Norstar C crowned Division Three champions
Norstar C celebrated being crowned Division Three champions on Sunday – and so without having to kick a ball after L’Equipe lost their final game of the season to Loughton Orient.
Manager Zack Gothelf said: “We’re obviously delighted to be champions. You play football to win games and trophies and we’ve done that and it’s an achievement we’re all extremely proud of and we’ll always have the medals to look at.”
Believing his side deserved the title, he said: “I felt we were the best side in the division. We played the best football in the league and played as a team. We have a great squad, we’re not relying on one or two big players to pull us through and that’s been to our benefit.
“We had a stunning home record, brilliant defence, were threatening going forward and passed the ball around our opponents, both home and away. We had the complete package this season and so yes, we did deserve to win the league, I think people will struggle to say we didn’t.”
Admitting it wasn’t easy to sit back and have to watch L’Equipe play out their last games, hoping for a slip-up, he said: “We were frustrated that we didn’t win the league ourselves, we had the chance against Catford and blew it, which left us feeling slightly sour at the prospect of only securing promotion given the position we had got to. It was tough to sit there and wait for L’Equipe’s results to filter through and to be fair I thought their momentum would push them over the line and with the top goalscorer in the League, are always dangerous.”
And looking ahead to next season in Division Two, he said: “It will be a real test, we know that and we’re ready for the challenge. We managed to keep five clean sheets and only conceded 2 or more goals on 4 occasions all season, and that will stand us in great stead. If we can be as solid at the back as we have been this season, then who knows how high up that table we can get? The most important thing next season is to cement ourselves in the division, which, despite the test, we will achieve.”
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