“Christmas Day and your birthday all rolled into one!” Gillingham’s new boss Steve Evans’ response to what the opening weekend of the new season means to him as he prepares to take his side to Yorkshire to face Doncaster Rovers.

Every football fan holds opening weekend at a special place in their hearts, and as Evans prepares to take his new side North this weekend, the new man at the Priestfield helm remembered his early days in Glasgow, and what the first game of the new season meant.

“I used to go and watch Celtic as a boy and there was a great excitement at the start of every season when you wanted to go and see the new players. In those days, there weren’t as many pre-season games as there are now, but there was great excitement – it was like Christmas Day; you were up early, my Dad (who’s no longer with us) would get himself all dressed up to meet his mates before going off to the football and I think that that will be the case all over the country come the weekend.”

“I’ve always said that when you drive into a stadium or are on the M25, M1 or A1 and you see supporters buses and team buses going past you, you think football’s here, and it all starts again on Saturday!”

“We’re looking forward to it and we know it will be a real test. There’s a new gaffer up there too in Darren Moore and he’s making his own changes too to his team and after they sold John Marquis to Portsmouth this week, we’re not too sure who we’re actually going to be facing or how they will play.”

“Of course, it’s going to be tough for us going to Doncaster on Saturday, I will guarantee you that every single League One game at the weekend will be a tough game.”

“They’ve got wonderful players all over the pitch so we do know what we’re going to get from them as opposition – you must remember that they competed in the Play Offs last season and although they’ve lost some players, they’ve added to compensate. I’ve always said that it’s a tough start for us but at least we won’t have to make the trip again!”

Evans then reflected on his first two months in charge. “A pre-season game where you win every game six-nil don’t tell us anything,” he said, “and we got tested more against the Charlton’s, the Millwall’s and the Southend’s than we did other teams. I look back on it now and have to say it’s gone well, but it’s now that we have to turn that into the League.”

“But I think that the reality is that the supporters know when they hear the words – and they’re not disputed by anyone – that the budget is the same as last year – it’s a bottom six budget, but we believe we’ve got better value for money from that budget with the players that we’ve brought in, signing better players but that will tell as the season goes on.”

“I think that we’ve still got a bit of a way to go to get them to where we want them to be – I think that we’re still two players away from where we want to be at the end of the window. I had a long conversation with the Chairman on Wednesday and re-iterated the words that I’ve said all summer, we want to sign good players not just any player, good players that can improve the group, and this is a good group already in terms of mobility. We’ve got a lot of young men in there that want to be successful in their careers.”

Evans concluded with an update on his team news and started with an update on last season’s skipper Gabriel Zakuani’s injury progress.

“Gabby’s had a set back and another operation this week – I haven’t seen him kick a ball yet since we got here! And I don’t really expect to see him now until October or November time, but he’s a huge character in the dressing room and it’s been great having him around and the sooner we get him back the better!”

“Matty Willock is the one that we’re looking at being fit in time for the weekend, otherwise everyone’s been on the grass before we’re ready to go!”