FAN FILE | TOM SARSON – BISHOPS CLEEVE

We get the thoughts of the fans on the season just gone...

With the thrills and spills of the 2023/24 season now over, we have asked supporters from across our four divisions to share their thoughts on the campaign.

Thank you to everyone who has taken part...

NAME | Tom Sarson

CLUB | Bishops Cleeve – Pitching In Southern League Division One South

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN FOLLOWING YOUR CLUB AND HOW DID YOUR SUPPORT FIRST BEGIN? | I have been following Cleeve for just over two seasons now. I was introduced to the junior club (Cleeve Colts) when I moved to Cheltenham about four years ago and began coaching their current U10s team. I was invited down to an FA Cup qualifying game and began to take an interest. Cleeve progressed well in the qualifiers which got me hooked.

HOW MANY OF THIS SEASON’S GAMES WERE YOU ABLE TO ATTEND? | I have attended all home games and the majority of away games too.

WHICH OF YOUR TEAM’S PLAYERS HAVE MOST STOOD OUT FOR YOU OVER THE COURSE OF THE SEASON AND WHY? | Josh Nelmes has been an amazing addition to our squad this season. Really strengthening our defensive line and leading by example in his performances, he is very much a fan favourite at the club and an all-round nice guy. Other players that always stand out are Toby Holland, Will Turner and our captian, Ross Langworthy. The most impressive thing as a fan this season is seeing the young local talent coming through in Ed Scott and Noah Parker

WHICH GAME MOST STANDS OUT FROM THIS SEASON AND WHY? | I would have to say it would be the County Cup Final against Gloucester City. We were very much the underdogs heading into the game, but we dominated and even though we fell behind against the run of play, we showed the character and spirit to fight back and get 2-1 in front. Sadly, they equalised in stoppage time and went on to win on penalties, but it was just the way we acquitted ourselves and the buzz leading up to the game. The 4-0 away win at Cribbs comes a close second to this.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE AWAY GROUND TO VISIT AND WHY? | The Melksham Town ground was our favourite. It was a great little ground, amazing facilities and friendly fans… the burger wasn’t bad either!

HOW DID THE SEASON COMPARE TO YOUR HOPES DURING THE SUMMER? | This season has been a roller-coaster of emotions. I try not to set expectations at the start of the season as I have learnt that supporting any football team can crush your hopes at any time. We had a positive pre-season and a lot of new, exciting players arrived at the club, the likes of Ben McLean, James Sunley, Will Taylar and Jay Malshanskyj so because of this, expectations started to grow.

Personally, I think we had a strong season but you always look back at this stage and think of the games we should have performed better in, or if we had just nicked a late goal or not conceded late on, where would we have been? We had a poor festive period, only winning one game in five, which made it hard. However, we recovered well and did dream of the play-offs but we just couldn’t get it over the line.

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