Neil Cugley has warned some of his Folkestone players to shape up or ship out ahead of this weekend’s curtain-raiser.

Newly-promoted Invicta start life back in the Ryman League Premier Division with a home game against Harrow Borough.

Cugley has always promised to give last season’s title-winners a chance at the next level but results and performances in pre-season have left him concerned.

If the individuals concerned don’t prove him wrong, they’ll be shown the door.

Cugley said: "Some of the players have got to start showing they want to be at a Ryman Premier club.

"They’ve got to up everything about them, some of them, otherwise they’ll drop down into Ryman South again if they’re not careful. They’ve got to be more professional.

"Myself and the coaches can’t wait for the season to start but I’m not sure about a couple of the players, whether they think it’s going to be too difficult for them. I don’t know why they think that but I can just sense it."

After five seasons at Step 4, the next nine months promise to be quite a challenge for Folkestone. So what is their objective?

"To stay in the league," Cugley said. "But it doesn’t mean that’s what we’re aiming for.

"If, at the end of the year, we’re fifth from bottom, we won’t moan too much but we would like to finish in the top half."

Liam Friend, Nat Blanks, Sam Beale and Ian Draycott return to the Folkestone squad but Carl Rook is out for several weeks with a shin injury.