MARCUS Bignot says anything is possible for his Guiseley side as they gear up to kick off their new season this weekend.

The Lions joint-manager says the mood in his camp is positive after a stable pre-season, adding with the club's debt cleared and new recruits added things are looking up for them.

Guiseley get their new Vanarama National League North campaign under way with the visit of new boys King's Lynn Town to Nethermoor on Saturday (3pm kick-off). This will be quickly followed by a local derby at Bradford (Park Avenue) on Tuesday night (7.45pm).

Bignot's side will be looking to improve on last season's league finish as they ended up fourth-from-bottom in the table, surviving by nine points after a late rally. They will also be looking to better last term's record of nine wins, 17 draws and 16 defeats in their 42 games.

It was been an encouraging pre-season campaign for Guiseley, including giving Championship side Leeds United a few scares in a narrow 2-1 defeat last month. They have also faced League Two opposition in Scunthorpe United. Their friendlies programme wrapped up with a 6-0 defeat of South Shields at Nethermoor last Saturday with summer signings Gabriel Johnson (4) and Aram Soleman (2) firing their side to the comfortable victory.

Guiseley have not only boosted their attacking options over the summer with the signing of Johnson, but also recruiting Lee Shaw from Chesterfield on a season-long loan.

Bignot said: "It's been a really happy and positive pre-season. Ultimately we will be judged on results in the league.

"Last season it was just as important what we did off the pitch, as well as on it.

"We want to continue on that path created during pre-season and continue that momentum.

"These boys keeping setting the standard and, if they continue, anything is possible.

"It has gone beyond my expectation in pre-season.

"If it's a school report it would say it is definitely going in the right direction. There is a lot of positivity in the place. We have cleared the debt.

"We have now got goals from a few areas of the pitch. The hardest thing in football is to put the ball in the back of the net."

Bignot expects a hard-fought league ahead over the next nine months with teams like York City, Brackley Town and Kidderminster Harriers strengthening, alongside new opposition in King's Lynn, Gloucester City and neighbours Gloucester City.

He said: "In all honesty I have not focused on what teams have been doing. My focus is on us first and foremost. A lot of clubs have gone into hybrid and full-time in this league. We are part-time.

"It's going to be a difficult league. We had a difficult pre-season against full-time teams to gage where we are at."