In-form Hardwicke are piling up the wins in Division Two of the Northern Senior League.

Their 6-0 win at bottom-of-the-table Mitcheldean on Saturday was their 12^th in 15 league games – they’ve drawn the other three – and they hold a one point advantage over second-placed Smiths Barometrics.

“We’re having a bit of resurgence,” said club secretary Phil Barnes, a former player who has been involved with the club for many years.

Indeed they are because Hardwicke have suffered back-to-back relegations over the past couple of seasons.

They were in the County League just a couple of campaigns ago and the aim is to return to that level as soon as possible.

That’s a little way off yet, of course, but Barnes believes that player/manager Jack Twyman can lead the club to better times.

“This is his first season back with the club, he was player/manager before,” said Barnes. “He’s made a big difference, he’s flexible in the way he thinks.

“He’s not afraid to mix things up, he sets us up depending on who we’re playing and who is available.

“He’s played for Slimbridge in the Premier Division of the Hellenic League but he’s Hardwicke through and through.”

Twyman is primarily a central midfielder but he has been playing in central defence, a defence that has conceded just 10 goals in the league this season.

“He’s responsible for that, both as a player and as a manager, he’s got us organised,” continued Barnes.

They’ve also scored 26 goals in their last five league games and Barnes added: “The goals are starting to flow, we weren’t scoring so many at the start of the season but we are now.”

Alex Stratford has grabbed 13 and is leading the way but the goals have been shared around.

“Alex doesn’t play every week because he is at university,” said Barnes. “He’s come through our youth system so he is a good news story.

“Jack Hill and Fin Hopkins have both been chipping in with goals too.”

Hardwicke travel to Painswick for their final game of the year on Saturday and Barnes is already looking ahead to 2026 with optimism.

“There’s a real good vibe around the club,” he said. “It’s reminiscent of what it was like 20 years ago.

“I measure it by how busy the club is after games. One of the great things at the club at the moment is that former players like Paul Carter, Ed Rimmer and Rob Hine are now coaching our juniors.”

Like Barnes, they have all seen the good times and the not-so-good times at Hardwicke.

The club won Division One West of the Hellenic League in 2008/09 but when they withdrew from the Hellenic League because they were unable to sustain playing at that level, their reserves, who were playing in the Stroud League, became their flagship team.

The club regrouped and were back in the County League by 2015/16 where they enjoyed an unbroken eight-year spell before dropping back into the Northern Senior League.

Last season’s relegation was another disappointment but Barnes said: “Hopefully we’ve weathered that and now we’re going again, promotion is the aim this season, it’s got to be.

“The Northern Senior League is a good standard. It’s not as physical as the County League or Division One of the Stroud League but the football is a bit better.”