Officials of Tyndall's Park Rangers are expecting results to improve in Division II of the Bristol & Suburban League, once the newcomers to the team blend with long-serving regulars.

"We have new players every season to replace those who move away from Bristol to work," said assistant secretary Phil Mountjoy, who has been Player of the Season three times during his six years as a stalwart in defence.

The club was formed in 2001/02 season by researchers within the School of Medical Sciences at Bristol University from individual departments of biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, anatomy, and pathology and microbiology.

They had been playing and hammering seven bells out of each other in biannual "Ashes" six-a-side competitions for some years, before finally deciding to join forces and kick the rest of Bristol for a change.

Yet the team later won a Fair Play Trophy from the league!

The club joined Division IV of the Suburban League under the management of winger Alan Leard, with a home pitch at Canford Park and enjoyed a successful first season.

TPR struggled initially to find the right line-up and suffered some humiliating reverses, non worse than cup thrashings at the hands of LA Cricketers and Raysfield.

However, new arrivals including skilful chain-smoking winger Paul Matthews and the growing experience of the team allowed TPR to produce a post-Christmas surge up the table to finish third and gain promotion to Division III.

The 2002/03 campaign proved disappointing and led to a mid-table finish, partly due to having to move from the plush fields of Canford Park to the undulating quagmires at Muller Road, which stifled the team's attacking play.

Midfield enforcer Alex Pemberton, the 2002 Player of the Season, took over as manager on the return to newly-renovated Canford Park the following year to inspire a change of fortunes for TPR.

The team challenged for the title for much of the season but unfortunately slipped at the final hurdle after losing a bad-tempered encounter with Portway which allowed a resurgent Cadbury Heath A to take the championship - after a steward's enquiry.

With South Glos OB also coming good in the final week, TPR finished third which proved good enough for promotion to Division II and secured the club's first silverware - the Fair Play Award. Another highlight was an appearance in the semi-final of the Norman Goulding Cup.

Another change of manager for the 2004/05 season brought in defender Rich Eyres and a shift in the TPR power base from Medical Sciences to Engineering, although the team was by now a mix of players both from inside and outside the ivory towers of the University.

The team performed consistently well throughout the season and were involved in a top of the table tussle with fellow high-flyers for most of the campaign.

The key factors in the end were two comprehensive victories over Filton and a magnificent 8-2 hammering of previous conquerors South Glos OB in the penultimate week.

These successes allowed TPR to go into the final game of the season away to Avonmouth Reserves knowing that a win would secure the title.

Despite being 2-1 down at half time, the team showed the resolve and never-say-die attitude that typified the season when staging a rousing comeback to clinch the Division II title with a 5-2 victory.

Paul Matthews was the player of the season, having topped the scoring list with a total of 31 goals out of his career total of 91 in 84 games.

The 2005/06 season was another with a new boss, as utility player Iwan Evans took the helm with help of TPR's first assistant manager - forward and linesman extraordinaire Ben 'Beegee' Grantham.

Following the "disappearance" of several club stalwarts, an intensive recruitment drive in the off-season produced a large number of new recruits but, unfortunately, the team started the season poorly, with the exception of a tremendous 5-1 success against Filton.

The results then steadily improved and TPR won every game in March without conceding a goal and had a good run in the GFA Cup, reaching the third round of the competition.

However, a hectic April schedule, including eight consecutive away games, many in mid-week, took its toll and the team slipped down to sixth, still a creditable position after the disappointing early results, while Rob McDonald was Player of the Season.

'Beegee' Granthan carried on as sole manager the following season when there was a further turnover of players because a fair number moved away from Bristol.

A loss of form during the campaign, along with a lack of goals, led to the team being relegated to division II.

TPR acquired a new manager in midfielder Pete College, Player of the Season the previous year, and the services of a coach during the 2007/08 campaign with Gareth Richards joining the club.

His structured training and emphasis on sorting out individual basic skills led to a far better season and the team finished sixth in division II.

Pete College enjoyed the manager's hot seat so much that he decided to stay on for the 2008/09 campaign and, with the continued coaching from Richards, TPR's performances improved again leading to a fifth place finish.

Phil Mountjoy was Player of the Season for the second year in succession but has been sidelined through injury during the current campaign when striker Chris Bailey and goalkeeper Jason Pont jointly took over the reins, with Richards continuing as coach.

Pont is following in the footsteps of goalkeeper Chris Bell, the club's longest serving player with 181 appearances, behind the backline of Robin Mason, Ollie Davey, Phil Mountjoy, Nick Clifton and Chris Wedge.

Sharing the midfield duties are Max Boon, Mark Richards, Iwan Evans, Ross Bradley and Will Dougal, while joint manager Bailey is joined in attack by Chris Jorden and Marco Bonato.

Completing an ever-changing squad are Jake Mann, Mike Irvine, Brad Allix, Dave Howell, Tonny Shenjun Xu, Frank Bin Sum James Coughlan and Phil Miller.

Off the field activities include regular get-togethers starting with a pint or two in Micawbers, then a meal at the Jubo Raj curry house in Cotham - a sure recipe for an early goal the next morning! This is a transitional period with new students joining the club and we play much better when beating Corinthian Sports 6-2 last week" added Mountjoy.