A lot has happened since the Covid crisis struck more than six months ago to say the least.

The world as we knew it changed, changed utterly, as coronavirus gripped the globe.

Lives were threatened with hundreds of thousands of deaths a sober reminder of what we have lost. Society has struggled to cope with the 'new normal' and new infections seem more prevalent than ever.

Only this week the government announced tighter restrictions after a summer in which many hoped would return us to the life we knew prior to this awful pandemic.

The PM's new guidelines issued on Wednesday, meant hopes were dashed of an increase in socialising, for fear of spreading the infection - meaning more time spent with older loved ones curtailed as incremental summer gains in returning to a life we once knew were wiped out in an instant – and the desire for spectators to return to stadiums put on hold once again.

While Premier League supremo Richard Masters bemoaned a £700m shortfall in matchday revenues - at non-league level people missed the simple communion of watching their local side with friends and acquaintances.

As an aside, it was instructive to learn Masters' lamenting the fact fans are still not permitted as the new top flight season thunders into view came a poor second to financial concerns. Such are the money-obsessed top flight mandarins.

Yet, Hitchin Town – which can trace its antecedents to 1865, while its forebears took part in the first ever FA Cup competition in 1871 – has suffered more than most during the pandemic.

With matchday revenues non-existent since the spring, this homely club with a big heart, wonderful supporters, staff and volunteers, faced a double whammy with the realisation the Canaries would be faced with a huge bill for refurbishments and ground improvements.

The Canaries are never one to chirp about their problems and this proud old club simply did what a progressive community-based organisation does in the second decade of the 21st century: They took to social media and told the world to back them with hard cash.

Easier said than done you would think. Yet, faced with an initial target of £25k, they raced to that figure in a matter of days – prompting Hitchin to double the target. Prior to kick-off the total stood at an incredible £41k.

The response from the football community was immediate with the club making national headlines and appearing on BBC5Live to help spread the word.

It was heartening to watch the wider Hitchin community also rise to the challenge, with young and old heeding the call.

From five-year-old Teddy Donnelly set to become the Canaries very own 'Captain Tom' after the keen youngster asked to walk 25 laps of Top Field to help fundraise, to the family of a much-missed club stalwart donating £5k to the cause in honour of their late father, it was stirring to see so many give so much to aid the cause of Hitchin.

With funds already banked work has started in earnest on upgrading the ground. In a sign of the times the club has also put in the hours to make Top Field 'Covid-secure'.

And so it came to Thursday evening – the Canaries first match back in 185 days.

Dyed-in-the-wool Hitchin supporters and officials mucked in.

Busy club hand Kate Deller was the definition of perpetual motion as she buzzed around helping fans prior to kick-off, confiding "it's been busy but enjoyable" to Nub News, between resolving Covid-related issues before the game.

Chris Newbold was busy too. Manning the printer which spewed a regular flow of teamsheets in Canaries Corner, the yellow and green clad glorified portacabin acting as the heartbeat of the club's operations during matches. "It's great to be back' he said with the merest hint of a cautious smile.

Club stalwart and secretary Roy Izzard – who has seen more Hitchin Town matches than anyone on the planet having missed a mere scattering since first watching his beloved Canaries in the early 1960s – was also glad to be back.

Roy offered: 'I'm pleased' – which for those who know Roy is high praise indeed.

Also pleased were the 200 fans in attendance at Top Field. The exact figure being the official attendance. A total which was testament to Roy and everyone at this wonderful club.

The result? It almost seemed immaterial on such a life-affirming evening.

Yet it was somehow fitting Mark Burke's boys coasted to an emphatic 5-0 victory over Harpenden Town on Thursday evening in north Herts – for it was just reward for everyone associated with this wonderful club.

Read Hitchin Nub News match report as the Canaries beat Harpenden 5-0

Read our PLAYER RATINGS to find out which players impressed after Hitchin eased past the Harps 5-0 on Thursday evening