Framlingham Town boss Mel Aldis has admitted his team’s start to life in the Thurlow Nunn First Division, has been ‘beyond my wildest dreams’.

The Castlemen have already picked up 43 points from their opening 22 games in their new league, after moving up from the Suffolk & Ipswich League at the start of season.

They sit in fourth place in the table, with many of their players making the step up with ease.

Impressive stuff from the Badingham Road outfit – today they face second-placed Stowmarket Town at home in a tasty-looking fixture.

“I didn’t think we would get 43 points all season, let alone by the start of the new year,” Aldis said.

“It’s absolutely beyond my wildest dreams, but it’s just been fantastic.

“I don’t feel we are pulling up any trees, but we are making ourselves hard to beat and more importantly we are having fun.

“We go into every game feeling we can win and that will include Saturday, even though Stowmarket gave us a bit of a hammering at their place.”

Just one defeat in their last seven games and Framlingham, like their visitors from Greens Meadow, will badly want to take all the points this afternoon.

Stowmarket and Coggeshall lead the way in what is a refreshingly tough and competitive Division One this season – the introduction of new clubs Holland, Coggeshall, Framlingham and Wisbech St Mary, bringing much to make the division exciting.

“I think the standard of the division is the best it has been for many years,” Aldis added.

“I’m so glad we decided to make the move up. Not because the SIL wasn’t good, it was, but this has been a new and exciting challenge and Saturdays are just different now.

“And it’s great for our fans and our committee. The likes of Diss, Woodbridge and Stowmarket were always seen as ‘big clubs’ by many people here – and of course they are. But we are playing them at the same level now, which is nice.”

Danny Cunningham will be Stowmarket’s danger man today, the former Bury, Leiston and Sudbury schemer is hot property at this level.

“In Cunningham, Stowmarket have one of the best players in the division – saying that, they have a lot of decent players,” Aldis added.

Twitter: @Mike_Bacon