Off the field, the season began with the disappointment of not being able to field two U13 teams due to the lack of players. This coupled with the demise of the U12 team meant a strong squad of ~20 players but presented selection challenges which continued all year. Wiltshire FA placed the team in Division Red of the Mid Wilts Youth League.

The season started in mid-September in glorious sunshine at Northbrook with a convincing 5-0 win over Westbury in a friendly, thanks to a hat-trick from Jack and a brace from William D, in what turned out to be the only clean sheet until the very last game. The league started the following week with the Badgers coming from behind to record a 5-1 win over the Corsham Panthers thanks to goals from Bailey, Louis, Theo and Jack. 3 more consecutive home games followed, the first seeing Frome Town beaten 4-2 with 2 own goals and one each from William D and Jack. Next to visit West Lavington were Derry Hill where Jack, William D, Jenson and Reggie were all on target in an 11-goal thriller, the Badgers extinguishing the Blaze 7-4. The first away game followed with a trip to Bath to face Larkhall. The Falcons had their wings clipped in what was becoming a characteristic display of Badgers attacking power, winning 4-1 thanks to Jenson scoring in consecutive games, Theo with a rare right-foot strike and first goal of the season for Toby and first goal for the club for Freddie. Entering the half-term break the Badgers sat second in the table on goal difference from Chippenham having won 5 games in a row. A strong start.

With a break in the league and no cup competition, back-to-back friendlies against Melksham teams were next up. First up away were the Hurricanes, a team a division above. An early goal from William D was a promising start for a new 4-3-3 formation but the greater strength of the Hurricanes led them to score four before Jack grabbed a late consolation. A game closer than the scoreline suggested, it turned out to be the Badgers only defeat of the season. When the Typhoons came to West Lavington on the 1st November under skies as gloomy as the national mood, it proved to be one of the most competitive games of the season and the lowest scoring. Only Captain Oli with his first of the season scored in a 1-1 draw, a game in which 19 of the squad played. For the record, Melksham won the penalty shootout. Then came the lockdown. A 1-month break became 2 then 3….

When the season finally resumed in April, first up was the return fixture against the Blaze in the sunshine and snow at Derry Hill. The break had just made the squad raring to go and the highest victory of the season followed, a game as one sided as the scoreline suggested. The Blaze actually opened the scoring but retaining the 4-3-3 formation the Badgers scored the next 14 with Toby, William D, Louis, Freddie and Ashton all on the scoresheet, and Jack and Oli both scoring hat-tricks. The same formation was kept for the next away trip to Corsham where it was Louis’s turn to claim the match ball with a hat-trick in a 6-1 win that also saw Oli on target alongside candidates for goal of the season from Lewis and Bailey. Larkhall Eagles, top of the division above, proved much stiffer opposition in a friendly aimed at upping the tempo head of crucial league games. Goals from Jack, Louis and an own goal took the Badgers into a 3-2 lead, only to be pegged back to 3-3 late on.

May, as is always the way in football, was the business end of the season. Squeaky bum time: 4 games against table topping Chippenham Town and third placed Trowbridge Eagles in quick succession. Intensifying training focusing on tactics paid dividends on the pitch. First, title rivals Chippenham were subjected to their first defeat of the season in a bank-holiday wonder show at a sunny Stanley Park. The front 3 of William D, Jack, and Louis all scored along with a first of the season from Sonny, leading to a statement 4-2 victory despite a Maradonna-esque goal from the Melksham centre half running 70 yards from his own box. With the Badgers now top of the table and excitement and belief building, the ‘away’ game against the Eagles (actually played at a grey and windy Northbrook) led to the only dropped league points of the season. Falling 1-0 down just after half-time, 2 quick goals from Louis and Jack looked to have turned the game around only to be denied by a late Trowbridge equaliser. The return fixture at Northbrook came midweek 3 days latter and was again a tight affair. A surprise tactical switch to 3-4-3 seemed to have made a difference when Badgers went 2-1 up thanks to the first of the season from Teddy and a second from Jack. Back came the Eagles to equalise but this time the Badgers made no mistake and 2 goals in 3 minutes from Ashton and Jack sealed a 4-2 victory over the best all round league opposition of the season, setting up a mouth-watering winner takes all title decider against Chippenham.

In typical bank holiday weather of incessant driving rain at Northbrook, it was the Badgers who showed the greater desire and hunger, saving their best performance for when it mattered to wash away a talented Chippenham team 6-0 in a ruthless display of attacking football. In front of great, socially distanced, parental support roaring them on, Jack stole the show with 4 goals with Sonny and William D also on the scoresheet. And, just as satisfying for one coach at least – the first clean sheet in the league of the season at last! Cue well deserved delirium from the whole squad at the end of a game that few involved will forget. The 3-3 draw against a combined Melksham team the following week featuring another hat-trick from Jack, followed by a 5-4 penalty shoot out victory, was the icing on a very tasty cake. Every game played in a great spirit by all the teams. Trying from first minute to last, with some outstanding football providing tremendous entertainment. Youth football at its best. It had it all.

So ended a remarkable season. U13s Mid Wilts Division ‘Red’ Champions 20/21. Played 15, won 10, drawn 4, lost 1. Unbeaten in the league. 70 goals scored, 28 against. At an average of nearly 5 goals scored per game. 20 players featured, 14 of whom scored but all of whom contributed to the success: Oli, Jack, Eddie, Bailey, Theo, Sonny, William G, Ashton, Lewis, Toby, William D, Jenson, Teddy, Louis, Harvey, Freddie, Morgan, Jacob, Reggie and Murray – the ‘Invincibles. Heroes all. Roll on September to do it all over again. I for one cannot wait!