Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley lead their new-look Chester FC side into National League North action for the first time this weekend confident that they have put together a squad that can be a force in the division.

A lot has changed for both Chester and the management duo since the end of last season. But a remarkable summer that saw Johnson and Morley leave Salford City weeks after leading them to promotion to the National League, and Chester benefit from a £1m donation from Stuart Murphy, before club and managers were thrown together back in May in what they believe to be a match made in heaven.

A solid pre-season, 13 new signings and the presence of Johnson and Morley have helped a once disenchanted Blues fanbase reconnect with their football club after the most tumultous period in its reformed history, with over 1,000 season tickets sold.

And after all the talk, this weekend sees the Blues back in competitive action for the first time under the new managers when they welcome Spennymoor Town to the Swansway Chester Stadium on Saturday (3pm) for the season’s curtain raiser.

“We can’t wait for this weekend, it has been a long summer and a lot of hard work but it’s all be building up to Spennymoor on Saturday,” said Johnson.

“It’s a completely new group that has come into the football club and over the past few weeks and months it feels like the club have turned a corner and there is a positivity around the place.

“Spennymoor will be tough and they have signed some good players this summer and did well last season. They will be no pushover but we expect to win the game, just as we expect to win the game against Curzon Ashton on Monday.

“Me and Bernard expect to win every game because we believe in the squad we have put together and the process we have put in place. You can’t legislate for everything that happens in a football match, though, and it is about managing what comes your way as best you can.

“What we will be this weekend is ready. We’ve put a lot of hard work in and we’re excited to get started.”

Johnson and Morley know the National League North better than most having lead Salford City to the title last season.

And Johnson feels that there is no runaway favourite for promotion this time around and that he and Morley are in a better place than they were this time last year.

“We signed 14 new lads at Salford last year and it took time for us to get to know them and them to get to know us,” he said.

“But we know all the lads we have here this year and we know what to expect and what they can do. That has made things a little easier.

“Last year if you would have asked us who would challenge Salford then we would have said Harrogate Town, and that turned out to be the case. The full-time teams will always do well.

“But this season there is more strength across the division. The likes of Stockport, York, Brackley and Alfreton could all do well.

“We can only think about ourselves, though. Hopefully we’ll get a good crowd against Spennymoor and we can start how we mean to go on.”