‘Minimum aim is top six’ – Clanfield aiming high in the Hampshire Premier League after their pre-season started last November!

Rather than an influx of new signings in the summer months - as is the norm at a lot of grassroots clubs - boss Lee Blakely welcomed a host of new faces mid-season.

An incoming exodus of players from Moneyfields Reserves certainly had an impact. After winning just two and losing 11 of their opening 17 Premier Division fixtures, plunging them into a relegation battle, Clanfield won seven and lost just four of their last 13.

Two of their defeats were against long-time title challengers Denmead and Moneys, while they also handed eventual champions Colden Common a 4-1 beating at Westleigh Park.

Olly Long and Dan Penfold – two of their former Moneys contingent – struck 21 league goals between them in those 13 matches as Clanfield finished 10th out of 16.

‘This is the best pre-season I’ve known at the club,’ said Blakely.

‘Instead of looking to rebuild, we already had 90 per cent of the players at the club.

‘In a way, our pre-season started in the middle of last season. That was when we were trying different formations, trying players in different areas.

‘The ambition now is to take that next step - the club is growing faster than I thought it would, on and off the pitch.’

Clanfield finished third and second in the first two Hampshire Premier League seasons after the league was formed in 2007. Since then, though, they have never finished higher than fifth (2012/13).

Blakely believes everything is now in place to try and repeat those earlier performances.

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‘I’m 100 per cent happy with what I’ve got,’ he said. ‘I’ve been impressed with the players’ attitude and their fitness - Rob Fleming (fitness coach) has done a good job.

‘I don’t think we’ve built the squad we have done just to make up the numbers. We’re looking to push on to the next level - minimum really (for 2022/23) is top six in the league.’

Only right-back Joe Crowe has left from last season’s regular squad, after recently becoming a father.

New in are goalkeeper Joe Hunt - formerly of Locks Heath and Moneys - left wing-back Tom O’Neill and centre half Nathan Birch.

O’Neill has returned to league football after spending a few years concentrating on his England international beach football career, while Birch has relocated from the north east to work in Portsmouth.

Hunt will vie for the keeper’s jersey with last season’s regular shot-stopper, Ash Wright.

Clanfield are unbeaten in pre-season, including a fine 2-1 success over two divisions higher Baffins last weekend - striker Adam Smalley (who struck 11 times in 21 league games in 2021/22) netting twice.

Their first HPL game of the new season is at newly-promoted QK Southampton on August 6. A busy first month also includes two midweek games at Westleigh Park, against champions Colden Common and Hayling.