Cheltenham Town's opening pre-season friendly of the summer at Evesham United offered Steve Cotterill an early chance to see his squad in a match setting after a week of training at Seasons. With the 2026/27 campaign still ahead, this was less about the result and more about getting minutes into legs and assessing where the Robins stand.
The game came after a warm-weather training camp in Spain from July 4 to July 11, before the players returned and continued their work at Seasons. It also followed Shaun McWilliams' arrival on Friday, giving Cheltenham an added option as they prepared to face Evesham United for the first time this summer at the Jubilee Stadium.
Why this first outing matters
Pre-season friendlies can look simple on the surface, but they usually tell you something about the manager's thinking. For Cotterill, this was a chance to ease the group back into competition, start building connections and begin working through the combinations that could matter later in the summer.
Evesham United, managed by Mike Ford, came into the fixture after finishing 18th in the Southern League Premier Division South last season. That context matters because Cheltenham were the side with the greater expectation, but the focus at this stage is usually on rhythm, structure and sharpness rather than final-score judgement.
Building towards August 8
Cheltenham's schedule now moves towards a far more significant date, with the club set to begin the 2026/27 campaign against Charlton Athletic in the Carabao Cup first round on Saturday, August 8. That means these early sessions and friendlies are about far more than fitness alone.
They are about giving Cotterill answers. Which players settle quickly? Who looks ready to handle the physical demands? And how quickly can the squad start to look like a team rather than a group coming back together after the summer break?
For supporters, the value of the afternoon at Evesham United was in that first glimpse. After Spain, after a week at Seasons and after a fresh signing on Friday, Cheltenham were finally back in match action, with the summer work now properly under way.
