The memories of last season remain fresh, but attention has turned to the new campaign as Bristol Rovers return to action on Friday night.
A remarkable and successful season started at Melksham Town a year ago and the Gas return to the Oakfield Stadium tonight to kick off their pre-season schedule.
Rovers have reached the end of their first week of training since the end of their summer break and Gasheads have the chance to see their heroes and the new recruits for the first time since clinching promotion to League One on May 7. There are several talking points ahead of the game...
First look at new signings
Pre-season friendlies can often feel a little flat with no real jeopardy in play, but one of the perks is seeing new signings in action for the first time and in that regard Gasheads have two intriguing players to keep take a look at on Friday.
Firstly, Jordan Rossiter could make his first appearance in the blue and white quarters. The 25-year-old has great pedigree after coming through Liverpool's academy, scoring at Anfield and impressing in the England youth ranks. A move to Rangers followed before heading back south of the border to join Fleetwood Town under Barton's management.
He would become club captain at Highbury Stadium in his final year at the club and he joins a Rovers midfield corps already boasting some strength with Paul Coutts and Sam Finley among the stars of the promotion season. But in the new world of five substitutes per game, a depth of quality is of increased value and with Coutts suspended for the start of the season Rossiter could be a starter on the opening day.
He will hope to make a bright start, as will fellow new boy James Gibbons. The versatile defender, formerly of Port Vale, offers options and competition across the defence and comes with rave reviews from the Burslem faithful. He has the makings of a fan favourite and could debut at Melksham.
Can Loft get off to a flier?
Pre-season offers a fresh start to all players and Ryan Loft over the summer break must have been relishing the chance to get back into training and inject some momentum into his Rovers career.
The striker, signed from Scunthorpe United in January, has not been poor in a Rovers shirt and his goal at Port Vale capped one of the most memorable days of last season, but on a personal note he would surely admit his time in BS7 so far has been a little underwhelming.
With the likes of Elliot Anderson and Luke Thomas returning to their parent clubs at the end of last season, there are opportunities for forwards to stake a claim, particularly if Aaron Collins, who impressed hugely as a striker last season, is shifted out wide or played as a second striker.
Barton is eager to sign another striker with James Norwood one of the options, but until one arrives Loft could have the opportunity to lead the line often in pre-season and the 24-year-old would do his cause no harm if he got off to a flier at Melksham with a goal or two.
Kilgour's audition
After a season frustrated by injury, the momentum of Alfie Kilgour's breakthrough at Rovers has been halted. Those injuries, hopefully, are in the past and he can feature more regularly than the 11 appearances he made last season.
James Connolly is in possession of one centre-back position thanks to his brilliant contributions in the second half of last season, but with his partner Connor Taylor back at parent club Stoke City there is a vacancy in the heart of the defence.
Kilgour, aged 23 and entering the final year of his contract, he will be backing himself to win that place and there are limited chances to audition for the role in a match situation, with the first coming on Friday night.
There will be many bigger tests than Melksham – who showed last year they are no mugs – but a neat and tidy performance from Kilgour would be a positive start to an important few weeks in his Rovers career.
Follow Hoole's path?
First-year professionals Harvey Greenslade and Jamie Egan, plus second-year left-back Sam Heal – playing on a six-month contract after recovering from a serious knee injury – have been involved in training with Rovers this week and, if last season's pre-season opener is anything to go by, Barton will share the minutes equally between two separate XIs.
That will mean there are chances for that trio, plus the likes of Ryan Jones and maybe even some under-18s to get a runout in front of the manager.
Clearly, not too many meaningful conclusions will be drawn from the opening friendly of pre-season at a non-league side but, as Luca Hoole showed last year, pre-season is a prime opportunity for young players to force their way into the manager's thinking and the ideal way to conclude the first week of the pre-season programme would be with an eye-catching performance at the Oakfield Stadium.
Planning for Coutts
Rovers will be without their club captain Coutts for the first three games of the new season as he completes a four-match suspension incurred from the straight red card in the final moments of the heist at Rochdale.
As a result, Coutts will miss the games against Forest Green Rovers, Burton Albion and the Carabao Cup first-round tie at Crawley Town before he is able to make his bow at home to Oxford United on August 13.
With effectively an extra fortnight before Coutts' season begins, it will be interesting to see how Rovers manage his pre-season.
He will likely get the customary 45 minutes at Melksham but Rovers do not have too many friendlies after that and Rovers could prioritise match minutes for other players, knowing full well that the soon-to-be 34-year-old always keeps himself in supreme physical condition and he will have two weeks more than his teammates to hone his rhythm in training.
There is no wrong decision here, but it will be interesting to see what Rovers do.
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