Bradley Stoke, Winterbourne are GFA’s Summer Super League sizzlers

BRADLEY Stoke Town and Winterbourne United carried off the prizes as the curtain came down on another entertaining and exciting Gloucestershire FA Summer Super League season.

Bristol Premier Combination competitors Winterbourne overcame Jamaica Bell 2-0 in the Secondary Trophy showdown, while the GFA’s Oaklands Park 3G facility also provided the stage for District Leaguers Bradley Stoke Town to overcome brave Bell’s Downs League compatriots Clifton St Vincents 2-1 in another closely-fought final, this time in the main Championship Cup competition.

The two games brought to a close a third eventful summer for the popular tournament in which group and knock-out 11-a-side matches, each lasting an hour and involving 13 teams at the start, took place fortnightly at Gloucestershire FA’s county headquarters.

Bradley Stoke boss Jon Welsh, whose jubilant team clinched the Championship crown thanks to Craig Potter’s strike and a last-gasp Sam Young winner, enthused: “The GFA Summer League has been a good competition for us as since its inauguration our first team have won it twice.

“Handily the competition has allowed the football club to integrate it as part of a pre-season training plan and as such the club have now entered our reserve team as well.

“The format gives teams four regular fixtures at a quality facility and with the provision of referees and assistants it means the organisation of games has been very easy.

“The tournament has allowed us to look at new players which in turn gave them the chance to build match fitness levels and managers opportunities to try out different formations, without the pressure of league games.”

Winterbourne, meantime, had goals from Sam Makepeace and Dave Herbert seeing them to their trophy success, prompting long-serving chairman Robyn Maggs to acknowledge: “This is a handy tournament especially as we can’t get our home pitch until September.

“In fact it was a bit like playing at home for us. We have a new manager in Ben Hopson who has brought a number of players to the club, so these games were ideal for them and our regulars to play together.”

With the Summer Super League over for another year, it’s all systems go now for the new GFA Super League series, which will run until March and takes place at Gloucester’s Oxstalls Sports Park on the first Saturday of each month and the GFA’s own Almondsbury centre on a fortnightly basis on Friday evenings.

For more information on these leagues, or to sign up head to our website! http://www.gloucestershirefa.com/news/2018/mar/28/gloucestershire-fa-super-league-series