"It's just pre-season", doesn't cut it any more.
Sure, when pre-season was a kickabout against Barnet in order to get match fitness levels up then there's a purpose there and nothing to draw beyond it.
But if the clubs now want to do big publicity, money spinning tours that trade fitness for air miles then the rules have changed. That performance against the chavs humiliated the club in front of a large audience. It was that bad, even if it was "just pre-season".