IT has been a summer of change for Barrow AFC.

The Bluebirds and former boss Pete Wild decided on a parting of the ways, and that as they say was that.

It may not have been the way anyone expected it to end, and the timing of it probably wasn’t predicted by anyone either.

But the Barrow AFC hierarchy sees it as the next step along the journey.

Football never stands still and while much remains the same, the hunger and desire to reach League One is still a driving force. There is much that is different– a new man at the helm, several new players, and a new way of playing.

When one era comes to an end there can sometimes be a desire or impulse to come in with a new broom to sweep away all remnants of the past and start anew.

Barrow, though, have chosen a more pragmatic approach. It's not for them a wrecking ball to demolish the foundations and build from the bottom up.

Instead, they acknowledge the progression of the previous seasons, and look to take all that was good on the journey with them.

So much so that many of the coaching staff from the previous regime have remained in place.

Yes, there will be a new way of playing, a new method for trying to achieve the same goal – promotion – but it very much seems an ethos of fine tuning and adding to much of what is already good about Barrow.

So, a brave new dawn is upon us.

Whether or not head coach Stephen Clemence can take Barrow AFC on to that next step remains to be seen.

But what is crystal clear is that it won’t be for a lack of trying or a lack of desire.

Spend any time in Clemence’s company and it doesn’t take a genius to see his passion for his new role, and his passion to be a success.

Change doesn’t happen overnight, and it may take a while to bear fruit, but you only have to look back at the last two seasons to see it’s not about how you start it’s how you finish.

In their previous two campaigns, the Bluebirds have enjoyed good starts, but have dropped off come the end of those seasons.

There is of course, no reason why Clemence’s men can’t do both (if only it were that easy).

Crewe Alexandra are the visitors to Holker Street today – not the easiest of starts by any means.

Here’s hoping that Barrow can deliver both a performance and a result for the blue and white supporters.

Whatever the result, it is about keeping the faith, believing in the process, daring to dream.

New season, new gaffer, same old hopes and dreams, fingers crossed this time the dream becomes a reality.