It’s often said that timing is everything and certainly for Louis Jordan it has been a case of right time, right place.

The 25-year-old stopped playing football some six years ago – “I fell out of love with the game,” he admitted – but at the start of last year he got himself fit, joined Smiths Athletic for pre-season training and is now within touching distance of a place in a County Cup final.

His new team, Cheltenham League Division Three side Smiths Athletic Reserves, host North Nibley, who are top of Stroud League Division Five, in a Gloucestershire Minor Cup semi-final tomorrow, and for Jordan it has been a remarkable turnaround.

Well-known Cheltenham football man John Overton, who these days just happens to be Jordan’s line manager at The Local Answer, suggested he started playing football again and it all went from there.

At the start of last year he had ballooned up to more than 17 stone but since then he’s worked hard and shed more than two stone.

“I’m a thick set lad, I’ve got big legs,” laughed the central defender. “I played for Cheltenham Saracens from under-13s through to under-16s and played a couple of years of adult football before I stopped.”

His return has certainly been good news for Smiths 2nd team manager Chris Dimmock because he has been a key player at the back pretty much all season.

“I’ve played in every game I’ve been available, I’m pretty comfortable with both feet,” Jordan said.

Dimmock took charge of Smiths soon after the start the season – “We had a poor start to the season,” said Jordan – and has seen the club climb to ninth in Division Three.

Their league form doesn’t match that of North Nibley, who have won 14 of their 16 games, but that doesn’t worry Jordan who said: “I don’t know how you can compare the two divisions that we play in. North Nibley, so I hear, are quite good but it’s all about Saturday.”

And tomorrow will provide a new first for Smiths in the County Cup this season because it is the first time they have had a home tie in the competition.

“We’ve been on the road all the way through so it’s good to have a home tie,” said Jordan. “We’ve been to the Forest, Painswick, Chipping Campden way and Tewkesbury.”

At least the third-round tie at Tewkesbury Town Reserves, which Smiths won 5-2, wasn’t too much of a trip for Smiths because the club play their home games at Tewkesbury School these days.

Tomorrow’s game will be particularly special for Smiths’ right wing-back Ben Locke because his family helped to found the club many years ago.

Meanwhile, Cheltenham League Division Four side Cheltenham United travel to Blakeney Reserves for a Primary County Cup semi-final.

Tomorrow’s County Cup semi-finals

Junior Cup: Randwick v Tetbury T; Kings Stanley v Hardwicke Res.

Intermediate Cup: Ramblers v Upton St Leonards Res; Fratellos v Whitecroft Res.

Minor Cup: Charfield Res v Poulton; Smiths Ath Res v North Nibley.

Primary Cup: Tuffley 5ths v Chesterton; Blakeney Res v Cheltenham Utd.

Tomorrow’s Cheltenham League fixtures

Division 1

Bishops Cleeve FC A v Fintan

Dowty Dynamos v Tewkesbury Town

Kings FC v Newton

Southside Star FC v Hanley Swan

Upton Town v Andoversford

Division 2

Bredon Reserves v AFC Renegades

Gala Wilton Reserves v Charlton Rovers Reserves

Prestbury Rovers v Brockworth Albion Res

Shurdington Rovers Res v St Pauls United

Division 3

Andoversford Reserves v Malvern Vale FC

Cheltenham Civil Service Thirds v Windyridge Rovers

Falcons Reserves v Dowty Dynamos Res

Prestbury Rovers Reserves v Kings FC Reserves

Tewkesbury Town Reserves v Southside Star FC Res

Welland Reserves v Gala Wilton Thirds

Division 4

Tewkesbury Athletic v Winchcombe Town Res

Bishops Cleeve FC Development v Cheltenham Saracens Res

Malvern Cave FC v Woodmancote United

Pittville United Reserves v Charlton Rovers Thirds

Andoversford Thirds v Kempsey Corinthians FC