Just a moment of realism among all the chat of us actually being back in Europe.

Yes the chance is there but essentially at this stage we enter the play offs so a place AS SUCH for a place in the Conference is not guaranteed at this stage.

I have little doubt that we will do so and to reach a stage where we will have competed in a Uefa competition two years is brilliant. It’s our first time ever.

So credit to the manager, backroom staff and fans who are driving this club well and truly forward despite the disappointment of a last day defeat at Brighton.

Now before we head off for a bit of cricket or whatever you chosen summer sport may be here’s a few essentials to remember as published on the official site ahead of the possibility of competing in Europe again over the course of the 1922/23 competition.

The official site explains the draw for the UECL play-off round will be held at a venue to be confirmed on Tuesday 2 August 2022. The two legs will be held later the same month, with the winners going through to the group stage. Round dates are as follows:

Play-off round
18 & 25 August 2022

Group stage
8 September 2022: Matchday 1
15 September 2022: Matchday 2
6 October 2022: Matchday 3
13 October 2022: Matchday 4
27 October 2022: Matchday 5
3 November 2022: Matchday 6

Should we progress as group winners, we will not play again until 9 and 16 March in the round of 16. Should we progress as group runners-up, we will take on a UEFA Europa League third-place group-stage finisher on 16 and 23 February in a knockout round play-off.

Knockout stages
16 & 23 February 2023: Knockout round play-offs
9 & 16 March 2023: Round of 16
13 & 20 April 2023: Quarter-finals
11 & 18 May 2023: Semi-finals
7 June 2023: Final (Sinobo Stadium, Prague, Czech Republic)

The 32 third qualifying round winners and seven clubs eliminated from the Europa League third qualifying round will not be known until next season, so our potential play-off round opponents will remain a mystery until 11 August, when the third qualifying round is completed.

To add to the fun, the play-off round draw will take place on Tuesday 2 August, meaning our opponents will still not be confirmed, although we will at least know it will be one of just two clubs!

Our 2022 UEFA club coefficient (CC) is currently 21.328 (but will rise if Liverpool win the UEFA Champions League), meaning we should be seeded and are therefore unlikely to be drawn to face one of the four other direct qualifiers as their CCs will also be high enough to be seeded.

We will also find out on 2 August if we will play the first leg at home or away.