Newly promoted Isthmian League South Central side Hanworth Villa are determined to keep their boots on the ground after a phenomenal unbeaten campaign last season, as they prepare for life at Step Four of the English football system.

Based in West London, Villa finished last season with the best record in the FA pyramid as they sailed to promotion from the Combined Counties Premier North league, winning 30 out of 34 matches played and losing zero.

The club got off to a steady start playing at the highest level they’ve ever reached in the club’s history, with a 1-1 draw away at Uxbridge on Saturday.

And the Villains will be striving to bounce off last year’s success and maintain their momentum going into the upcoming campaign.

However, despite the side’s incredible record of late, club secretary Dave Brown has insisted the club won’t be living in a pipe dream.

“We’re coming into the big boys league,” Brown said. “I’m under no illusions, and neither is the manager or the players.”

“We’re not going unbeaten, we’re not daft enough to think that. We’ve done it once, even Arsenal couldn’t do that [go unbeaten in two successive seasons]!

“We’re realistic, the manager’s realistic. We’re going to suffer defeats along the way.

“And that’s not to say that because there are 20 teams, we want to finish two places from the bottom. We don’t want to do that.

“We want to be in the top half, because if you achieve top half, you’ve then got an outside chance of playoffs.”

While recognising that the next ten months will be far from plain sailing for Hanworth, Brown was also keen to express his excitement at the prospect of this new challenge.

He added: “We’re performing in a league where you’ve got, in our terms, giants of clubs, like Leatherhead and Merstham - clubs who have been up much, much higher in the football system than we ever have.

“I think it’s just fantastic that we’re going to be playing teams like that on a level basis, in terms of being in the same league.”

Rising through the leagues and climbing up the football pyramid has always appeared to be the prevailing ambition for non-league clubs, with there a stark correlation between promotion and club growth.

However, it is important to recognise that promotion can also pose an array of challenges that can strain clubs, often forcing them to invest in expansion despite a lack of funds.

To try and combat club-wide strain for non-league sides, the Isthmian League is in partnership with Pitching In, who this summer launched their Volunteer Hub which encourages football fans to undertake roles at their local clubs.

And Brown was sure to point out the utmost value of volunteers at Rectory Meadow.

He said: “You talk to any non-league club, and they’ll tell you they’re the lifeblood.

“Without them, the kit doesn’t get washed, the pitch doesn’t get cut, the changing rooms don’t get cleaned, the bar doesn’t get stocked and the beer doesn’t get sold!

“Having been promoted, there’s a lot more to do – to add to the club and improve. So the more work you’ve got to do off the field, the more people you need.

“Fortunately, a large number of the volunteers are happy to come over almost five days a week to do things.

“We recognise the higher you go, the more work is involved, and we’ve got to step up to that.

“While the team’s got to improve, we’ve got to improve off the field as well, and at the moment I think we’re just about there. But time will tell.”

Ladbrokes, with the support of its owner Entain, has launched a multi-million-pound investment programme, Pitching In, designed to support and promote grassroots sports. For more details see: https://entaingroup.com/sustainability/pitching-in/