CLUB stalwart Mick Perrin thinks that Melksham Town’s Toolstation League Premier Division title win is the greatest achievement in the club’s history.

Current joint-president Perrin, who has also been secretary and chairman at the Conigre, was at Willand Rovers to witness his team lift the trophy last weekend.

Perrin, who is also the father of manager Darren, has seen it all during his 50-year association with the club but was nonetheless overcome with emotion to see Melksham crowned champions.

“I’ve been with the club for 50 years and I think this is the greatest thing that’s ever happened,” he said.

“I have to admit that I never envisaged that we’d with the Premier Division of the Western League

“There were so many people that came to Willand in cars to offer support. Willand were great too. They played ‘we are the champions’ when we got the trophy. Not many sides would do that for an away team.

“The players also sang ‘we’re not going up’. There’s disappointment (over being denied promotion) but they’ve taken it well.

“I first played with I was 15 – it was Peasedown away and we won 3-1. When we first went into the Western Division, I became secretary and did that for 14 years and then I was chairman for 16 years.

“Now I’m joint-president with Dave Phillips and this really is the best thing I’ve seen.”

Meanwhile, Melksham captain Dave Thompson has been enjoying his slice of local celebrity status since his team’s title triumph, even if visiting the supermarket has taken longer than usual.

Thompson said: “I work with a few of the lads and I think that Tuesday was the first time I’d seen any of them sober since Saturday.

“It’s great because we all know each other. We’ve all played together since under 16s. You’d like to think that we’ll keep everyone together for next season.

“I think the achievement has sunk in now. We’ve been top since Christmas and I don’t think that we’ve ever been lower than third or fourth.

“We had a really tough latter part of the season with eight away games in a row and we could have fallen away but that didn’t happen.

“I’ve actually had people come up to me in Asda and say ‘well done’. You’re like: ‘I didn’t know you followed football’ and it just shows that people were behind you.

“It’s fairytale stuff."

Town chairman Dave Wiltshire added: "With the reserves winning their league cup too, and the third team doing so well and winning a cup in their league, it's been a great season for the whole club and all of the senior players have been fantastic.

"The first team winning the title for the first time in our 139-year history takes some believing. Darren (Perrin, manager) works so hard and we've got a great committee too."

Saturday proved a day of double joy for the club as Melksham Town Reserves recovered from an early scare to lift the Corsham Print Knockout Cup with a 3-0 win over Ludgershall Sports.

Town keeper Tom Drewitt was forced off in the opening exchanges and with no replacement on the bench, Kai Miller had to step between the sticks at Corsham Town’s Southbank ground.

That setback did not affect Melksham though, and Emilio Menghini’s goal put them 1-0 up at half-time.

Nick Ridout doubled the advantage in the early stages of the second half and Ash Barnett then struck to put the icing on the cake for Melksham.

Boss Steve Burns was overjoyed at his team’s triumph as they followed the lead of the first team, who clinched the Toolstation League Premier Division title the same afternoon.

“Everyone played really well, we deserved to win,” said Burns.

“We lost our keeper within the first five minutes and didn’t have another on the bench. That’s the gamble you take and it could have been a nightmare but they never really tested him.

“We were pretty comfortable all the way through. We scored at good times and once the third went in, it was pretty much game over.

“With the first team winning the league, it was a great day for the club, and a great evening as well. I’m still struggling to remember bits.”

Third-placed Melksham thrashed Southbrook 6-1 in the league on Tuesday evening whilst title-winners Malmesbury Victoria finished on a high, beating Westbury United Reserves 5-2.

Bottom-of-the-table Vale of Pewsey were beaten 5-2 by Wroughton whilst fellow strugglers Wootton Bassett Town were on the end of a 5-1 thumping at the hands of Trowbridge Town.