Balague: Cup final mirrored Biggleswade United's roller-coaster season

A final that saw us compete very well with everyone giving their all but once again, as we have seen so often this season, we came up short especially in front of goal. Defensively this season we have been the third best team in the league with 47 goals conceded, while up front we have been the fourth worst with just 57 scored, figures and statistics that effectively tell the story of our season

But any feelings of disappointment I may have – and believe me, I am disappointed because I would have loved it for EVERYONE at the club if we could have ended the campaign with a trophy – are more than surpassed by my undying feeling of gratitude for all the magnificent efforts of everyone involved at the club with the first team.

We are saying goodbye to Josue Lorca who is returning to Spain after a year with us as our first team fitness coach, as is under 23s manager Alfie Long who is swapping us for the US to take up a job opportunity in Miami.

On the playing side Simen Muller will be returning to his native Norway to resume his media duties - and incidentally if any of you still haven’t caught up yet with his Youtube diary on his sojourn at the club then I urge you to do so. Brilliant stuff!

Simen’s experience taught a lot of our younger players much in terms of finding space, making runs and movement around the pitch and we will miss him.

My heartfelt thanks goes to all of them for their unfailing efforts and commitment at all times. They should all know that I speak for everyone at the club when I say that wherever in the world this crazy circus that is football might take them, they will always have a home and the warmest of welcomes at Second Meadow.

But the world keeps on turning and we now have new people in mind for vacancies. There will be changes in and around the first team but nothing too radical, although what is most important is that we now make the right decisions to guarantee that we have a settled squad for our next campaign.

This Saturday our girls’ sides host a Round Robin format league tournament against Bedwell Youth, Langford Youth, and Flitwick Eagles starting at 10.30am. Our girls have been one of the Academy’s shining lights this season and it would be wonderful for them if you came along to support.