MORTON players are off to a winning start before a ball is even kicked this season after joining fans to spruce up the main stand.

With the club under a new regime pre-season training took a slightly unexpected turn on Thursday, with a Cappielow clean-up arranged to help team bonding.

Midfielders Jim McAlister and Reece Lyon put their skills to good use with a bucket in one hand and a sponge in the other to help bring the main stand up to scratch.

The players worked side by side with diehard fans who have high hopes for the season ahead.

Chief executive Dave MacKinnon said: "Morton is a community club and we want to bring everyone together.

"It's great to see the fans turning out like this.

"I want the players to meet the fans, to give something back."

Dave says the clean-up taskforce is part of a wider plan for the team to develop a closer bond with the supporters.

He revealed: "The squad are going to start arriving at home games together.

"The team will go for a pre-match lunch together and come to meet with fans, so they can get the chance to meet the players before the game for photos and a chat.

"We want to keep this sort of spirit going."

Players, coaches, fans and even the chairman Crawford Rae rallied to support the clean up.

Young midfielder Reece, a local lad, said: "The gaffer wants us to get out there, it is great to see the fans."

Fan Sandra Fyfe, 56, brought her grandsons Jason, 13, and Sean, 12, to Cappielow to help and praised the players for pitching in.

She said: "They are a great bunch of players, lovely and polite.

"It is great to see them all.

"I have high hopes for this season and I think we are looking at a top four finish.

"This is a going to be a good year."

Chairman Mr Rae thanked the fans for turning up and sent them away with a free ticket for the team's home friendly against St Johnstone on Tuesday evening.

He added: "We had more fans turning up than we ever expected.

"It is an exciting time at Morton and we are looking forward to the new season.

"Players are coming here and taking pay cuts to play for our new manager David Hopkin.

"They really want to be here."