Whaddon United will be ready to go again in the Cheltenham Football League next season after a fabulous end to the last campaign.

The Division One play-off winners and Division One South champions added the Junior Charities Cup to their trophy haul when they overcame Cheltenham Civil Service Reserves 4-2 in the final at Kayte Lane and their manager Kev Taylor couldn’t be happier.

“We’ve had a good season,” he told The Local Answer. “We were the team to beat, we recruited well and we’ve got the right players.”

Two goals by Connor Barrowcliffe and one apiece for Lawrence Gorry and Elliott Sheerin earned them the win over Service, a win that came exactly a week after they’d beaten the same opponents 1-0 in the Division One play-off final.

Service had booked their place in the play-off final after dominating Division One North with 15 wins from 16 games. Whaddon’s form was just as impressive – 17 wins from 18 – but they were in a ding-dong battle with Fintan before taking the title on goal difference.

“Division One South was the much stronger of the two divisions,” insisted Taylor. “Fintan were the team to beat. I was so pleased to win it, it’s about having a reliable side, a bunch of lads who want to do it for the whole season.”

And although they’ve had a cracking finish to the season, Taylor admits that it has not always been easy.

“It’s been a bit stop-start because of all the Covid,” he said. “We were top of the table in the previous two seasons when the league got called off.

“Winning the league was the big one, it’s the only Cheltenham League trophy I hadn’t won as a player and manager.”

Whaddon had applied to join the Northern Senior League next season but were told that their application was submitted too late – Cheltenham Civil Service Reserves are set to play at the higher level in 2022/23 – but Taylor is not too concerned.

“There’s a new Premier Division in the Cheltenham League next season,” he said. “We’ll win that and then go up as champions. All the lads have enjoyed this season and they all want to stay at the club, I’m just looking to sign a couple of new lads.”

And it’s not only the flagship team who have done Whaddon proud this season because the club’s reserves won the County North Primary Cup with a 2-0 win over Relics.

“Wes Sharpe is taking over the reserves next season,” continued Taylor. “He will do a really good job for the reserves. Football is on the up at Whaddon.”

The Cheltenham League end-of-season presentation evening takes place at Cheltenham Cricket Club this Thursday at 7pm while the AGM will be at the Victory Club on Thursday 9^th June at 7pm.

Results
Cheltenham League, Senior Charities Cup final: Cheltenham Civil Service Reserves 1 – AFC Kempsey 2
Division One play-off final: Cheltenham Civil Service Reserves 0 – Whaddon United 1
Minor Charities Cup final: AFC Kempsey 3 – Winchcombe Town Reserves 1
Junior Charities Cup final: Whaddon United 4 – Cheltenham Civil Service Reserves 2

Other results
County Primary Cup North final: Relics 0 – Whaddon United Res 2
County Minor Cup North: Down Ampney 0 – Gloucester Ath 3
County Intermediate Cup North: Fratellos 6 – Charlton Rovers Res 3
County Junior Cup North: Wotton Rovers 5 – Cheltenham Civil Service Res 2
County Senior Cup North: Longlevens Res 2 – Dursley Town 2 (Longlevens win 5-3 on pens)