SOUTHGATE Colts U16s last week played their last two home games of not only this season but, of the boys’ youth football lives.

A journey that has lasted nine years for two of the boys, Liam Schofield and Jared Burns and roughly eight years for Charlie Paul, Josh Mayne and the recently departed Lewis Halliday.

With manager Geoff Burns giving all the boys game time in these last few games, it is not surprising that their recent good form fell away losing 0-3 to cup runners-up YMCA All Saints and 0-4 to league runners-up Elburton Villa. Southgate finished fifth in the league.

Maintaining a sizeable squad of 17 boys up to U16 level and being a successful unit winning trophies along the way, shows that Southgate’s ethos of providing football for all can be enjoyable and successful for everyone involved no matter what the ability.

Geoff, and assistant manager David Reardon, would like to thank all of the boys, past and present, for their effort and commitment over the years and wish those well who want to go on and play ‘the beautiful game’ in men’s football.