Steve Cleal started a new job in July and if he does as good a job there as he has as manager of Bishop’s Cleeve his new employers at Indesign Media in Bristol will be very pleased.

Cleal is preparing for his fourth season as manager of Cleeve and is looking to maintain the progress that has been made in the previous three in the Southern League Division One South and West.

And good progress there has been since those early days when Cleeve were at the bottom of the pile.

“The first year was very difficult,” admitted Cleal. “There were a lot of dark times. We’d go into games and I’d be thinking if we got a 3-0 defeat I’d be happy.”

These days things are very different, so much so that Cleal is targeting a top 10 finish in 2017/18.

“That’s the ambition,” said Cleal, who also has an eye on the league restructure that will take place at the end of the season.

“If we finish in the top 10 this season then the reorganisation could mean that we’ll be pushing for a top six place the following year and a place in the plays-offs for the Premier Division.”

Not that it will be easy, of course.

“Everyone’s expectations have gone up,” said Cleal, “and we’re no longer a surprise package. Some teams turned up just expecting to roll us over but we were beating them because we’d improved.

“Teams know what to expect from us now.”

The relegation from the Premier Division of Cinderford Town and Cirencester Town has also added another exciting ingredient to the league mix this season.

“It’s going to be very interesting,” he said. “because there’s going to be so many derby games. There’s ourselves, Cirencester, Cinderford, Shortwood and Slimbridge all in the same division and Evesham United are only just over the county border.

“It will be mad but I’m really looking forward to the challenge.”