THE hard work starts now for Colwyn Bay as preparations begin in earnest for their return to the Welsh domestic system.

It has been another extremely eventful campaign for the Seagulls, and they signed off their time within the English structure with a late loss at the hands of Leek Town on Saturday.

This result was somewhat meaningless from a Bay perspective, with the club already having one eye on what is sure to be a very busy summer for manager Craig Hogg and director of football Neil Coverley.

Both are hugely respected within the region and there will be no shortage of suitors wishing to play for the club as they look to make an instant impact within Tier 2 North.

It will be up to the management team to get the right sort of characters in that can handle the pressure, as there will undoubtedly be a bullseye on their back in a highly competitive division.

Hogg and Coverley have played at the highest level and know what is expected, especially when you consider that the former was part of the Llandudno coaching staff that secured the Huws Gray Alliance season in years gone by.

Another intriguing factor for the club will be whether they are able to keep any of their current squad.

Most have never experienced Welsh football before and are more accustomed to playing in England, but they could do with a few remaining at the Four Crosses Construction Arena in order to avoid any complications regarding squad cohesion in their brief period of transition.

If the club were to convince skipper Tom McCready to stay on he would instantly become the best player in the division, but that comes with additional pressure to perform that some of this current squad have not yet experienced.

Talented playmaker Craig Pritchard set the second tier alight in Denbigh Town’s runner-up season in 2017/18, and although he will not be short of offers from elsewhere he should seriously consider staying on as he has come on a significant amount for the Seagulls as the season has progressed.

These are exciting times for the Bay and whether sections of their fan base agree with the decision to move or not is now irrelevant, and they should embrace some exciting upcoming derby matches and look forward to following players that live a lot closer to home.

The arrival of Mark Orme as assistant manager is another massive statement from the club. He is a vastly experienced coach at both youth and senior level who knows all sections of the pyramid inside-out which is sure to help with recruitment during the summer.

It is going to be incredibly interesting to see everything unfold at the Bay in the coming weeks, and with Tier 2 North being more competitive than ever it is going to take a huge effort from anyone wishing to claim the title and promotion to the JD Welsh Premier League.

They are going to be there to be shot at, and how they react is going to have a huge impact on their overall fortunes.