COPPLESTONE United is a youth football club which has grown very fast in recent years.

Operating six different teams in two leagues, with players from Under 7's to Under 11's, has been a huge challenge in organisation which has seen the formation of a club committee and a growing link with Exeter City FC.

The Under 7's and Under 8's squads are trained by Ben Spiers of Exeter City Football in the Community and play in the Mid Devon Youth League.

Stephen Watkins, Under 9's manager, regularly reports on promising youngsters to Exeter City as part of the Youth League Liaison team.

The 2012/13 season saw Copplestone enter a team into the Under 10's section of the Exeter and District Youth League.

This proved very successful and the team won promotion to Division One in the current Under 11's section.

This season saw a second Under 11's and Under 10's (current Mid Devon Cup holders) and an Under 9's team join them and the step up in quality of opposition and frequency of matches has not fazed them with the boys from Mid Devon playing attractive football and winning many plaudits.

This, in turn, has seen a number of players being invited to train regularly with Exeter City, Plymouth Argyle and Arsenal football clubs.

The club is not just about on field results though. Copplestone United are incredibly proud to be an inclusive club, membership and participation is available to everyone irrespective of experience and ability.

This ethos has developed a family feel on match days which makes the club welcoming and inviting. All of this has won much praise from representatives of other clubs, leagues and the Devon FA.

All of this, of course, would be impossible without the support of club sponsors. It costs more than £5,000 a year to run the club. It is club policy to keep membership fees as low as possible.

The club would like to thank ASAP Waste Management, Bow Control Panel Services, APS Surfacing, A T Electrics, Kigbeare Studios and Gallery, NISA Stores (Copplestone) and all the volunteers who work so hard to ensure that this village football club can continue to flourish.

Any boys and girls wishing to join the club are welcome to contact Stephen Watkins on 07763 542 474 for details.

The support of any prospective sponsors is also welcome and they can contact Stephen on the above telephone number.