The London Scottish Under-16s squad were celebrating over the weekend as on Sunday they clinched their third successive championship and gained promotion to Division 1 of the Herts-Middlesex Leagues.

A 38-0 win over Bishop’s Stortford sealed their promotion and ensured that an unbeaten run stretching back to November 2007 was maintained.

Coaches Euan Ferguson and John McPate have built the squad from scratch. When this age-group were at Under 12s level they had a distinct shortage of players: now, four years later, the Under 16s have a squad of over 50 to select from, and an additional coach in Les Neal. They have started an U16s development team to ensure that as many players as possible got a chance on the pitch.

Ferguson was delighted with the progress of the boys: “It is a fantastic achievement by the entire squad. We have been delighted with the progress shown by the team, and it is impossible to pick out any one individual as all of the members have shown dedication and commitment to help us reach this level.

“What is most pleasing for us is how the team has gelled. We have players drawn from a wide range of schools in the area, mostly from state schools which is quite unusual for teams in this region, and we’re proud of this mix.

“I’m really looking forward to working with this team next year when they make the step up to Division 1 of the Under 17s league. Despite our success, we are still a work in progress. It will be a tough division, so our main aim will be to make sure we maintain our Division 1 status, and then build on our current success.”

Congratulations go to all involved from everyone at London Scottish FC.