TO say that tomorrow's opponents Grays Athletic suffered a summer of upheavel, doesn't really do justice to the comings and goings surrounding the Essex club.
If we thought we had gone through a high number of players and several managers in recent times, then it hardly compares with events in Thurrock as the Gravelmen fought to keep themselves in the Conference last season.
They did eventually just that, by one spot, as both Northwich and Weymouth succumbed to major problems off the pitch.
Then the close season appeared to bring some much needed relief to fans at the New Rec, as they watched on as events unfolded around their club.
Former Tottenham manager Peter Shreeves was appointed as their new director of football, while in a restructuring of the board, ex-West Ham midfielder John Moncur became the club's new chairman.
Moncur replaced Mick Woodward, who stepped down but was said to be staying on as chief executive.
Also an experienced non league man in Craig Edwards had been appointed as manager in May, but then the door started revolving again, as despite bringing in a whole new team, he never actually made it to the big kick-off, leaving after only a couple of friendlies!
Back in came former Barnet keeper Gary Phillips, who had been in charge at the end of the previous season's fight for survival.
Despite his appointment, it even got to the stage in August that the club felt the need to issue this statement on the official website, which read: Some confusion has arisen over the current management of the first team; we would like to confirm that Gary Phillips is the 1st Team Manager and is assisted by Alan Lewer.
But by the middle of September - they too had departed!
Former Hammer Julian Dicks is the man now charged with restoring the faith and it has been baptism of fire, equal to anything he will have encountered during his days in the West Ham defence.
This week they have once again been busy bolstering their squad by signing former Brentford goalkeeper Lloyd Anderson to replace loanee Lee Butcher, who returned to Tottenham earlier this month.
A much needed addition with regular Preston Edwards dismissed for a second yellow card at Oxford United last Saturday.
The 18-year-old has already played for Ryman Division One North outfit Maldon Town and Ryman Premier Division side Margate this season, after making just the one substitute appearance in his days at Griffin Park.
They have also just added ex-Chelmsford City defender Danny Bunce and former Woking striker Fola Onibuje to their squad.
Bunce is a 23-year-old former West Ham United academy trainee, who was released by the Hammers in 2005 and had a trial with Oxford United before joining Cambridge United, where he played in a handful of Conference games.
In July 2006, he joined Blue Square South side Woking and appeared over 100 times for them, before switching Chelmsford City in the summer.
Meanwhile, Onibuje was released by Woking earlier this month, having joined the Cards on non-contract terms in mid-September after leaving Weymouth.
The pacy Onibuje represented Great Britain at 200 and 400m sprints and was originally with Preston and Barnsley before earning a contract with Cambridge United for the 2005/06 season, after impressing with three goals in as many games in pre-season friendlies.
However, having established himself as a first-team player and regular goal scorer at Cambridge he was released at the end of the season.
Onibuje joined Swindon during the 2006 pre-season - signing a three-month contract, which was later extended to a year in late August of the same year.
He was loaned to Brentford for two-months in November 2006, but soon moved clubs again, this time to Wycombe Wanderers.
He was released by Wycombe in the summer of 2007, with a year still remaining on his contract.
Short spells with Shrewsbury and St Albans City followed before he joined Macclesfield Town in February 2008, agreeing non-contract terms to become Keith Alexander's first signing for the club. However, he was released after making only one substitute appearance for the Silkmen.
Onibuje then joined Accrington Stanley at the beginning of last season and also spent time at AFC Bournemouth, but did join neighbouring Weymouth in March 2009 until the end of the campaign.
The number of players who arrived (and departed) in the build up to this new season was impressive and saw Grays actually sign nine players on one particular day - in the week before they were due to play their opener against Chester City.
Among the new faces were three former servants of the Bridge Road club - defenders Ken Davis, Ronnie Bull and Cameron Mawer.
Also joining the Blues were goalkeepers Billy Lumley and Preston Edwards, defender Fred Murray plus midfielders Adriano Rigoglioso and Sam Cutler.
Completing the new signings was experienced former Wrexham striker Lee McEvilly.
'Evil' signed for Grays after turning down offers from NPL club Marine and Maltese Premier League side Hibernians, but he soon picked up a long-term shin injury that looks like keeping him out for the season.
The history of the club can be traced back to Grays Juniors, founded in 1890 as an amateur team, rising through the ranks to senior status, before merging with former Southern Football League club Grays United to form Grays Athletic. The newly formed outfit joining the Grays & District League.
Athletic became founder members of the Athenian League, in which they briefly played before World War I. Then in 1945, they were one of the nine founder members of the Corinthian League, which they won that first season.
After playing in the Isthmian League between 1983 and 2004, they were founder members of the new Conference South and divisional champions at the first attempt, and also winning the FA Trophy.
In the 2005-06, they took an early lead in the Conference National division, remaining unbeaten for a record equalling 15 games, but eventually finished in third place and were beaten in the semi-finals of the promotion play-offs by Halifax Town. They did, however, successfully retain the FA Trophy with a 2-0 win over Woking
After the 2005-06 season manager Mark Stimson left the club (to join Stevenage Borough) and Frank Gray was appointed as the new boss. However, after just 14 games, his last being a disappointing 1-0 home defeat to Bromley, he was sacked.
Chairman Mick Woodward appointed himself as manager for a short while and player/coach Jamie Stuart took charge of an Essex Senior Cup match with Woodward assisting, but then appointed Andy King.
On 5 January 2007, Andy King handed in his resignation to the surprise of Woodward and was replaced by Justin Edinburgh, his assistant at the time, who became the fourth manager of Grays during the season. They eventually finished 19th in the league, just avoiding relegation and in total they fielded over 50 players in all competitions.
On 20 February 2008, it was announced that Edinburgh had departed, terminating his contract by mutual consent, leaving the club 14th in the Conference. Chairman Woodward took the helm for a second time until the end of that season.
Last year a succession of managers came and went at the Recreation Ground, Woodward promoting goalkeeping coach Gary Phillips to look after affairs, after also appointing Tim O'Shea and Wayne Burnett to the hot seat at various stages in the campaign.
Sitting just behind us in the current BSP table, Grays have only two wins to their credit, at home against Eastbourne and Cambridge.
It should be an interesting afternoon, as both teams battle it out for the much needed points.
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