It’s going to be a busy few months for footballers in the Cheltenham League with matches coming thick and fast.

The wretched weather over the first half of the season has created a huge backlog of fixtures with some teams only being able to play a handful of games.

“I don’t think I’ve ever known it so bad,” said Ben Hill, the Cheltenham League results secretary and media interaction officer who has been involved in football for close on six decades – he first started playing for Kings in 1962.

“We were joking at the last league meeting that we’ll still be playing June! It won’t get to that but there will be a lot of games to play in April, it’s very difficult.”

It’s even more difficult for those teams still involved in the various County Cup competitions and Hill said that the league’s fixture secretary Ian Nelder-Morgan was working overtime to get matches played.

“We’re looking at switching some games to the all-weather pitches,” said Hill. “There are artificial pitches at All Saints, Tewkesbury School and Winchcombe School and there’s also the university’s artificial pitch at Plock Court.”

The Cheltenham League returns to action on Saturday 4th January with the first round of the Senior Charities Cup.


Senior Charities Cup first round draw

Apperley v Shurdington Rovers
Bishop’s Cleeve A v Kings FC
Brockworth Albion Reserves v Cheltenham Civil Service Res
Cheltenham United v Whaddon United
Dowty Dynamos v Andoversford Reserves
Hanley Swan First v Smiths Barometrics Athletic Reserves
FC Lakeside Reserves v Gala Wilton Reserves
Fintan First v Tewkesbury Athletic
Kempsey Corinthians FC v Falcons Reserves
Leckhampton Rovers v Pittville United First
Malvern Vale FC First v Tewkesbury Town First
Prestbury Rovers v Newton
St Paul’s United v AFC Renegades
Southside Star v Bredon Res
Welland Reserves v AFC Cheltenham
Windyridge Rovers v Woodmancote United