“The smiles on the kids’ faces are all that matter.”

So says Stuart Evans, the chairman of the Cheltenham Youth Football League, as he looks ahead to the end-of-season cup finals weekend on Saturday and Sunday, 9^th and 10th May.

There is still a lot of football to be played before then, of course, but Evans, in common with so many, is certainly looking forward to the two-day spectacular.

“We are privileged to be able to play the games at Cheltenham Town Football Club,” he said. “As a league we try to put on a show.”

The league has been putting on a show for many years. It was formed way back in 1972 and this season boasts 68 clubs, the vast majority of whom field multiple teams across the age groups.

Evans, who is 48 and lives in Quedgeley, is in his second season as chairman of the league.

He is also the league’s referees’ appointments secretary and is a referee himself.

The one-time player for Sunday team The India House in Gloucester took up refereeing nine years ago, since when he has been a familiar face to teams in the Cheltenham Youth League.

He is a Level 5 referee which means he also takes charge of games in the Gloucestershire County League. He also runs the line in the Hellenic League.

“I referee or I’m an assistant referee at four games a week,” said the dad-of-three, who is married to Andrea.

His two sons both play – 21-year-old Jack is at Quedgeley Wanderers while Alfie, who is 13, is part of the junior set-up at Frampton, who play in the Severn Valley Youth League.

Evans gets a lot of enjoyment out of football and he’s certainly enjoying his roles with the Cheltenham Youth League.

“We’ve got a really strong committee, we’re always coming up with new ideas,” he said. “The introduction of the Under-18 Floodlit League was massive.

“We’ve got teams from Bishop’s Cleeve, Tuffley and Slimbridge taking part.

“We’re attracting teams from Hereford, Worcester and Cirencester all the way down to under-9s and under-10s, there are a lot of teams in the league.”

The league’s Under-18 Floodlit Cup Final takes place at Kayte Lane, home of Bishop’s Cleeve, on Thursday 7th May.