WORCESTER City are hoping tonight's mouth-watering clash with Premiership new boys Sheffield United (7.45) can provide the perfect launch pad for the new season.

The visit of Neil Warnock's side, part of the Sam Wedg-bury transfer deal, gives Andy Preece's troops a chance to test themselves against top- notch opposition ahead of the Barrow opener on Saturday week and generate welcome cash for City's coffers.

Preece said: "It's a massive game to get a Premiership club to play at St George's Lane and it's a great chance for the fans to see Premiership players.

"It's going to be a great night for us, we should get a large crowd. It's going to be a fantastic night for everybody."

Chairman Dave Boddy is confident of a high turn-out although he admits pre-season matches are a bit of a lottery.

He said: "There's been a lot of interest in the last 48 hours. In the past when we played Wolves (August 2004) we had 3,000 and we had to delay the kick-off so you can never predict what these things are going to bring. I would be disappointed if we didn't have 1,500.

"Pre-season friendlies are important on two fronts. They are important for player development and fitness but important from a financial point of view.

"From the football club's point of view this is the most important game of pre-season so it's important to get a big crowd for that."

And manager Preece hopes his players can benefit from the experience of rubbing shoulders with some of English football's elite.

He said: "The thing is to learn from it, to test themselves -- the quality of players they are going to come up against, see the way they play against them, their fitness levels and how strong they are. When they stand by these players in the tunnel they just don't realise how strong they are.

"We will be as strong as we possibly can.

"We will try and keep the side very much the same throughout the 90 minutes and see how our fitness levels are."

The match also represents an opportunity for Preece to renew old friendships.

City's boss was signed as a player at Bury by Warnock in 1998 before taking over the managerial reigns himself.

Current Blades chairman Terry Robinson was also chairman at Bury while Preece was in charge.

"I get on really well with Terry and we keep in touch," Preece added.