The first game of the new season is edging ever closer, and things are getting busier and busier across the club as we prepare to welcome you all back to St James Park.

I’m sure you’ve ticked off that list of summer jobs, ready to get back to your Saturday routines. And you’ll need to include Sundays now as well, with the women’s team playing their first four matches of the season at St James Park!

Our first men’s match will see us welcoming Steve Evans’ Rotherham United to SJP on August 10 we then head away to Walsall and Northampton Town and then it’s back to the Park for Peterborough United on August 24, so we’re right back at it!

There will be some fresh faces lining up this season, as the new signings take their place in the squad. It was also great to welcome back an old face – well not that old – with the return of Dan Green to the club to take up the position of Individual Player Development Phase (PDP) Coach, responsible for development of first team players and young professionals. Dan can certainly attest to the huge amount of changes at the club, particularly the training ground, which looked, erm, a little bit different when he was last here!

Seven Academy players have signed contracts for the coming season, they are a talented bunch and some of them have been with the club since they were under eight years old. It was Academy players who made their mark in the recent game at Yeovil, with Kieran Wilson and Santino Ohanaka scoring, as well as Sonny Cox, to secure the game 3-1. Our Academy model remains as essential as ever to our success and it’s important this next generation of players are given time to grow and develop.

As well as new faces there will be some changes around SJP as we look to continue to improve the supporter experience. You’ve all been as amazing as usual in helping to raise funds for projects, the most recent of which was for the new canopy over the fan zone, that’ll keep your pasties dry and the rain out of your pints!

Plans are now afoot for a fundraising campaign for a recovery room at the Cliff Hill Training Ground, which will be used by the men’s team, Academy and women’s team. This purpose-built unit will have hot tubs and ice baths and is designed to speed players' recovery after matches - especially important when we play two matches in a week – and to aid rehabilitation after injury.

The fundraising target is £49,000, and we’re already £4,000 along the way thanks to Cans4City, Grecian Goal and the Corporate Trust members who took part in June's 7-a-side football tournament. Knowing our generous supporters, and the dedication of Elaine Davis, our fundraiser extraordinaire, it won’t take long to reach the target at all! You can donate by going to https://exetercityfc.ktckts.com/, scroll down and click on to donations, and then click on Training Ground Recovery Room.

In preparation for the season ahead, the squad spent time in the now annual destination of Mousehole for a couple of days of matches, physical challenges and of course some team bonding. It was also the location for the big tennis grudge match of Connors Caldwell versus Fred Perry Perks – which went to a gripping finish, with Gary taking the title. Everyone at Mousehole is so welcoming, so our thanks go to them for their hospitality.

We’re fortunate to have excellent relationships with lots of clubs across the south west, who provide opportunities for our younger players to go out on loan and gain valuable experience, so it’s great to be able to thank them with the income from the pre-season fixtures.

So we are now ready to start the season proper and whether it’s the men’s or women’s games – or indeed both – I look forward to seeing you ‘Up The City’ very soon!