The long wait is all but over.

Come Saturday, the Shots will shoot — well, let’s hope so — again in the Football League.

Sixteen-and-a-half years after the demise of Aldershot FC, Aldershot Town FC will kick-off at 3pm, away to Accrington Stanley in League Two.

It is a dream come true to all Aldershot fans and the fact that Accrington are the opponents adds a touch of romance and resonance.

Here are two sides born from the embers of former namesakes who died along with their League status.

Aldershot, two years after Accrington, have now completed the long climb back to where their parent clubs once lived.

Hundreds of Aldershot fans will make the long climb north too and, amid all the euphoria of the Shots’ return, it’s easy to forget that there are three vital points at stake.

Aldershot made a fast start by winning away to Kidderminster Harriers in the Conference last season and scarcely looked back, so they and Gary Waddock know well the advantage of an opening-day victory.

Stanley are not expected to be among the frontrunners for promotion either and their record last season was especially poor at the Fraser Eagle Stadium, losing 15 times, which was the worst record in League Two.

Waddock, however, while confident in his own side’s ability, is cautious towards John Coleman’s Accrington, who finished 17th in League Two last season.

“Saturday is going to be a great day for us and the club,” said Waddock this week. “It’s a good time for everyone connected to the club and a big day. Everyone is on a high after last season’s promotion and now the return to the Football League.

“But I’m sure Accrington are looking at things the same way too. They will be looking to put their home form right after last season and in us, a new team to the league, I’m sure they believe they can make a good start too.”

Accrington have not enjoyed a good pre-season, however, losing 3-0 at home to Championship Burnley but also slipping up away, 2-1 to Barrow (new to the Conference) and 3-1 to Burscough (Conference North). As the News went to press, Stanley were about to take on an Everton Reserves XI in their last pre-season match and Coleman was expected to name a strong side, even with the match against Aldershot just three days away.

‘Accy’ — as they are known locally — do have a good recent record against the Shots, doing the double over them in their championship-winning campaign of 2005-06. Indeed, the Shots lost twice and drew once in their three Conference matches at Accrington before the Lancashire side’s promotion to the Football League.

Waddock welcomed a few of his injured players back to training this week and hopes to have a full squad to pick from tomorrow, bar centre back Dave Winfield, who needs an operation on an ankle injury.

Forwards Rob Elvins and Junior Mendes are back in full training and Rhys Day has begun some light work after a frustrating time on the sidelines.

“We have a full squad bar Dave but some of the guys have missed pre-season games. They are fit but not match fit,” said Waddock.

Two players likely to feature tomorrow who have trained this week are goalkeeper Nikki Bull and striker Marvin Morgan. Bull pulled out of last Saturday’s friendly win over Charlton Athletic Reserves at the last minute with a knee problem but Waddock confirmed that last season’s player-of-the-year has been in full training this week. Morgan has recovered from a virus.

Morgan is expected to start up front and make his Aldershot debut alongside last season’s leading goalscorer John Grant, who turns 27 tomorrow.

That would leave Danny Hylton on the bench, which would be tough on the teenager after an impressive pre-season.

Still, competition is what Waddock wants in his squad and one of last year’s heroes, Lewis Chalmers, for instance, looks set to be warming the bench too, with Scott Donnelly partnering Ben Harding in midfield.

Chalmers will surely only start if Waddock chooses to play a more narrow midfield and sacrifice one of Louie Soares or Kirk Hudson.

Injuries and a two-game suspension to left back Anthony Straker make the defence more easy to predict, with Anthony Charles set to play alongside three Aldershot debutants: Ben Starosta, Dean Howell and Chris Blackburn.

Waddock will stick to attacking beliefs and, indeed, by his own design, has little option but to do so, giving the attacking nature of the players at his disposal.

“We were successful with an attacking style last season and we won’t be changing,” said Waddock.

“To be honest it’s all about getting our own house in order and preparing properly, rather than worrying about the opposition. We can’t be affected by Accrington, for instance, until we play them, so it’s more a case of letting teams worry about us, if they want to, while we just get on with the same approach as last season.”

Accrington have struggled to attract decent crowds since their return to the Football League and the view among those few fans is that a tough season is in prospect. But Acrrington Cricket Club ended a 22-year wait for a trophy recently, so perhaps the town’s sport is on the up.

Still, money has been in very short supply for manager Coleman, although he has brought in experienced defender Colin Murdock from Shrewsbury Town over the summer.

Murdock, aged 33, has 34 caps for Northern Ireland to his name. Up front, teenager Jamie Clarke, on loan from neighbours Blackburn is an exciting prospect.

One of Stanley’s most experienced players is defender Robbie Williams. But it’s the Shots fans who will hopefully be singing — well, that is not in doubt — and winning co me Saturday.

Probable Aldershot line-up: Bull, Starosta, Howell, Blackburn, Charles, Harding, Soares, Donnelly, Grant, Morgan, Hudson.

Kick-off is at 3pm.