Witney have attributed their flying start in South West 1 East to the fitness training they received from a former RAF officer.

Joint coaches Phil Harper and John Campbell asked Tom Wattleworth to take their pre-season fitness sessions and have been delighted with the results.

Whattleworth, who is owner and director of Carterton-based TW Fitness, put the squad through their paces with some gruelling sessions.

Campbell said: “We watched the county cup final on video and realised Chinnor were a lot fitter and sharper than us.

“So we got a fitness coach in and worked hard all summer.

“Now we have beaten Marlow and Wallingford because we were fitter.

“You think better when you are fitter. It is quite simple really.

“We approached Tom to get the lads fitter and they took to him, especially as they were doing different things.

“The people we wanted to lose weight have done so. Owen Fowler has lost a stone and Gareth Campbell has lost half a stone.”

Whattleworth said: “I tried to base it loosely on circuit training. There were all sorts of things from shuttle runs, core fitness.

“I even managed to get some tractor tyres from one of my clients.”

Whattleworth’s aim was to get Witney players outlasting opponents in the last 15 minutes – and so far it seems to be working.

“I am hoping to go to their next home game and see them for myself,” he added.

“I am really pleased with their progress, but I said to Phil and John ‘I only gave 50 per cent, it was the players that gave the other 50.

“No matter how hard I pushed them, they were always wanting more. They really got into the spirit.

“Because things have gone so well, we are looking at doing it again once or twice a month to keep the dust from settling.”

Aside from being fitter, Witney’s youth system is still doing them proud, with all 18 of the squad that faced Wallingford having come through the ranks.

As for the players’ attitude, Harper said: “We’ve not taken a backward step. We have started this season where we finished the last one.”