With 2009 fast approaching, it now seems like the ideal opportunity to take stock of how the club has fared on the pitch during the current year and delve into statistics that are not readily available through the auspices of League tables or result grids.

Somewhat surprisingly, as the figures below show, each of the club's three sides have played a very similar number of games, which is remarkable given the disparate nature of the competitions that the three teams enter.  All the figures include cup games as well as League games and the points total refers to cup games too, with three points awarded for a win and one for a draw.  Primarily because it seems to make sense but, also, to ensure that the third's Management Team remain non-suicidal, the Minor Charity Cup match against Apperley & Tewkesbury Dynamos, that was conceded on penalties just before Christmas, has been recorded as a draw for the purpose of these stats.

First things first, then, and the First team will have to be pleased, you would have thought, with a return from 2008 that shows that they played 30 games - that is, a whole Northern Senior League season - and recorded 41 points from those games. 

1sts	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
0708	15	6	3	6	27	22	21
0809	15	6	2	7	26	31	17
	30	12	5	13	53	53	41

This is 7 more than the final total recorded against the team for the 2007-08 season and must, therefore, represent an ongoing improvement in the team's fortunes.  It is also pleasing that, following a difficult introduction into life at Northern Senior League Division One level, in which goals were conceded aplenty and from which the goal difference never fully recovered last season, the side has made obvious improvements during 2008, with the net result being a zero goal difference over the course of the year as a whole.  The fortunes of the side are obviously on the up and everyone who has played a part with the first team during 2008 should be very pleased with the contribution they have made.

Meanwhile, the yearly figures for the Reserves and the third team just serve to emphasise still further how unfortunate the club was not to acquire any additional silver ware during the course of what was, undoubtedly, an excellent year.

2nds	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
0708	15	11	2	2	48	19	35
0809	14	11	0	3	48	20	33
	29	22	2	5	96	39	68

As can be seen from the figures above, the Reserves have been a model of consistency over the course of a year in which they have firmly established themselves as one of the best sides in Cheltenham League Division Two.  Both at the back and up front, the figures are remarkably similar for the two halves of the year, with the side scoring nearly two and a half goals for every goal conceded both this season so far and for the latter part of the previous campaign.  Of the five games that have been lost, two of those were against the side that is currently sitting on top of Division One and, given the success in the higher tier of the only two sides that finished above the Reserves in the second division last season, there is every reason to believe that they would have more than held their own had they been elevated at the end of 2007-08.  It can only be hoped that they get their rewards this time round.

The third team's record is just as noteworthy and emphasises just how unlucky they have been not to have reaped any tangible success from the huge improvement that they have shown on the pitch

3rds	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
0708	17	11	4	2	41	19	37
0809	123	7	6	0	43	19	26
	30	18	10	2	84	38	64

To only lose two games out of 30 in a calendar year demonstrates what an excellent team the thirds have become.  Unfortunately, the two defeats - both to FC Barometrics Reserves - robbed the team of the rewards that they deserved. One came in the Minor Charity Cup Semi Final and the other in the League game a week later that condemned the team to third place in Division Five last season when a win would have seen them promoted. 

Finally, the stats for the whole club for the whole year appear below and serve to reinforce the impression that Star FC is in pretty good health

 

Club	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1st	30	12	5	13	53	53	41
2nds	29	22	2	5	96	39	68
3rds	30	18	10	2	84	38	64
All	89	52	17	20	233	130	173