The date is June 2024. After nearly a year of hard-fought wins and tenacious performances, what many saw as the ‘Golden Era’ of Trevs B team football had ended, with the team falling as short as they possibly could in their search for Div 3 promotion. After finishing outside the required top two spots by a single goal, a sense of deflation was palpable amongst the ranks. With a plethora of key players leaving the club in their pursuit of actual jobs, the future of Trevs B football – and the holy grail of promotion – looked dubious at best. In a league featuring some of the most Brexit-ball teams in living memory, any chance of promotion would require tactical and footballing perfection. Thomas Hill and Matt Brown had been outstanding in their contributions during that nail-biting 2023/24 season, but there was no doubt that the shoes of the stalwart Captain Max Frawley would be a challenge to fill. Yet, in the words of Manchester United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, mountains are there to be climbed. Donning their helmets and ropes, Trevs B set out for what would prove to be one hell of a journey. 

You couldn’t be blamed if you mistook Kai Whieldon [and] Ned Battersby for AC Milan’s Nesta and Maldini

-Zac Arney

The next twelve months would prove to be unparalleled in drama. Spectators would see goalkeepers subbed up front, midfielders in between the sticks and Seb Pavin becoming increasingly present on the team sheet. Yet, amid the chaos, there was a Liverpool-esque consistency in the manner with which Trevs B picked up points against tough opposition. Seven wins from their opening seven games prompted whispers of the improbable; previously difficult fixtures against the likes of Collingwood, Van Mildert and Stephenson were swept aside with ease. Harry Whittington showed shades of Thierry Henry as the team’s attacking focal point, and you couldn’t be blamed if you mistook Kai Whieldon’s partnership with Ned Battersby in defence for AC Milan’s Nesta and Maldini. With these familiar foes vanquished and the chance of promotion once again in sight, only fellow title contenders St John’s stood in the way of eternal glory. The game showcased the values underpinning Trevs’ success—hard work and determination. Both teams were desperate to leave their mark on a season-defining fixture that might prove to be critical in its significance. Trevs needed a hero, and boy, did they get one. John Hadden’s (quite literally) unrelenting stamina propelled him into the St John’s area with the clock ticking down, and his ruthless finish sealed a momentous 3-2 win to secure a place in the promised lands. The next game, Trevs followed victory with victory as they won the division. It’s hard to say if the promotion game or championship game felt better.

From the ashes of their goal-difference despair the previous year, Trevs had achieved the improbable and secured Div 2 football for the next term by winning their division. What awaits in this foreign territory is unknown, but one thing is for sure: Trevs B football will be packing a punch and out for blood. 

Image: Trevelyan College Football Club