Andy Davis has taken over as manager of Kings Football Club ahead of the new Cheltenham Football League season which gets under way in the first week in September.

Davis, a former player who has plenty of experience, has taken over from Aaron Howe who remains very much part of a club that will again run two Saturday teams.

The flagship team will be playing in the top flight of the Cheltenham League while the reserves will play in Division Three and there is certainly no shortage of ambition at a club who play their home games at Dowty Staverton.

“The aim is to move forward and keep ourselves in Division One,” said club vice-president Ben Hill. “We want to be successful at that level.”

Hill added it was a “building situation” for the 2nd team this season as the club have brought in a number of new players.

And those fresh recruits are joining a club with a proud history.

The club were founded as Kings School Old Boys in 1955 by David Open and Peter Whitmore, two ex-pupils of King’s School in Gloucester, and initially the club played in the North Gloucestershire League.

In 1961 they moved to the Cheltenham Football League and 13 years later they won the league’s Minor Charities Cup, defeating Northleach 4-1 in the final.

They enjoyed another excellent run in the competition in 1978 but this time had to settle for the runners-up medals after losing 3-2 in the final to Rowanfield United. That game was played at the old Telehoist ground which is now the site of the Bentley showrooms.

In the early 80s the club changed their name to Kings FC as representatives from the school had dwindled as a result of the school’s switch over to rugby.

However David Williams, an ex-King’s pupil and one of the founder players, was now teaching at Churchdown School and with his contacts was able to recruit new players.

And one of those recruits turned out to be a pretty special player – Guy Whittingham – a striker who went on to enjoy a stellar career with Portsmoth and Aston Villa among a good many other clubs.

Whittingham played for the club in the early 80s and the recruitment drive also allowed the club to field another team in the Cheltenham League. And there was quality as well as quantity because in 1984 the club reached the final of the Minor County Cup which saw their 2nd team just lose out to Chequers United.

The club have enjoyed more cup success this century, winning the Cheltenham League’s Senior Charities Cup in 2010 after finishing runners-up the previous year.

The club, who train on Thursdays at Dowty Staverton (6.30pm), will be hoping for more success in the various cup competitions this season and while winning is obviously important, Ben Hill is keen to stress that a good social atmosphere is also a top priority.

The club meet at the Old Elm Inn in Churchdown for post-match drinks – the pub sponsors the club – and are still on the lookout for new players.

Any players interested should contact Andy Davis on 07766 503879 or email the club at kingsfc1955@gmail.com.