After the Euros, Wimbledon and The Open, it is now time for another extravaganza to take centre stage this weekend in this non-stop summer of sport.
No, not the Olympics in Paris.
This Saturday marks the start of the Breedon Highland League season and there will be several teams who start the new campaign going for gold.
The championship has been settled on the final day of the season in each of the past three years – and there is every chance of another photo finish this time.
Reigning champions Buckie Thistle will start as the team to beat but they head into the season without the manager who led them to glory in April.
Graeme Stewart bowed out on a high after winning the title with his trusty assistant Lewis MacKinnon promoted to the top job.
The Jags have lost some key players over the summer, notably Jack Murray to Elgin and Max Barry to Peterhead, but the recruitment of former Caley Thistle goalkeeper Mark Ridgers could be a shrewd acquisition.
Brechin City were pipped to the post by Buckie, prompting the Glebe Park side to replace manager Gavin Price with Irishman Patrick Cregg.
City are desperate to win promotion back to the SPFL and it is highly likely they will be right in the mix come the end of the season.
But could this be the year Banks o’ Dee emerge as serious title challengers?
The Spain Park side finished fourth last season and have bolstered their squad with a couple of eye-catching additions.
Former Aberdeen and Cove Rangers defender Mark Reynolds and ex-Caley Thistle and Ross County midfielder Iain Vigurs could provide the experience required for a sustained challenge at the top end of the table.
Brora Rangers, Formartine United and Fraserburgh will also start the season feeling they are capable of having a run at the title if they can get their campaigns off to a strong start.
The return of Steven Mackay as Brora manager could lift the Cattachs following last season’s sixth-place finish.
Stuart Anderson has assembled a strong squad at Formartine and the summer signings of Tyler Mykyta, Scott Adams and Callum Youngson could help them push into the top four following last season’s fifth-place.
Fraserburgh, the 2021-22 champions, were third last season and possess enough quality players to challenge for the top spot once again.
But there will be interesting storylines to follow across the division over the coming months, including at the foot of the table.
Challenge for Beckwith and Sharp
Strathspey Thistle finished 13 points adrift at the bottom last term but have a new-look squad for the 2024-25 season with Bobby Beckwith and Ronnie Sharp now in charge.
A 3-2 win against Buckie Thistle in pre-season shows they could be heading in the right direction.
It all adds up to another intriguing Highland League season and it will be difficult to predict who is going to finish where.
But one thing is certain, The Press and Journal will be showing highlights of the best of the action on Highland League Weekly every Monday night. Â
If the season is anything like the last few years there will be no shortage of entertainment and plenty of twists and turns on the race to the finishing line.
