BANGOR City have made a huge statement in terms of their overall ambition the appointment of Craig Harrison as their new manager.

After a period of uncertainty following their relegation to the Huws Gray Alliance, Citizens’ supporters can be hugely encouraged by what the board have done to attempt to rectify their recent problems, and there is nobody currently operating within the Welsh pyramid with a better record of success than the former New Saints of Oswestry Town boss.

While his spell at Hartlepool United did not work out as expected, it was a chance worth taking from Harrison but the current state of the club behind the scenes made it very difficult from the outset.

This is arguably the biggest appointment any team in the second tier has ever made, and with a large budget reportedly available to mould the squad to his liking, it would be a brave man to predict anything other than a Bangor City title victory next term.

It will undoubtedly present some difficulties and there are sure to be plenty of changes to the playing staff following their demotion, but it is unlikely that Harrison has not come into the job without fully researching the ultra-competitive HGA that is going to be even more prestigious than ever next term.

Whether the likes of Matthew Hall, Dean Rittenberg, Brayden Shaw and Luke Wall will now remain at the club due to the high-profile appointment remains to be seen, but there will be plenty of heads’ that will have been turned by the news of Harrison’s appointment, and this will ensure they have a powerful squad heading into the next campaign.

Bringing in Les Davies is a huge morale boost for a supporter base that has gone through its fair share of distress in recent months, and the physical front man is going to be both a welcome and significant addition to the set-up in the coming months.

Harrison’s pedigree speaks for itself, and it also demonstrates the enormous ambition that still lies within the City boardroom despite the recent upheaval, which prevented the club from going full-time and giving TNS a real run for their money next time around.

While that notion may seem some way off now, getting back to the promised land will be the first big step and they have a well-respected figure at the helm who has fantastic connections within Welsh football that will also benefit the squad enormously.

It will be extremely interesting for everyone involved over the next 12 months, and the move is further proof of the strength and increasing draw of the HGA, which could have attendances surpassing WPL for the first time thanks to the introductions of Bangor and Prestatyn Town.

This is an exciting appointment and great for not only Bangor City and for the league as a whole, and it is going to be a very intriguing summer for a club that is looking to respond from a significant setback.