The next time I sit down to write this article, I’ll have our first National League result of the season to discuss. That’s how close we now are to the new campaign, and it’s an exciting time for everybody associated with the club.

For the manager and his coaching staff, this is where they find out how well they’ve put together the puzzle of assembling a balanced team.

We all know how tough the National League is. We know how much money some of the teams at the top have at their disposal.

But we at Barrow have a proud history of thriving against adversity, and Ian Evatt has embraced the challenge of assembling a side that can be competitive on his budget. Wrexham will be his first opportunity to see how that process is going.

For the directors, the test is very much the same. The manager has received our backing and has the squad that he wanted.

There’s every bit as much excitement and nervousness among those at the top of the club as there is with anybody else. And in the end, isn’t that cocktail of emotions the reason why we all involve ourselves in sport?

For the players themselves, a new season is a fresh start. Some may be unhappy with their season last year. They will want to start with a bang.

Others may have been at the top of their game, and for them the challenge is to maintain that momentum and find another level.

Whatever form or motivation they travel to Wrexham with, for every single player the start of the season will be a significant moment.

And for the fans… well, I hardly need to tell any of you what a new season feels like. It’s hope. It’s ambition and the potential to achieve something we’ll never forget.

We stand on the brink of a new season, knowing it could bring the spectacle of Wembley, the triumph of a historic return to the Football League, or even – though I don’t for a second believe it – the calamity of relegation. Sport closes none of those avenues at the start of a new campaign, and we must prepare for them all.

Above all, we have to enjoy these opening weeks as we find out exactly where we are as a squad and as a club.

Whether we win or lose the bulk of August’s games, we have to stay calm and remember that it’s a long season. I for one intend to enjoy it.

*One of the less glamorous jobs to be done within the Bluebirds Trust is without doubt processing of memberships.

Thursday sees the start of our new membership year, and with that comes a lot of posting, typing and counting. And yet, for all of that, the task is perhaps a little easier this year because of the backdrop of good news that we can all enjoy.

Membership of the Trust has skyrocketed since the share purchase in barrow AFC, so that we now boast 464 members.

The challenge for this year is to break the 500 marker, but this isn't a target driven solely by money or bragging rights.

Every supporter of Barrow AFC should be a member of the Trust. Only through that vehicle can you have a say in our future relationship with Barrow AFC, from electing our director to setting Trust priorities and getting involved yourself.

The days when the fans were detached from the club are over. Now we are the club. And it's in everybody's interests to engage with that process and give us your good ideas and your skills.

More details on joining the Trust (or renewing existing memberships) can be requested from the Trust Shop on match days.

*As we get older, football fans can lose the childlike wonder of Christmas Eve or the new opportunities that a New Year brings.

However, there’s one night of the year that is guaranteed to bring out in us that little boy or girl who long ago climbed the steps to the football terrace and entered a whole new world.

Yes, it’s the night before the season starts, with all the possibilities, optimism and wonder that brings to even the most cynical of fans. Social media is awash with bold predictions, calendars are consulted, away trip absences negotiated, supporters’ bus or train tickets bought.

Some will have ensured the aged scarf is ready, others that they have the latest away top. Others yet will have their own styles of dress at the football that require certain clothing or just a good luck charm.

All roads lead to Wrexham. We have a few places on our Trust buses (contact Jamie on 074440 26795, go to www.ticketor.com/bluebirdstrust, or contact Bluebirds Trust Facebook Page for details).

But whatever way you choose to travel in support of Barrow, before the rollercoaster begins again, just take a deep breath, embrace that inner child and inhale. It’s here! it’s here!