LONGDOG SOLDIERS manager Matthew Morrison is hoping he can inspire others to follow in his footsteps and set up their own football clubs.

He started the Longdog Soldiers in the summer of 2015, when a group of boys decided that they wanted to play football for a team again as they had not been involved for a few years.

After a number of enquiries it was evident that no team would take on new recruits.

So a plan was hatched to start a brand new team starting in Basingstoke and District League Division Two.

Matthew said: "Knowing nothing about how to even begin, I asked a seasoned vet to help me in starting this up. Toby Pullen came to my aid, he calmed me down and helped me work out what was needed. His experience and willingness to sacrifice his time to help me was invaluable and with his help and guidance we started to take our first baby steps."

Matthew started the search for sponsorship and three firms came to his aid.

The first two were The Longdog Brewery, a local Basingstoke brewing company run by Phil and Lisa Robins on the Moniton Trading Estate and also Duncan Carter, landlord of The Soldiers Return in Upper Sherborne Road.

Matthew added: "They both believed in what we were trying to achieve and were excited by the opportunity and with these two fantastic sponsors we honoured them by naming the team after them and the Longdog Soldiers were born."

The club's final sponsors were Platform Smart, a technology, consulting and resourcing service based in Basing View. Without these three sponsors the team would have never existed. Matthew even had a local fruit and vegetable company, Coopers of Basingstoke, offer to give him free oranges for half time!

Funding in place, the team start looking at buying kit, training equipment and other things that were needed, joining the league and entering cup competitions. Finally they were then ready to play football.

Talking about their first season in the Basingstoke League, Matthew said: "We have not set the league on fire and we took some beatings to begin with but as the season progressed, so did we as a team.

"The players started understanding what was needed from them and they really began to believe in themselves and each other and this is what it is all about for me."

He added: "This has been a very rewarding journey and I highly recommend anyone else out there who has the time, patience and desire to help others to give this a go. As the team grows you get to watch friendships developing that will last a lifetime.

"There are many people already involved in the league that have been very supportive and very helpful. All I want is this little story to inspire someone else to take the initiative and to bring a group of people together through sport."

Anyone looking to set up a new team in Basingstoke Saturday League should contact Alan Spacagna on 0772 567 5289 and for the Sunday League Alan Blenkarn on (01256) 321076.