A FOURTH place finish in the highly competitive County League last season is no guarantee of success in the coming campaign, says Ellwood secretary Ian Edwards.

The village club is one of the most progressive in the Forest – a club always marked out as front-runners in youth football and a club with facilities to match the best on the local scene.

Edwards, in his ninth year as secretary, runs the under 16s set-up and is confident it will continue to feed a steady stream of young players into the system.

But such are the changing fortunes of clubs in local soccer he is not keen to forecast where Ellwood will finish up this season.

"We have retained 70 per cent of last season's squad and new manager Ian Ford, who was with Ross last season, has attracted some additional signings. It never pays to be over-confident and I will wait for a couple of games but I'm optimistic of a reasonable season," said Edwards.

Clark Barrow and Gary Wilden are among the senior players likely to guide a young Ellwood team in the early stages and a number of youngsters who played in the club's reserves team last season are expected to make an impression.

Rob Meek will manage the reserves – a team consisting mainly of young players aged under 20.

Off the field Ellwood are making progress with plans for a modern sports and social club which would include new changing facilities.

Chairman Rob Cole has been the guiding light behind the project which has now been on the blocks for five years.

"Rob has worked really hard to try and get it off the ground. You have to make progress and provide the best facilities possible and we are confident this will be achieved," said Edwards.

Unfortunately the club was turned down for Lottery funding but an application has now been made to the Football Foundation and Edwards says he is quietly confident progress will be made on a scheme which could cost as much as £100,000.

Meanwhile the success or otherwise of the effort put in during hours of training and friendly matches will be revealed with the visit of Pucklechurch to Ellwood on Saturday.

Ellwood play six of their eight opening matches at home - and by then Edwards should be able to predict their fortunes for the rest of the season.