Pure joy! Banbury’s dream season was one they’ll never forget!

By James Reid

CHAMPAGNE MOMENT: Banbury United celebrate winning the Southern League Premier Central title in typically fine style

PICTURE: Garry Griffiths

THERE aren’t many times a team achieves over 100 points in a season and Banbury United know that they are living the dream.

The Puritans stormed to the Pitching In Southern Leaguee PremierDivision Central title with 102 points and weree namedas the SK Kits Team of the Year at the 2022 National Game Awards.

Andy Whing’s men won the league by 23 points to reach Step 2 for their first time in their history – and chairman Ronnie Johnson credits everyone on and off the pitch.

“I’m so proud to be here today to receive it,” said Johnson. “It’s been an incredible season. The accolade to Andy Whing, his management team and everyone involved in the club is just massive.

“It was a dream season.

There’s not many times you’ll get this in a season and we’re loving the idea that we’ve got out of Step 3 and the challenge of Step 2 is ahead.”

Despite working to a modest budget and zero expectancy from the fans, Whing’s men romped to the title, and Johnson praised strong recruitment and a relentlessness in the side.

“Coming off the back end of Covid, we seemed to come out hitting the ground running and we hit form very early on,” he said.

“A lot of the bigger clubs in the league, they seemed to struggle in the early stages and we were able to really get a bit of a lead.

“The recruitment was good and once the confidence was there it went from good to better.

“It came to Christmas and it was as if we were given an extra ten points – we won the games over the Christmas period and all the teams up there with us were losing. “We just carried on, the confidence was booming.

Andy Whing and his management team got the players playing very attacking and not giving many goals away either.

“Even when we won the league, we kept going, it was an absolutely fantastic season.” The Puritans will now make the step up to the National League North for the first time and Johnson is looking forward to mixing it with even bigger clubs. “The aim is to win every game – there’s a dream for you,” he joked.

“The target is certainly to stay in the league, we are going in there to do the best we can.

“We hope to retain most of the squad from last year and those guys did so well last year they deserve a chance. If they can get the confidence, I think they can do well.

“We feel confident but we’re not on the level of some of those clubs, quite simply, but we will go up there and give them a good challenge.”

ALL SMILES: Chairman Ronnie Johnson proudly holds the trophy