Leek have withdrawn from this Saturday's pre-season festival at Sandbach due to the continuing drought and the resulting rock-hard ground conditions.

The Moorlanders were due to play mini games against Caernarfon, Fylde, Mold and Ruthin. But ahead of a long, hard season, coaches Joel Booth and Andy Appleyard have decided that the risk of player injury is too great and have pulled out of the competition.

The senior squad will enjoy an extra training session at St Edward's Park instead. This will be an open session, starting at 11.30, so come on down and watch the lads preparing for the new season.

The only scheduled pre-season action for the 1st XV is now the home tie against Macclesfield on Thursday 27 August, kick off at 7.30pm. Then comes the season curtain-raiser - the Staffordshire cup final against Burton at Blackberry Lane, Stafford, on 5 September.