If anyone doubts Cinderford are back in the big time, they should just look at their fixture list for the forthcoming season.

And more precisely they should just look at their first two National League One games – at home to Rosslyn Park and then away to Birmingham Moseley.

A bumper crowd is expected for the first game at Dockham Road on Saturday 1st September while the Forest of Dean club make the relatively short trip up to England’s second city seven days later.

And to people of a certain vintage, the names of Rosslyn Park and Moseley don’t come much bigger in rugby.

Cinderford’s director of rugby Paul Morris is of that vintage – he was born in 1962 – and he said: “They are big names.

“Rosslyn Park and Moseley were two of the teams who won the national knockout cup when it was the only trophy clubs could win before leagues were introduced.

“Anyone who used to watch Grandstand in the 1970s will remember Andy Ripley who played for Rosslyn Park. He was England’s standout player at that time.”

Rosslyn Park are still a very decent club although they aren’t quite as strong now, of course, and as Morris says: “Most of the current playing squad think they’re just another club from London!”

That’s not necessarily a bad thing especially as there will be just that little bit of extra significance to the fixture this time around because Rosslyn Park were the team who confirmed Cinderford’s relegation to National Two South at the end of the 2015/16 season.

“There were still two games to go after that game so it’s ironic that we’re playing them in our first game,” admitted Morris.

And although Rosslyn Park and Birmingham Moseley are two of the standout names in the 16-strong division, they are just two of many clubs who boast a very good pedigree.

Morris is under no illusions about the challenges that lie ahead even though they won 29 of their 30 league games last season.

“It’s going to be very, very tough but we’re looking forward to it,” he said. “We’ve got to be on it and we’ve got to be competitive.

“We’re very, very focused on Rosslyn Park, nothing beyond that. That’s what we did last season when we played Canterbury in our first game. We’ll be ready.”

Morris has been in the game long enough – some 40 years – to know that you can’t afford to get too far ahead of yourself although he is prepared to say what he thinks would be a good season for Cinderford in 2018/19.

“A good season would be matching what Old Elthamians and Bishop’s Stortford did last season,” he said.

“They were both promoted and won more games than they lost. They finished sixth and eighth and what they achieved was exceptional. I’m not sure if we can match that but if we could that would be very good.

“The third promoted team Caldy also did well and never got sucked into the angst of a relegation battle.

“This is my eighth season at Cinderford and for the first five when we were in National One I can always remember the angst of how do we avoid relegation even though I was with the United for most of that time.

“It’s very draining and I want to avoid that if we can.”

What shouldn’t be forgotten is that Cinderford are once again rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest clubs in the country.

It’s certainly not lost on Morris, who as well as loving his rugby is a huge fan of football – he supports Crystal Palace.

“We’re in the top 40 clubs in the country,” he said. “If you equate that to football you’re talking about Bolton Wanderers and Rotherham United. It’s big stuff.”

It certainly is and Morris is acutely aware that both Bolton, who stayed in the Championship, and Rotherham, who won promotion from League One, achieved their goals in 2017/18.

Don’t bet against Cinderford doing precisely the same this season.