The under-17 footballers at Longlevens AFC will be back for pre-season training in the next week or so and they will certainly be returning with a spring in their step.

That’s because they had a stunning campaign last time out, winning three trophies and finishing runners-up in two other competitions.

They completed the under-16 league and cup double in the Severn Valley League and also won the Cheltenham Youth League under-16 cup.

And they came so close to making it five trophies for the season as they were pipped on the final day of the campaign by Pershore Town for the Cheltenham Youth League title and were beaten finalists in the County Cup, losing 2-1 to Avon Athletic after a late goal.

“It was a fantastic effort from the boys over the course of a 52-game season, playing every possible round of all five competitions entered,” said Danny Herridge, who coaches the team with Neil Worrall.

“Our approach has always been front-foot, possession-based football, which we’ve been able to develop over a number of years with half of the current squad starting at Levens at under-8, several more joining at under-10, with a few additions since.

“It’s the first time we’ve reached the County Cup final and that is my highlight to date given the quality of football offered by both teams on the night. It was an excellent advert for grassroots football.”

Herridge is now very much looking forward to the new season.

He continued: “We’ll be competing in the Cheltenham Youth League Under-17 Division with several of the boys also making our under-18s squad for the midweek Cheltenham Floodlit League.

“Plus lots of debuts for our senior sides over the next year or two I’m sure.”

Squad: Lewis Alcock, Jayden Bee, Toby Boakes, Jacob Brooks, Harvey Brown, Alex Burrows, Kaya Demirok, Joe Dowdeswell, Todd Fieldhouse, Liam Herridge, Tom Humphris, Matt Jones, Joe Lewis, Jimmy Mitchell, Oskar Pigan, Ben Spencer, Callum Tye, Harrison Walsh, Josh Villiers, Jack Ward, Tom Worrall, Lewis Vye.