Jim Davis comes across as a really good bloke, one of those people who any club would benefit from having in their set-up.

Davis is only 25 but he’s secretary and joint manager of North Nibley Football Club who are flying high in Division Five of the Stroud League.

He also plays when required but admits that these days, even at his relatively tender years, he prefers managing to playing.

“If you’d asked me that a year ago I’d definitely have said playing,” he said, “but now I prefer managing. To be honest I’m struggling to get a game even though I’m available every week but I think I’m more effective off the field than on it now.”

Davis shares the management duties with another person in his mid-20s, Dan Knott, and he added: “It’s nice seeing the club evolve. It’s so satisfying seeing all the hard work of everyone come together and it’s the same for Dan.”

Davis and Knott took over as joint managers this season, replacing George Harper at the start of the current campaign.

And the club which dates back to the 1880s – they played in the same black and white colours that they do today – have certainly been on an upward curve since reforming in 2013 after folding two years earlier.

Harper was a big driver in re-establishing the club – his dad Frank and grandad Sidney both played for the club as did his great uncle Percy – and they are chasing their third promotion in six years after starting life back in Division Seven of the Stroud League.

The most recent promotion came at the end of last season and Davis says that a place in Division Four next season is very much part of the plan.

And if that is to happen Davis may have to get his boots on on occasion even though he says with a laugh: “If you said I’d got two left feet I’d take that as a compliment!”

Davis may be being a little modest there.

Originally a winger, he damaged his ACL a couple of years ago and that’s when he first got interested in the management side.

“I wanted to stay involved,” he explained. “After my injury I had to move back to full-back because of my pace and fitness.”

And he’s dropped further back than that as well.

“I’ve played in goal this season,” he admitted.

So how did it go?

“It’s the only game we’ve lost so far,” he said. “It was against Longlevens. Both our goalkeepers were unavailable and we were two down after five minutes and they were both my fault. We lost 4-3.”

When Davis spoke to The Local Answer, North Nibley had won seven of their eight league games but although the Longlevens setback was disappointing he does have happier memories of the club’s GFA Minor County Cup final win a couple of seasons ago when he was also in goal.

“We beat Siddington 5-4 at Tetbury,” he said. “It was 4-4 going into added time and it was a brilliant moment when Will Massey got the winner. I was very relieved that it didn’t go to penalties!”

And Davis also got on the scoresheet.

“It was an own goal,” he chuckled, “but at least I can say I scored in a cup final. It was from a corner and there was a bit of a goalmouth scramble. I got pushed but the referee wasn’t buying it.”

It’s very easy to see how much Davis loves all things North Nibley Football Club.

He only joined the club at the end of the 2014/15 season having not played since he was a youth footballer and a pupil at Katharine Lady Berkeley’s School.

The club play their home games at the Jubilee playing fields in the village – they also played at Nibley House and Waterly Bottom for many years – and they share their current home with the cricket club.

“The pavilion was built in 2010,” added Davis. “It was built by the playing fields committee who raised £70,000 and it’s used not just by the footballers and cricketers but all the villagers.”

And it’s a decent pavilion too because it boasts two large changing rooms, a changing room for matchday officials and a big kitchen.

The kitchen is used more by the cricketers than the footballers, who head to the Black Horse in the village for their post-match food, and the numbers making the short trip to the pub for a spot of post-match analysis could increase next season.

“There is a lot of talk about setting up a second team,” said Davis. “Since we reformed things have been going really well but it’s important that we get the structure right. Maybe it could happen next season.”

If it did happen it would obviously increase the playing opportunities for both Davis and Knott.

“We’ve got a big squad,” continued Davis. “We had 26 available for the first game of the season. It’s quite hard to pick just 14 because we usually have 16 or 17 available every week.”

Most of the club’s players went to Katharine Lady Berkeley’s – the core of the team live in North Nibley – and the club are competing with the likes of Charfield, Kingswood, Wotton Rovers and Wickwar for players.

So who are the players who have helped propel North Nibley to the top of Division Five this season?

“Will Massey,” said Davis, “he’s our midfield general. He’s an attacking central midfielder and last season he got nearly 40 goals.

“Other key players include Chris Field, Tommy Russell, Sam Piper, Nick McAfee and Rich Macnamara to name just a few.

“We’ve got a few stalwarts who have reached 100 caps since the club were reformed – Tommy Russell, who is also a central midfielder, Alex Hobbs, who is a left-back, and Rob Eden who is our captain and can play midfield or striker, and Nick McAfee.”

Tommy Russell’s great-grandad, Ralph, played for the club in the early 1900s and it is very much a family club because 16-year-old Jim Wilcox has started playing for North Nibley this season. His dad Brian also played for the club until recently and they both played up front together in an inter-club friendly in November.

North Nibley FC are clearly a vibrant club and Davis is keen to mention others who do so much good.

“George Harper is still involved,” he added. “And then there’s Andrew Hicks who is our chairman and treasurer. He lives in London but commutes back so that he can stay involved. He does a lot of work behind the scenes, he’s the real glue to the club.”