then, so our build-up is largely going to follow previous years.

From a personal point of view, managers don't get holidays at Christmas or Easter so I'll try and get some time away in June.

It is pretty much the only time football managers do take a break.

I would imagine most people are ready for a break by now, but football being the game it is I bet within a matter of weeks everyone will be itching for the fixture list to be published and the new season to start.

I hope everyone has a good and relaxing summer.

Updated: 10:02 Thursday, April 18, 2002