Sammy Moore cannot hide his excitement as a new era begins for Faversham.

Town’s mouthwatering new-look squad have started their pre-season campaign while work to install a 3G pitch at Salters Lane takes shape.

Boss Moore hopes that work will be completed early next month - if not before.

“We’re probably looking at the first week in August,” the 35-year-old said. “If they really get motoring, maybe, the last week in July.

“Just seeing the changes at the club is amazing. It will be a real community hub for the whole of Faversham. It will be busy 24-7.

“It’s the way forward. I’m excited to be part of it.

“I feel it’s a new era for the club with a new pitch and a new team.”

But competition for places will be fierce and Town’s summer signings will have to impress in their warm-up fixtures to ensure they’ll be in the starting line-up for their first Southern Counties East Premier Division game on Saturday, July 29.

Moore, who has seen defender Matt Parsons pick up a calf problem, said: “It’s exciting times to be a Faversham fan.

“It’s probably one of the most exciting squads I have put together in my management career.

“We have got a squad. You need a team to start and a squad to finish.

“On the 29th, you need to be knocking on my door, saying ‘I have played well and deserve to be in the team’.

“We have signed a few people from a couple of levels above and we have seen a bit of a change from what we had last year.

“I’m really excited to see this team flourish in the next six weeks. That will give them time to gel.”

Faversham started their list of friendlies with a goalless draw at Hythe on Tuesday.

“You can train as much as you want,” noted Moore.

“When you get into a game situation, you see training sessions are completely different to match situations.

“We’ll look at a couple of trialists and some young boys.”

They visit another ambitious outfit in Ben Smith’s Ramsgate side this Saturday.

Moore said: “They have signed some quality players on some good money. It’s going to be a tough game.

“It’s going to be competitive so, when we come to the 29th, we’re ready to go.

“The idea is we will not play as much quality in the league as we have in pre-season.”

That is followed by a trip to Ramsgate’s league rivals Burgess Hill - managed by Moore’s ex-Leyton Orient team-mate Dean Cox - on Tuesday.

Moore said: “I played with him at Leyton Orient, he’s a good friend. He has gone there from Lancing.

“Burgess Hill have signed really well and will be competitive in that league, and I wanted to be playing teams above us.”

Moore also commented on the arrival of new kit manager, Bradley Haywood, who has joined from Dover.

“This is a long-term project,” he noted. “This is why the management came to this club.

“The standards we have set are Football League standards. Just because we’re Step 5, we don’t need to drop below those standards.

“Brad has come in. He’s a Leyton Orient fan so he probably watched me play a few times!

“I know how well-liked he was at Dover.

“He gets to every game two hours before and wants to make sure the dressing room is the best.”

Draws for the first two rounds of the FA Cup and FA Vase will be published tomorrow and Moore added: “Obviously, that’s exciting.

“You need these draws to be kind to you, especially in the Vase.

“You want to do well in it.”