ROGER Bassett is confident King's Stanley are on course for a return to Gloucestershire Northern Senior League prominence - some 14 years after their last appearance in the competition, writes Simon Parkinson.

The club’s loyal 73-year-old chairman, who arrived as a player in 1960 and never looked back or, for that matter, strayed elsewhere, is spearheading the drive to lift the Marling Close outfit out of the Stroud and District League One at the third time of asking following two straight top-five finishes.

The Bluebells  had been well-renowned and respected members of the Gloucestershire County League since joining up in 2003, until a dramatic decision was taken a game into their 2015-16 programme to pull them out of the league.

That out-of-blue move was sparked by fears amongst club chiefs about their competitive capabilities on the back of manager Sam Prior’s departure for a new life in the Hellenic League with Brimscombe & Thrupp, and issues over player availability and commitment.

The swift change of scene involved King's Stanley’s ailing first team taking the place of their own Stroud One second XI compatriots, disbanding that reserve section in the throes and operating with the single side, although they did reintroduce a second team last term and to potent effect too, as Carl Phelps’ men clinched promotion to Division Five.

Stanley’s senior set-up, meantime, have also proved a force to contend with in the Stroud League’s top tier, finishing runners-up and fifth respectively in the two seasons following their County League demise under the spirited young leadership of fledgling player-managers Ben Newman and Steve Wakefield.

Bassett explained: “In the first two summers since we came out of the County League we struggled to attract new managers to the club. Ben initially took over in very difficult circumstances, it goes without saying, and had we got off to a better start than we did that (2015-16) season we might well have ended up promoted to his enormous credit.

“Ben had been sidelined with a cruciate knee ligament injury so couldn’t play anyway, but he was still brave enough to take up the management position with no one else available.

“He did really well but with family commitments to consider he simply couldn’t take it on into the next season, when again we had advertised long and hard for a new man to take it on to no avail. That is why Steve Wakefield, another player of ours, stepped in at the last minute, just as Ben had done a few months prior, to become manager and only in his early 20s too.

“Steve was given firm support by the committee so he wasn’t left to his own devices and he did a great job to get us up to fifth last season after another shaky start.”

Far from content with their present status, King's Stanley have finally landed an established manager in 34-year-old Shane Tanner, who had overseen an impressive period of success with Division One rivals Stroud United before making his recent switch to their near neighbours.

“We want to get back into the Northern Senior League and that is where Shane wants to manage, so the fit was perfect,” Bassett insisted.

“It just needs that extra push that an established manager can provide and I believe it’s Shane’s intention to carry on playing too should he see fit.

“He really wants this job; he’s not been press-ganged into it and he wants to get the club up. His reputation in the local game is good and we wanted to give him a chance here.

“Whether we’d ever be in a position to try for the County League again, who knows? It depends on the thoughts and aspirations of the committee in charge at the time, I suppose.”

Bassett added with a grin: “We’re at least blessed with a good-sized and dedicated committee now, if not an ageing one!

“Two of us – Andrew Roseblade and me - have served more than 50 years with the club and been awarded our FA Long Service Awards on the strength of it.

“And Roger Cochrane is in his 47th year as treasurer and loves to tell us he goes back to pre-decimalisation days!”

Former Stroud Harriers skipper Tanner said of his King's Stanley call: “I am very excited. The club has a long and proud history of playing good football at a competitive level.

“The current squad and facilities offer the potential for both immediate and future success and I, like the committee, aim to guide the club back to where it belongs.”

Stanley start the season at Tetbury Town on Saturday.