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If Aston Villa or Birmingham City suddenly lost half their squad of players overnight, life would become very difficult.

Club secretary, Louise Mason, actually believes the mass departure may well have helped the north Birmingham club.

Blessing in disguise

"It's actually a happier club now - I think things have really progressed better because everyone gets on so well now, it's really good," said Louise.

"It's not always about winning - it's got to be about having fun and if you've got a happy squad and a happy club, success will come with time," said Clive.

Winning is not everything

Perhaps it's a good thing that Clive and Louise are happy to see the bigger picture when it comes to talking Hopwood Star results.

Last season, their first in the Birmingham County Women's league, the club which holds its training sessions at Northfield YMCA did not win a single league game.

In truth, 2007/8 has not started that successfully either: out of six league matches, just one has ended with Hopwood Star walking away with the points.

But Louise, for one, is not about to become downhearted.

Fitness help

"We all enjoy playing and training," she said. "It's definitely a help with fitness and keep fit - it just makes you want to do it more, the training I mean.

"We train for two hours on a Tuesday then we have the matches on a Sunday.

"We didn't expect too much last season, as we were a new club; and this year, with a whole new group of players, we're learning again - but that doesn't stop us from having a laugh!"

Hopwood Star, like many other womens football clubs, are always on the look-out for new talent. If you are interested in playing, club contacts can be found via the Central Warwickshire Girls Football League website, details of which are as follows:

http://2007-2008-season.webeden.co.uk/