ONE down, 45 to go - but however well Newport County AFC subsequently perform in their first season back in the Football League, the atmosphere at Rodney Parade on Saturday August 3, 2013, will take some beating.
This was a day when it was impossible to ignore the past, but impossible too, not savour the present - a day when a new chapter in the history of the club began, and hopefully, given the tender years of a sizeable proportion of those present, a new generation of fans for the club was secured.
The sun beat down, befitting the festival atmosphere, and the sense of celebration and anticipation.
But ultimately, the hot conditions were more suitable for a cricket match, as witnessed by the mass intake of liquid pitchside midway through the first half, as a stricken Accrington Stanley player was attended to.
Talking of cricket, here's a measure of how things have changed, and changed again, since County last played league football.
In 1988, as the old County breathed its Football League last a mile or so away at Somerton Park, England were in possession of The Ashes, and a 120-year history of cricket at Rodney Parade was coming to a protracted and bitter end.
A little over a year later, Australia wrested back the urn and began a 16-year domination of international cricket's oldest contest, while the Rodney Parade square and outfield was subsequently transformed into Maindee primary school and a featureless car park.
England of course, have subsequently regained the ascendancy in The Ashes, though as County kicked off on Saturday, they were facing the prospect of an Aussie victory at Old Trafford.
Thoughts of other sports were set aside at 3pm however. The Bisley Stand and the North Terrace were a sea of Amber, while a large section of the Hazell Stand had been occupied by Hazell Terrace diehards who, finding their usual haunt closed, unanimously ignored the seats they had purchased, preferring to stand and chant fruitily through the 90 minutes.
Fans young and old among a 4,641-strong crowd perused the generously-paged County Are Back programme, which doubled as a potted history of the quarter of the century-long journey back into the Football League.
This tome sold out, though the helpful lady in the very busy shop after the match told those of us in search of one that a reprint is planned. Hurrah for that.
During the match, people regularly checked mobile phones for internet and Twitter updates of other matches.
It is worth pondering that 25 years ago, mass use of the internet was several years away, while mobile phones were not the rule but rather, the exception - the size of a housebrick and largely the preserve of businessmen.
On Saturday afternoon, they were the universal means of spreading good news.
On the way out, one woman could barely contain herself as she relayed news of County's triumph.
"...Absolutely brilliant. 4-1... yeah, 4-1! Fantastic! Have you cleaned out the barbecue? Lovely, see you later."
That raised a smile - but by then, we were all smiling. A brilliant day.
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