Award-winning Purnell Sports Youth are lapping up every moment of their meteoric rise, not least on the girls' front and they would love more prospective players and supporters to come and sample their progress.
Formed in 2008, following a move away from Paulton Rovers FC, Purnell Youth set off at a rate of knots, achieving Charter Standard status within their first year and capping it off with a Somerset FA Charter Standard Club of the Year award. Purnell skipped Development Club status in favour of trying to secure a Community Club distinction, one they duly achieved in becoming only one of eleven clubs in Somerset to gain the honour.
Small wonder, then, that Youth Section Secretary, Child Welfare Officer and Charter Standard Co-ordinator, Claire Burton, has been rushed off her feet. "We are all absolutely thrilled with our successes," she glowed. "As though those fabulous club awards weren't enough, I then received the most amazing personal accolade last year – an Outstanding Contribution to Community Football award – and went to the Palace to receive my medal from Prince William!
"This year, our Youth Committee, made up of players from all age groups, won an Empowering Youth Award at the county presentations at Somerset County Cricket Ground. We now have our very first Under-18 boys team, which means we have football for all from Under-7s right through to adults and I, for one, am very proud of our achievements and all the wonderful players we have."
Dean Hall's Purnell Girls Under-14s are an enthusiastic group of seventeen players who train on Wednesdays, 5.30–6.30 p.m., on the astropitch at Norton Hill and play their home fixtures at Purnell Sports Ground, in Paulton.
Meanwhile, the club's Under-16s are managed by Nick Doble. Training sessions and fixtures take place on Saturday mornings. The Under-14s train on a Wednesday evening.