TOWN'S players boarded a bus bound for the Devon coast this morning but boss Andy King has warned his squad: "It's no summer holiday!"

Buckets and spades were not included in the items being loaded by kit man Roger Jones, and three games in five days should test both the mental and physical strength of the 20 players making the trip.

Town face non-league Bideford this evening before travelling on to Torquay. Leroy Rosenior's Third Division outfit will entertain King's men at Plainmoor on Wednesday evening.

The team will travel back to Wiltshire on Thursday morning to prepare for the visit of Portsmouth on Friday night.

King said: "The importance of this trip is not based on results.

"It is to allow me to hopefully see players moulding together as a unit and to confirm that there is something to work with and build on.

"It's not a holiday, I can assure you of that and anyone who thinks it is had better think again. They will have to work."

A desire to see people bonding is not restricted to the Town manager.

Chief executive Mark Devlin is hoping yesterday's open day at the County Ground will help bring club, players and supporters closer together.

Around 2,000 fans attended the event, to Devlin's delight.

He said: "One of my stated aims was to break down any barriers and ill feeling that exists between the club and the supporters.

"It will take more than one open day to do that but this event is an important part of giving fans access to the players and to strengthen that feeling of us all being in it together.

"If the fans turn up in greater numbers, the players perform to the best of their ability and we continue to operate this club as a prudently-run business, it's all geared to getting the club off its knees and forward again.

"Had we held such an event last year, I don't think there would have been the same sense of unity.

"I suspect people would have turned up to generally moan about the way they had been treated or ticket prices.

"There are still areas of concern of course and as I have said, progress has been made, but there's still a long way to go.

"What I would love to see is that through a sense of unity, should we suffer any dips during the coming season, then the bonding that events like this encourage, will stand us in good stead."

Tonight's clash with Bideford AFC at the Sports Ground kicks off at 7.45pm. The Devon club can be contacted on 01237 474974.