Kevin Muirhead says he is fully understanding the impact of no football on people's mental health now punters are clicking back through the turnstiles again.
The Muirkirk gaffer has been acutely aware of how Covid lockdown and restrictions have affected folk throughout the pandemic.
But he perhaps didn't realise the toll it was taking on the villagers who live for matchday at Burnside Park until meeting them again for the first time in months.
Ambitious Muirkirk begin their West of Scotland League Conference A journey this weekend and Muirhead is relieved to be starting out in front of the supporters for whom the club means everything.
"It feels good to be getting back to some kind of normality," he told Ayrshire Live. "I've spoken a lot about not just player mental health but also supporter mental health.
"I'm just glad we're getting there and there is a real excitement starting to build now. We've played a couple of home games and the supporters are starting to come back out.
"I think we're realising the impact on people's mental health now we're starting to meet the supporters again.
"They are just happy to see us. There are smiles and they talk about how much they have missed the football, not just in terms of the actual action but meeting their friends and having a pint after the game.
"We're not Barcelona but Muirkirk is in their hearts and their locals; it means a lot to them as well.
"I think they can see the direction of travel the club was going on and it felt genuinely exciting 18 months ago and then suddenly it came to a stop.
"For a long time Muirkirk struggled but we were moving in an upward trajectory. We're hoping to restart in that positive vein from 18 months ago."
Muirhead is happy with the business he has done in the transfer market this summer which includes the arrival of 36-year-old French striker Christian Nade, formerly of Hearts.
Bold predictions are not this manager's style but one tip that Muirkirk would be among the basement boys did not go unnoticed as he and his squad set their sights on a loftier finish.
"We've had a good pre-season, won four and drew one, but the players laughed when I told them I want more," Muirhead said.
"It just feels we have another gear we can go up. We could be working a wee bit harder in the games and we've a lot of new players settling in as well.
"I feel we've definitely improved the squad. We retained the players we wanted to keep and we've brought in seven new players who are all first-team players.
"I seen a prediction earlier this week that we would finish in the bottom three so we all had a bit of a laugh at that. I certainly don't see us finishing in the bottom three.
"Do I see us winning it? It will be very tough but we're not going to set out and tell the boys let's just finish in the middle of the league. I wouldn't be involved in football, and neither would the players, if we didn't have high ambitions."
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