Kings Stanley Dragons were formed as recently as 2022 but they are a youth football club who are already making a big impression.

They were founded by Leigh Bown and Geoff Watson, their chairman and secretary respectively, and this is their third season.

“It’s a raving success,” Watson told The Local Answer. “We’ve got waiting lists for all our teams.”

The club currently runs teams at under-15, 13, 9, 8, 7 and 6 age groups and Watson continued: “We’re not going to infill between those age groups, we want to grow naturally.

“In five or six years’ time we should have teams for every age group from under-6 to under-16 and possibly beyond. We’re filling up from the bottom.”

The majority of their teams play at Marling Close playing field in Kings Stanley, which is also home to the adults’ football club in the village.

Kings Stanley Dragons have close links with Kings Stanley Football Club, whose flagship team play in Division Two of the Northern Senior League, but the two are separate entities.

“Every pound we take in membership fees from parents goes towards the children,” said Watson.

Their under-15s and under-9s play at Nympsfield and the club’s ambition is “to develop skills and proficiency in the game of football and related activities, and to teach the concepts of teamwork, commitment, accountability, sportsmanship, loyalty, honesty and pride”.

But while the football is obviously important, it’s not their only aim because they also want “to help build healthy bodies and minds”.

Kings Stanley Dragons’ older teams compete in the Severn Valley Youth League and their under-13s are currently top of Under-13A after winning their opening four games.

They host Tetbury Town Thunder in a league game on Saturday.