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The club is determined to change its circumstances on and off the field by also abandoning a youth movement in favour of the most mature team Miller has coached here, and to connect those players to the off-field personnel. Ball was surprised to learn that some members of the front office staff didn’t know many of the players. He brought them all together on the pitch at a recent practice and wants them on the same page all year, pulling in the same direction.

“There is a parallel between the culture of a team on the pitch to a team in the office,” he said.

Miller knows that his players and coaches can help Ball’s office staff by being more competitive. He has been building toward that goal for three years by turning over the roster save for three originals — Eddie Edward, Albert Watson and Daryl Fordyce — and demanding more from everyone in team colours.

“From Day 1 when I arrived to now, the football side of the club is unrecognizable. There has been added staff and the level of professionalism, I don’t want to be disrespectful to the previous coaching staff, but my standards are very high. Jay has already proven the bar is now raised on the office side as well. Because we need each other. We need to win games and that makes Jay’s job easier to sell tickets.”

Ball, who is aiming for 3,500 fans per game, is determined to give them what they want, a better in-stadium experience. He moved the rather infamous rowdies from Section 107 to their preferred spot behind the net. And he has the benefit of leveraging a massive new video screen to help create atmosphere.

Ball comes to the job with a real desire to tell and sell the team’s developing story to media, sponsors and fans. Miller, by coincidence or more likely by birthright, can also spin a wonderful yarn that makes him a fine spokesman for the on-field product. The pair looks like a good team within what they all hope is a better team right out of the gate this year.

dbarnes@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/jrnlbarnes