AN 18-man Ipswich Town squad will head for a holiday island in the sun next week as they prepare a final push for promotion, writes Derek Davis.But it will be no jolly at the share-holders' expense as the players will be expected to do their own laundry and pay for their own dinner.

AN 18-man Ipswich Town squad will head for a holiday island in the sun next week as they prepare a final push for promotion, writes Derek Davis.

But it will be no jolly at the share-holders' expense as the players will be expected to do their own laundry and pay for their own dinner.

Instead of the usual large entourage which has accompanied the Blues squad on previous trips abroad, there will be no kit-man, no physio, no fitness coach and no private charter-flights.

The players will each take two sets of kit and will be responsible for keeping it clean and will have to dip into their own pocket for meals.

After spending part of this week working with the Army Air Corps from Wattisham, next week is geared towards team-bonding and mentally refreshing the squad.

The players will be doing some swimming, running and playing golf as they look to recharge their batteries ahead of the schedule they face of six games in three weeks, starting next week.

Town will fly out on Sunday after returning from their trip to Burnley's Turf Moor and return to Portman Road on Wednesday evening. Thursday's training at Bent Lane will be as normal with the home game against Preston on the Saturday.

Cash-conscious Ipswich Town have funded mid-season trips in the past but this excursion is for the most part privately funded and also subsidised by the players themselves.

With midweek games at Stoke City and Walsall, a Sunday match at Norwich and home games against Watford and Millwall all being squeezed into a three-week period, the Blues coaching staff are looking to keep the tired squad fresh.