It’s already been quite some season for Jordan Hutchinson and it looks sure to get even better.

The 25-year-old is in his first season as chairman of Painswick Football Club and has certainly played his part on and off the pitch as their flagship team have swept pretty much all before them in Division Two of the Stroud League.

In fact, Hutchinson, who this season is playing left-back, has been playing his part for the club for the best part of a decade and is now just a couple of games short of a very special landmark – 200 league appearances for the club.

“I’ve been with the club since they reformed the adult side 10 years ago,” said Hutchinson. “Myself and goalkeeper Josh Fowler are the only two players still here from the start. Josh is only a couple of games away from 200 as well.”

And they’ve been part of a real success story in recent times because last season’s unbeaten Division Three champions are chasing another title – and with it their fourth successive promotion – this time around.

They’ve won nine and drawn two of their 11 league games so far – they’re the only unbeaten team across the six-division league – and unsurprisingly they are top of the table.

Saturday’s 3-0 win at Hardwicke Reserves means they are two points clear of Sharpness Reserves and three ahead of Tuffley Rovers 3rds, and they’ve played fewer games than both.

“We’re trying to take it one game at a time but we’re quietly confident,” said Hutchinson, who was instrumental in bringing manager Carl Williams to the club, a move that helped spark the dramatic upturn in their fortunes.

“In the earlier years we were always concerned with how many we could score but in the last 20 or 30 games we’ve been focusing on not conceding goals. I’m so happy when we have a clean sheet!”

This season Painswick are playing their home games at Gloucester All Blues Rugby Club, a move that has worked well. They’re away on Saturday and it will be another big test because they travel to closest rivals Sharpness Reserves.

But they will go there in the knowledge that they beat them 5-0 in the league in October, so confidence around the club is understandably high.

“We’ve got a very young squad, if we can keep everyone together, who knows how far we can go?” said Hutchinson.

The club’s 2^nd and 3^rd teams, who play in divisions five and six of the Stroud League, play their home games at Painswick Recreation Ground but Hutchinson confirmed the plan was for all three teams to play at Gloucester All Blues.