'We are going up': Promotion for Helston Athletic Football Club

"We are delighted for the players, the fans and the local community," said Helston AFC Chairman Paul Hendy after the news was revealed this week of the club's promotion to The Toolstation Western League.

Subject to final FA council ratification and Western League application approval the club will be competing in a new division after the restructuring of The National League System (NLS), based on 19/20 & 20/21 league results.

The news came totally out of the blue for Paul and the rest of the team at the club, "I picked up on an email just after 4 o'clock and I didn't believe we would've been in second place as a result of the combined results but turns out we did," Paul said.

He continued:

"It has been a great last few days and something that we never expected to happen.

"We set ourselves out a strategy when Steve Massey came in, the disappointment of the 19/20 season being curtailed and it is a delight that we are being rewarded for our achievements. As much as we are delighted for the players and ourselves, the supporters and the local community have given us so much support so it is for them as much as it is for anyone else."

The club will be the most southerly step 5 club in the whole of England - something to be proud of in itself.

Helston have had experience playing teams in these leagues before, beating Odd Down in the FA Cup and playing Bridgewater coming away with a 1-1 draw.

Paul added.

"We know we are going to up our game, we will have to train hard and I know the lads will put the effort into finish as high up as we can.

"I will be disappointed if we just go up to survive because that is certainly not the reason we are going there, we are going to put Helston and West Cornwall on the map."

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