Charfield Football Club are a club that certainly appear to be heading in the right direction.

The club’s first team and reserves have been clocking up the wins in the Stroud League, they are banging in the goals and there’s a feelgood factor both on and off the pitch.

The aims for the club are quite simple this season – promotion from Division One of the Stroud League back to the Northern Senior League for the flagship team and promotion from Division Four for the reserves.

The reserves won the Division Five title last season – their first championship for some 50 years – thanks to a fine end-of-season run and have certainly kicked on again this time around.

And even though both teams enjoyed success last season – the first team reached the County Junior Cup final – they are both under new management in 2018/19.

Phil Miles has returned to the club from Dursley Town to take on the job of player/manager of the 1st XI – a role he has done in the past – and Adam Spires has taken on a similar role with the reserves.

Spires has succeeded Cullem Glynn who is concentrating on playing this season.

So what has been the catalyst for the club’s success so far this season?

“We had a very, very good closed season,” said club secretary Jeremy Lewis. “We played 10 matches and lost just once – that was the first game.

“We were determined to have a good pre-season and we’ve continued that form, we’ve not looked back.

“We’ve got two very young teams – the average age is 24. We’ve got 50 players signed on and they are all from Charfield and the surrounding area.”

So who are the players who have been leading the charge for Charfield this season?

“Archie Bennett is a good goalscorer for the first team,” said Lewis. “He’s very quick, a very athletic number 10.

“George Hemmings is the captain and a very important player for us in midfield.

“And Phil Miles makes it all happen from centre-half.”

And what about for the reserves?

“They are driven by Adam Spires who plays in midfield,” continued Lewis. “Adam Smith is a very, very fast right or left winger and Tom Cullem is a good centre-half and gets a lot of goals.”

And while things are rosy on the pitch, they are equally decent off the field as well.

“The facilities are very good,” added Lewis. “We play on the memorial playing fields in Charfield and we’ve got proper dugouts. The pitch is level and is fenced off.

“We cut the grass and maintain the pitch ourselves. Adam Powell, who is an ex-player, is our groundsman.

“When clubs come to Charfield we want them to think, ‘This is a proper game of football, this is a step up from parks football’.”

The club were formed way back in 1894 and have a proud history, a history that saw them playing in the Northern Senior League some 10 years ago.

Craig Halliday was very much involved when the club last played at the higher level and he typifies so much that is good about the club off the field.

“He’s been with the club for 30 years solid,” said Lewis. “He played for the club towards the end of his career and was the manager before becoming chairman.

“We’ve got a very strong committee and they are all voluntary. They are the people who do the pitch marking, the kit washing, sell raffle tickets and work behind the bar.

“The committee, the volunteers, the supporters and the players are the strength of the club.”

And Lewis is certainly one of the main men at the club off the pitch.

Originally from the Forest of Dean he was a full-back back in the day for Ruardean before moving into football administration with the same club.

Now 57, he’s been secretary at Charfield for some 15 years and says: “It’s my hobby.”

Clearly it’s something he enjoys doing and there’s every chance he could be enjoying it even more come the end of the season.