Step 7 football for Southam United, as club announces plans to grow

Southam United have announced plans for the further growth of the club and the development of Bobby Hancocks Park, writes David Hucker

Having already given more than 250 young members an opportunity to play in a safe, secure and nurturing environment, for next season the club will be running 20+ junior sides, both mixed and girls’ teams. They will be from new sides gaining their first experience of league football at U7s, right through to youth, many of whom will have started at the club’s mini-soccer school on a Sunday morning.

The men’s first team will be playing as part of the FA National League System at Step 7 in the Oxfordshire Senior League and there are plans to create a Development Team from the 2022/23 season, aiming to bridge the gap between junior and open age football.

In August, the club will again host a Summer Tournament for U6s-U11s, which is already over-subscribed and will also be running a number of holiday camps and courses during the summer alongside existing community initiatives going into local schools running PE lessons and after school clubs.

Subject to planning permission, the club’s junior sides will move to new high quality pitches, properly constructed and drained from the outset, which are being provided at no cost to the club and no teams will move off the existing pitches until the new ones are fully playable.

“Southam United is a community club, it’s great to see the hundreds of young players benefiting from the coaching of our volunteers” said chairman Charles Hill.

“We’re really proud of this contribution – something that sets us apart from many other clubs in the area” he added.

Saints' pre-season schedule sees Nuneaton Griff the visitors to Bobby Hancocks Park this weekend.

They then have three away matches at Atherstone Town (24th), Blackpool Wren (31st) and Stockton (August 6th) before completing their preparations at home to Woodford United on Wednesday 11th August.

Manager Richard Kay will be finalising an 18 player squad.