Slimbridge begin their eighth season in the Southern Football League on Saturday looking to improve on their last.

That’s the target for pretty much every club, of course, but in Slimbridge’s case that will certainly be no easy task, as last season was the highest finish in their 120-year history.

They finished 14th in the 19-strong Division One South and amassed 38 points from 11 wins and five draws.

But while that was pretty good going in a division that has some serious big-hitters, they are still very hopeful of doing better this time around.

And it’s easy to understand why there is such optimism because manager Tom Speers and his coaching team of Adam Coyle and Tom Deakin are looking forward to their first full campaign in charge.

They took over back in November, initially on an interim basis, when Lee Driver-Dickerson left to join Evesham United, and Slimbridge press officer Tim Blake has liked what he has seen.

“They’ve brought in different training techniques, our whole approach has changed,” said Blake, who has also been encouraged by the club’s summer acquisitions.

“We’ve brought in some good players,” he added. “Winger Joe Shutt and defenders Jacob Geddes and Zak Mitchell.

“We’ve also brought back striker Ethan Dunbar who came through our under-18 set-up. He went out on loan to Longlevens last season, he’s looking really impressive.”

And Blake says Dunbar is not the only player who is ready for the big kick-off to the 38-game league campaign.

“We’ve had a really good pre-season,” he continued. “We’ve beaten Weston-super-Mare and drawn with Yate.

“We’ve said that where we finished in the league last season is the starting point for this season. We only want to go higher from there.”

And even though there are some big clubs in the division – Totton, Frome, Larkhall, Bristol Manor Farm and Wimborne – Blake believes the club can push up into mid-table.

“Fundamentally, in our division there are three leagues,” he explained. “We’ve been at the top end of the bottom league but I would expect us to be in the middle or at the top end of the middle league this season.”

Slimbridge won 2-1 at Tuffley Rovers with two very late goals in the FA Cup extra-preliminary round on Saturday and begin their league campaign at home to Sholing on Saturday before heading to Cinderford Town on Tuesday.