Surely it was only last week when we left Wembley after the National League promotion final and reflected on Oldham Athletic‘s dramatic win against Southend United?
Yet somehow, we sit here today with pre-season fixtures already underway, the new season fixtures about to be released and the draws for the FA Cup, Isuzu FA Trophy and FA Vase now released.
Shouldn’t we still be on the beach assessing what we had witnessed across the Non-League pyramid over the previous campaign? The highs, the lows, the everything in between.
Shouldn’t we all be having a breather, recharging the batteries and getting ready to go again?
Thrive
Summers seem to be getting shorter but let’s be honest, we all love it really, don’t we? Getting back to games, seeing neatly cut pitches and pitch markings that are still freshly painted.
Where new signings, new managers and new eras are introduced in front of familiar faces, the same ones we’ve stood alongside for season-after-season, cherishing the highs and bemoaning the lows.
Where we praise and eulogise over the unwavering, never-ending commitment of the volunteers who while away the unseen hours that provide the solid foundations that every single Non-League club is built upon.
Manning the bar in the clubhouse, selling the programmes and half-time draw tickets, painting the fences, sweeping the terraces and running the club shop.
All may seem minor tasks, together, they form an essential part of match day and beyond.
Without them, our clubs would be in a battle to survive, rather than thrive.
Fresh hope
The new season brings fresh hope, endless possibilities, the promise that anything could happen and it could happen to your club.
For those with momentum created by the successes of the previous campaign, there is anticipation for more lifelong memories to be written by those who cross the white lines week-in, week-out.
Even for those recovering from disastrous seasons and miserable relegations, this is a chance to lay the foundations for recovery and improvement and deliver on the promise of brighter times.
There are just three weeks to go until the competitive action gets underway, the Road to Wembley gets underway with the early rounds of the FA Cup seven days later and by the middle of August every club across the pyramid will have experienced league action.
Then the rollercoaster is in full swing and it all starts again – and we wouldn’t change a thing.
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