Phil Coleman has been associated with the Cirencester Football League for well over 40 years and he’s still going strong.

He’s been chairman for the past six years and has served on the management committee for the past three decades.

“I’ve been involved with the league since the 1970s when I was playing in it,” he said with some pride.

The soon-to-be 64-year-old who lives in Cirencester – he is a former Deer Park School pupil – first started playing for The Beeches and went on to have spells with The Herd and Bibury before finishing up with Stratton United where he also served as club treasurer and secretary.

Coleman was always a goalkeeper back in the day and his son Daniel took over from him when he stopped playing for Stratton United.

“After I played for The Herd in the Cirencester League, I helped to form The Beeches with Mick Ricketts and the late Barry Curtis,” said Coleman.

“This turned out to be a family affair as my late dad Ron was manager/trainer and my late older brother Dave and younger brother Mark both played for the club.

“I stopped playing at 40 after 23 years and I took a referees’ course.

“I reffed in the Cirencester League for four years before going back to play for Stratton United Reserves,” adding with a laugh: “That was a mistake!

“The brain thought I could still do it but the body couldn’t. The ball was in the back of the net before I’d started to dive!”

He played for Stratton United Reserves for a couple of seasons but once he retired again – this time for good – he took up the referee’s whistle again.

He also served as vice-chairman of the Cirencester League before becoming chairman and said: “I’ve always played football in the Cirencester League, I want to give something back to the league I played in.”

And fortunately Coleman, an assistant site manager at Stroud High School, wants to continue to serve the league he loves for a good while longer yet.

The new season will get under way on the first Saturday in September – 10 teams compete in the league – with Fratellos defending the title they won last time out.

Fratellos, along with Chesterton, who will play in the Stroud League this season, enjoyed County Cup success last season and Coleman said: “That was great for the league. The standard of football in the Cirencester League is good.”