Testwood - United united by name and united by nature

That was the view of Testwood United chairman Euan Webster, who has stuck by his Tyro League club through thick and thin for fourteen years.

It's clear right from the outset that this statement holds true.

When I arrived to see the Under-11s in action against Hedge End C, there were already managers from other Testwood age groups there.

They didn't have teams playing, but had turned up simply to help put the goal nets up, and to support the club. There's dedication for you.

It is testament to the progress that this club has made over the past few years that they are on the verge of applying for the FA Charter.

That's one of the highest accolades about, and one that isn't handed out willy-nilly.

There are a number of criteria which must be met for the Charter to be awarded. I would say Testwood have as good a chance as anyone of achieving it, especially when you look at their disciplinary record.

It has been known for the club to play a whole season without picking up even one yellow or red card in all the age groups combined.

The board seem to know what they're doing too. As the nucleus of the committee has remained the same since the club's formation, so have their goals and aims: to give the boys a good standard of football, and to enable them to actually learn something from the game.

The club is very entrenched in the view that a successful side is a happy side, so place a lot of emphasis on team building among the players at every level.

One aspect of that team building is tours. Many of the teams regularly go on them, both at home and abroad, and the club has been represented in Belgium, France, Germany, Holland, Scotland and Spain over the years, as well as travelling the length and breadth of England.

Formed by a small committee in 1986, having broken away from Totton Rangers, Testwood United have gone from strength to strength over the last sixteen years.

Few teams have ever played below Tyro League Division 2 standard, and there have been trophy wins aplenty.

But the secret behind the success lies in consistency.

Many of the original founder members are still at the club, and it's said that once you get on the board at Testwood, it takes a hell of a lot to shift you. Take Webster for example. His Testwood experience started with an enthusiastic seven-year-old bringing home a flyer from school, appealing for players for a local football team.

"Dad, can I do this?"

And now, although that young boy is 21, and playing in the Jewson Wessex League, dad is still at the club, despite having no family ties to hold him to it. "I remember when they asked me to be club cecretary," Webster recalls. "I got a phone call from the then chairman inquiring as to whether I would be interested in the post.

"Back in those days, club secretary duties included sorting out all the fixtures as well, so I politely explained to him that I didn't really have the time to be fiddling around with fixtures every week.

"So he thanked me anyway, and I assumed that would be the end of the matter. But three weeks later, the phone rings again, and it's him again. 'Well, we've got a fixture secretary' he started! And I ended up being club secretary for ten years!"

As our attention switched back to the Hampshire Cup encounter unfolding in front of us, Webster was reminded of another tale from that famous trophy, one which has had Testwood's name on it three times down the years.

"About seven years ago one of the teams was drawn to play Aldershot away," he explained, "but the manager at the time could only gather seven players together."

Webster's response was to call Colin Andrews, the cup secretary, and ask if the match could be postponed. "You got seven players: you got a team," was the reply.

"But then you'll fine us for not having a full eleven," Webster protested.

"Yep," was the inevitable reply.

Webster continued: "So the team went to Aldershot and started the match, and after about half an hour they had done brilliantly and it was still 0-0.

"One of our players then cut his knee quite badly, with blood pouring out everywhere, and had to go off.

"The linesman flagged and pointed out to the ref that there were only six Testwood players and the match would have to be abandoned. So it was.

"Two weeks later, the team travelled back up to Aldershot with a full squad and promptly got stuffed 4-0! But that's football for you. That's why we love it."

It became clear to me from the way that the Testwood boys were stroking the ball about that they had received some evidently high-class training.

The club have always started their players young in order to give them a head-start when it came to competitive matches.

In fact, before the dawn of the Eastleigh & District Mini Soccer League, the youngsters would start at Under-8 level, only training and playing friendlies for two years until they were old enough for the Tyro.

And all the coaches, despite only being voluntary parents, went through skills courses to learn more than just the basics.

"All that was the doing of Fred Terry, the former chairman," explained predecessor Webster. "He always made sure the boys got a good grounding of football skills.

"Just about all the managers we have had in my time have been great. There was one whose son was in the squad, but who never played in a whole season.

"That lad would turn up every week just to support the team. It was a brave decision to make, never to pick his own son, but it showed the manager's commitment to the club."