FOREST Green are aiming to steal a fitness march on their Blue Square Premier rivals by adopting a Premiership ethos to their medical approach.

Rovers’ sports therapists Tim Grigg and Jason Ford are undertaking a full medical and biomechanical screen fitness testing for the squad.

Forest Green boss Dave Hockaday welcomed the new initiative.

He said: “This process of staged management by my medical team is new to this level of professional football and is usual only administered by Premiership and Championship teams.

“With the new changes which we have implemented this close season there is no reason that we can’t challenge for a successful forthcoming season.”

Ford, of the Lansdown Clinic, devised a screening process where he applies biomechanical tests on his patients and sports athletes.

He said: “The screening tests which link to a series of exercises will help to eradicate any mechanical weakness and helps the player to correct these issues.

“Moreover, in terms of exercise prescription, this helps to eradicate any areas of mechanical weakness, thereby reducing the risk of injury and improving functional performance on the pitch where it counts.”

In conjunction, Grigg has revised the pre-season medical screen which complements the mechanical testing.

Tim added: “Using the very latest in evidence methods to test, correct and retest our players prior to any football, we should reduce those underlying problems thus reducing the players time on the treatment table.”

After collecting all of this information, a decision can be made relevant to the players needs.

This may include treatment by either Tim or Jason or a referral to the club chiropractor Richard Brown.

Chairman Dale Vince backed the new approach.

He said: “An important part of this process is that following the screening each player has a personal training program drawn up for them, to correct any specific issues found (and everybody has something). In this way when pre- season starts the players will be in great shape - it’s not just about on pitch performance either - injury prevention (or Pre-habilitation) is the big outcome of getting players balanced bio mechanically.

“We should have less injuries this year as a result and a fitter, stronger team.”