A VISIT from the SG Wangerland soccer team from northern Germany to Melksham Town FC has helped to cement relations between the two clubs.

SG Wangerland played a Melksham Town FC team at the end of their four-day visit to the town and lost 7-2.

But SG’s manager Andrew Gilliam-Hill, who hails from West Lavington, said the scoreline didn’t really matter.

“It has been a good trip. The guys are very friendly and have thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

“The Melksham Town team plays in a non-league division about two leagues higher than ours so we knew it was going to be a tough game.

“Our team consists of amateur players and our oldest player is my son, Patrick, who is 34. The youngest is 18.”

Darren Perrin, the Melksham Town FC chairman, who helped to organise the visit, said: “It was a fantastic weekend. The German players were a very nice bunch and they will certainly be welcome back here any time.

“The visit has helped cement relationships between the two clubs and there is a possibility that we may go over there next year.”

Melksham Town FC put together a team comprising members of its championship-winning side from four years ago for Sunday’s match against the visitors.

The SG Wangerland team comes from the Lower Saxony region close to the German city of Bremen. They arrived in Melksham on Thursday and stayed at the Melksham Travelodge.

During their visit, they toured the Wadworth Brewery in Devizes, went go karting at Swindon, and visited the Swindon outlet shopping centre.

They watched Melksham Rugby Football Club play against Avonvale on Saturday and then afterwards saw Melksham Town FC lose 1-3 to Moneyfields.

Mr Gilliam-Hill said: “Our lads thought the Melksham Town game was very physical but that the players are not so technically good as German players.”

On Saturday evening, the rugby club organised a meal and a disco for the German visitors. Mr Gilliam-Hill is an old childhood friend of Keith Brailey, a Melksham RFC supporter.

Mr Gilliam-Hill says he wasn’t surprised the SG Wangerland team lost, given the difference in class between the two sides.

“Some of them have drunk far too much beer over the past two days, so that may have something to do with it,” he said.