There is a slight irony that Torquay United's first two fixtures since clinching the 2018-19 Vanarama National League South title will be against Chippenham Town and Hungerford Town.
United's reverse meetings between these two sides earlier in the season proved to be two of their most significant fixtures - the Gulls' home defeat against Chippenham proved to be Gary Owers' final game in charge and their visit to Hungerford was the first game of Gary Johnson's reign as manager.
So when United receive the divisional title at home to Hungerford on Easter Monday, it will signify how everything has come full circle for Johnson and his squad in what has been a relatively short space of time.
After Monday, a visit to St Albans City on the final day of the campaign will bring the curtain down on a memorable before Johnson and his backroom team, which includes assistant manager Aaron Downes and Pete Johnson, his brother, who works as United's head of recruitment, begin to assess their options for the 2019-20 campaign.
With around a dozen players under contract for next season, Johnson goes into life in the National League with a core of players who are more than capable of making step up to a higher level.
The question then will be whether United's title triumph could prove to be a stepping stone to a return to the Football League?
History has shown us that when the Gulls have enjoyed a strong momentum when in the National League they can win promotion from the National League to League Two in a fairly quick space of time.
In 2007, with the backing of the Alex Rowe-led consortium, which included the late Paul Bristow amongst others, Paul Buckle was able to build a side that beat Cambridge United in the 2009 Blue Square Premier Play-off final two years after being relegated from the Football League.
Also, since National Leagues North and South were introduced to the footballing pyramid in 2005, AFC Wimbledon and Newport County have both won promotion from National League South to League Two within a relatively short time period. The Dons followed up the National League South title triumph in 2009 with a National League Play-off final victory over Luton Town in 201; the Exiles won National League South in 2010 and three years later defeated fellow Welsh side Wrexham to secure a return to the Football League in the 2013 Play-off final.
Fleetwood Town have also done the same by winning National League North in 2011 before winning the National League title in 2013, with a team containing a certain Jamie Vardy.
The Gulls certainly have the fanbase and the management team to hopefully scale the heights of National League in the 2019-20 season and beyond, and providing that chairman Clarke Osborne continues to back the club to the financial tune that he has done in the previous two years then who knows.
