For Burton Albion, it all starts again today - another Championship season beckons this club that continues to defy all the odds and the naysayers.
The talking stops, and the playing starts - this time we and Albion know they can play in the Championship after they earned the right to do it again once Luke Varney headed in that memorable goal in Oakwell back in April.
Tipped for relegation again, it's time for the Brewers to begin the second instalment of this rollercoaster ride that is otherwise now to be known as Albion's Championship era.
The footballing Gods - if they do exist - began the summer smiling down on the Pirelli Stadium, with the arrivals of experienced defensive duo Stephen Warnock and Jake Buxton following the astute acquisition of midfielder Matty Lund on a free transfer.
Then came the record signing of forward Liam Boyce from Ross County, in a deal worth an unprecedented - at least in Albion's world - £500,000.
Some good pre-season performances followed, before Saturday's defeat to Shrewsbury Town in which disaster struck.
Boyce's signing still couldn't stop the detractors from backing Albion to finish rock-bottom again, even with the signing of Boyce.
But those bets, on the outside, will look much better value after the dreaded news that Liam Boyce will pretty much miss the rest of the season as a result of a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament was released earlier this week.
The footballing Gods were not smiling on Albion at New Meadow last Saturday, at a game in which the very nature of it was to build up fitness ahead of the season-opener against Cardiff City at the Pirelli Stadium on Saturday.
To the untrained eye, it would appear that it is a formality that Burton prop up the table next term - but that's not how this club works.
The Brewers have proved that they are here to stay, not just in the Championship, but in the wider footballing circle.
The second tier of English football offers unparalleled benefits to clubs like Burton, international coverage far and wide, more matches live on national television, an increased press presence as journalists tell their readers just who Burton Albion are.
And of course, the chance to pit your wits against a division that is effectively a second Premier League, with the money being spent reaching desperate levels as teams compete for a spot in the coveted first-tier.
It's fair to say the last ten years have been a whirlwind - less than a decade ago they were losing Conference play-off semi-finalists.
But now they're mixing it with the big boys - once again - and they will have to play their hearts out like they did last term, not least to make up for the absences of Boyce.
The season starts today, but they still have work to do, not only on the training ground but in the office as well, working out how to replace their injured star-striker.
Albion have achieved survival before, but are in even more accomplished company this time around.
The likes of Bolton Wanderers, UEFA Cup quarter-finalists a decade ago come the end of the season, and four-time FA Cup winners Sheffield United enter the fray this term.
But as this club has proved many times before - anything is possible, but they have to prove that again now.
For many clubs, the promotion to a new league is challenging, but they have the chance to establish themselves as a Championship club.
Burton are no different, and the Brewers now have a chance to defy the odds again, and make many more priceless memories in the process.
