Cirencester Town are primed and ready to go when they kick off their league campaign on Saturday.

They’re playing in Division One Central of the Southern League this season – they’ve been moved across from Division One South – but the aim is most definitely the same.

Cirencester’s supporters don’t need telling that the aim is promotion and manager John Brough, who is starting his third full season in charge, is looking forward to the season-opener at Biggleswade Town.

“Everybody is positive, we’ve had a good pre-season,” he told The Local Answer. “I think we’ve got a squad that compete.”

Cirencester certainly competed last season, finishing third and just missing out on promotion through the play-offs when they were beaten by Winchester City.

This season Brough is planning to play three at the back – 3-5-2 rather than his more usual 4-3-3 – and he said: “We have changed our philosophy, we’re going to play more through the thirds.

“Especially on our astro pitch you need to play football, so we’re going to try to play the ball forward using the wing-backs.”

New signing Jordan Lymn, a 24-year-old right wing-back, will clearly be an important player in the new formation and is someone that Brough, who was Head of Youth at Cheltenham Town, knows well.

“I knew him when he was a boy at Cheltenham,” he said. “I took him to North Leigh when I was manager there  ands he’s been at Evesham.”

Brough is equally enthused by the signing of Theo Lewis, who has just turned 31.

“I had him as a YT at Cheltenham,” he said. “He played more than 30 games for Cheltenham Town, he’s a key signing.

“He can dictate play in midfield but he can also play up front.”

Brough is expecting Division One Central to be a more physical league than Division One South but he’s certainly ready for the challenge.

“Promotion is the aim,” he said. “We want to test ourselves and to do that we’ve got to get out of this level.

“We want to stamp our authority on the league and come March/April we want to be challenging for the title.

“This season it’s all about what we do, we want to play our own game. We’re not going to worry about the opposition so much, but we’ll still be able to make adjustments during a game or at half-time if we need to.”

Cirencester were told that they were being moved across to Division One Central just a handful of days after that play-off defeat to Winchester and Brough admits that initially the club weren’t happy.

“We did appeal the decision,” said the 49-year-old, who played in the Football League for Shrewsbury Town, Cheltenham Town and Hereford United.

“The new division does mean more miles on the road and more coach journeys – six last season compared with 14 this season – but I’ve told the players it will mean less driving for them.

“I’ve been on a lot of coach journeys over the years and they are a good opportunity for players to bond. It can really help team spirit, especially if you’re travelling home after an away win.”