Framlingham manager Mel Aldis has admitted he would love his team to get promotion this season – but ‘it wouldn’t be the end of the world’ if they didn’t.

The Castlemen are enjoying a terrific campaign in Thurlow One in their second season at this level.

Their home-grown, talented team, are doing all the right things on the pitch and they are now serious contenders not just to go up to Step 5, but maybe even to win the championship this season.

For Aldis and all at Badingham Road, these are exciting times, with the team currently third behind Whitton and Woodbridge in the title chase – the top three go up.

“I think it’s fair to say it looks like three of the top four to go up,” Aldis said (the other team being Swaffham).

“I fancy Woodbridge to win it, they have such a strong squad. It would be great to go up, of course, but we have made great strides in the last few seasons, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if we didn’t.

“We finished seventh last season and that gave us the chance to be in the FA Cup, which we were – and with it all the publicity the club gained because of that.

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“I said we at least wanted to finish top seven again this season to get into the Cup again. I think we will do that.”

Framlingham are just the latest in a long list of local clubs who have made the step up the non-league pyramid in recent years. It’s refreshing for all fans of the game at grassroots level, as teams look to improve their facilities as well as come up against better sides.

“It was a good move on many levels for us to go up,” Aldis said.

“Apart from the fact it’s great to have floodlight games against different opposition, I think we would have lost many of our young players who are clearly good enough to play at Step 6 and higher.

“The Club is in good hands, there is a real buzz around the place. People want to help on the committee, it’s terrific.”

Framlingham host Norwich United Reserves this weekend at Badingham Road, Aldis hoping Suffolk clubs keep shining in Thurlow One.

“At the moment we could have Whitton, Woodbridge and ourselves all getting promoted.

“How good would that be for Suffolk non-league?”