HAIL the King of the Suffolk and Ipswich League.

Micky Squirrell can rightly lay claim to that title after managing Grundisburgh along with Kevin Cunningham to the Senior Division championship.

When the 46-year-old and his players collect the trophy and medals at tomorrow’s final game of the season at Ipswich Athletic it will be Squirrell’s 10th Senior Division winning medal – the last three as a manager!

This amazing achievement includes eight titles with Grundisburgh along with two for Whitton United.

“Grundisburgh have won the SIL nine times now,” said Squirrell. “I have been involved in eight of them, missing out in 1994 when I was playing for Whitton.”

So what is the secret of the success of the village club that unlike most of their other successes saw them come up on the rails after a disappointing start to the season?

Squirrell puts it down to the back room staff.

He said: “People talk about the winning mentality that is inbred into Grundisburgh, and that has been apparent through a number of managers from Jimmy Fitzgerald, Keith Vince, Steve Potts to my partnership with Kevin.

“New teams have been built and many players brought in, with the stranglehold that we appear to have based on the strong battalion of people we have behind the scenes.”

Squirrell names chairman Jon Trenter, who succeeded the late John Leggett, secretary Jill Juby, former secretary Mac Harris, treasurer Jenny Tampin and president Bert Gundrill as special Grundisburgh people.

“Mac is still coming up with words of wisdom,” said Squirrell.

His team lost just one of their last 20 games, and beat Stanton last Saturday to clinch the title before tomorrow’s game.

“We just could not afford to lose during the winter and spring,” added Squirrell, who was a player under Potts’ management when Grundisburgh won the treble in 1998 and is staying on with Cunningham next season.

Unbeaten in the league since October, Leiston St Margarets became Division One champions after Wickham Market’s 2-1 defeat at third placed Ipswich Exiles last weekend.

Henley Athletic clinched the Division Two championship with a 4-2 win at AFC Crowley with victory for Sporting ’87 at home to AFC Crowley tomorrow seeing them finish second. Any slip-up will see Bramford United or Benhall St Mary overtake them.

Bildeston Rangers won 3-0 at Sproughton Sports in the top-of-the-table Division Three clash to go top on goal difference from their opponents.

Tomorrow Bildeston visit St Clements Hospital with Sproughton entertaining Tattingstone.

Willis will be relegated if they do not beat Woolverstone tomorrow.

AFC Brickmakers have been confirmed as Division Four champions while in Division Five the third promotion place will be settled tomorrow when Felixstowe Harpers entertain neighbours Trimley Red Devils reserves.

Victory for the home side will see them promoted, while any other result will see their visitors go up.

A win at Shotley tomorrow will see Sproughton reserves overtake Cedars Park reserves and win Division Six. The third promotion place will go to either Sproughton or FC Adhara with the latter going up if they beat Halesworth reserves.