THE SOUTHGATE INN FC!

A TEAM packed with former and current Devizes Town players are set to play their opening game this weekend in the Chippenham and District Sunday Football League. Former stars such as Andy Coombs, David Lloyd and Bradley Newman will join current players such as Elliott Williams and Gary Campbell in a side known as The Southgate Inn FC. The side will all be on familiar stomping ground playing their Division Four home games at Nursteed Road. Former Devizes player and Southgate Inn secretary Julian Alexander, 39, who represented the club for eight years, said the team with an average age of 35 should be able to use their guile to good advantage. "A lot of the players have played for Devizes first team or their reserves at some point so we all have the experience from playing on the big pitch. "A few of us used to play in the Devizes Sunday League for Selectabook before it stopped and we used to win that. We are hoping to have a good season being in the lower division and we also hope to have a good cup run. "Some of the players are still playing for Devizes firsts or in the reserves now and I think a few of us are relying on them doing our running. "We will have a big squad of around 30 players but obviously people like Gary Campbell and Andy Coombs will only play when they are able to." The oldest player in the squad is 45-year-old Andy Davis who played for Devizes for seven years. The club is named after The Southgate Inn as it is a regular drinking hole for the players. The pub is also sponsoring the team and will no doubt hope their regulars bring in some silverware. "We all like our football but this is also for the social side," said Alexander. "We have all taken our football seriously in the past so it will be nice to do it for the social aspect and we should do well.