Neil Wood, formerly a Reserves captain at the club, had taken over as lead coach and was busy trying to instil his philosophy into the players.
Watching some of the talent within the group quickly absorb some of the new tactics and flourish as a result was rewarding for anybody connected with the Reds. All the sweat and endeavour in the base near Vienna would show instant dividends in the very first match of the season - our first-ever appearance in the Leasing.com (EFL) Trophy on a pleasant early August evening in Rotherham.
Of course, much was to follow - and the bottom line is that promotion in Premier League 2 was rightly confirmed only last week - but there remained something special about the 2-0 victory against the Millers' senior pros, a side that would finish runners-up in League One.