For Peter Jackson, manager of their opponents tomorrow Lincon City, it also represents something of a new start as he continues to win the battle against his own personal handicap, throat cancer.

Happily, Jackson, the former Huddersfield Town boss, is - in his own words - feeling fit and strong and ready to take on the football world again, or at least League Two after being given the all-clear to return to work.

It was back on February 23 when the Imps went to Millmoor that Jackson was preparing to start treatment having been diagnosed some weeks earlier.

In fact, that was his last away game as manager and tomorrow's is his next one!

The treatment has paid off and his specialist said he'd be fit to return at the end of August.

But 'Jacko' regarded himself as fit enough not to wait until then and so he is back in the hot-seat right from the start of a new season.

"I'm feeling great," he said. "But I've been through a really bad experience. It's been really tough and felt quite ill at one time but I've pulled through and I'm looking forward to the season and raring to go."

He will need monthly checks for the next five years and he goes for voice coaching every week but, although croaky, he has been in typically ebullient form in the season's build-up.

His players can expect some motivational words from the boss who took Huddersfield to promotion from this level in 2004.

Confirmation of the transfer of Chesterfield's central defender Janos Kovacs this week for a tribunal-set fee of £17,500 was Jackson's sixth signing of the summer.

He has also taken experienced defender Frank Sinclair, Stefan Oakes from Wycombe and the lively front man, Kevin Gall, from Carlisle on a six-month loan. Also in is former Owls reserve keeper Rob Burch.

For Mark Robins and his Rotherham United squad, the long haul is a deal longer than all but a couple of others who also start with a points deduction.

"It's tough, but as far as I'm concerned we are where we are. We have to get stuck into the task and make sure we come out on the right side," said Robins.

"We have been waiting for a decision from someone else and now our destiny is in our own hands."

Rotherham have had five pre-season games at Don Valley Stadium, winning two, drawing one and losing two.

"We wanted as many games as we could there so that we could give our players the most number of opportunities to get used to everything connected with playing there," said Robins.

"It's not Millmoor, that's gone now, in the past, and this is our home now.

"The surrounds are much different but I feel we have settled in quite well already.

"If we have to scrap and battle then that's what we'll do and if we keep fit then I think we have a decent squad who can give us a decent chance of overturning this handicap and staying up."

Millers: Preview for the season, including ins and outs and squad numbers. Don't miss Saturday's Green'Un newspaper

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