While there is still plenty to play for this season, Pittville United are already looking ahead to the 2019/20 campaign.

That’s because the Cheltenham League club, who play their home games at Newlands, will be celebrating their 10th anniversary.

“We used to be a youth team,” said chairman Simon Brown, who was one of the founder members of the adult club.

“Paul Tibbles ran the youth team and the adult team was set up by him, myself and John Overton.”

Brown, a defender who only finished playing last season, can remember those early days like it was yesterday.

“We started in Division Six and drew our first game 2-2 with Priors,” he said. “Then we won our next game against Charlton Rovers and we finished the season 10th out of 14.”

That wasn’t a bad effort and things soon got a lot better because they won promotion the following season.

“We won Division Five in 2013 so we do have a trophy,” laughed Brown

They’ve also reached a Charity Cup semi-final, losing out in the cruellest fashion on penalties.

These days the club run two teams – one in Division Two managed by Lawrence Martin and one in Division Four which is led by Joe O’Connell – and there is plenty of ambition at the FA Charter Standard club.

“We want to keep progressing,” said Brown, who started off as a player with Gas Green. “Ideally we want to get into the Northern Senior League, that’s a realistic aim.

“We want to grow. A lot of the clubs that were around when we started have gone, we want to keep going as long as we can.”

And it’s not just men’s football that the club want to grow.

“We’d like to set up a youth team and a ladies’ team,” continued Brown. “We want to involve as many people from the community as possible.”

That will require dedication and a lot of hard work, of course, and fortunately there are plenty of people at Pittville United ready to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in.

“Stu Innes is my vice-chairman,” added Brown, “Jamie Smallman is our treasurer and Richard Gwilt is our secretary. We’ve got a good team.”

It seems it’s all set up on and off the pitch for Pittville United as they prepare for their special season.