That season using only 14 players, the club played a total of 22 league games, 4 Premier Division Cup games, 6 League Cup games, and 3 Borough Cup games.
The experience gained in their first year was to prove priceless. 2000/01 was the year that Llansawel Football Club made an impact on a league that had been dominated by a hand full of teams for years. Just 15 years or so after forming, climbing from the old division 5 and in only their second season they achieved the Double, winning the Premier Division and Premier Division Cup. In the same season they also got to the final of the Borough Cup but again lost for the second time, something that would become synonymous with this competition and Llansawel over the next few years.
Although there was great satisfaction within the club at the achievements of the 2000/2001 season it did nothing to prepare the club for what would be achieved a few years later. After their double winning achievements in 2000/2001 the following season proved to be a bit of an anti climax, finishing mid table in the league and defeated in the semi final of the Division Cup and once again in the final of the Borough Cup for the third consecutive season. During this disappointing season someone, somewhere (you know who you are) called the first double a ‘fluke’ and many people outside the club might have agreed, after all football is all about opinions! However, everything that had been achieved during the clubs first Double winning season would be eclipsed during the 2002/03 season and would go a long way to dismissing any theory that Sawels first double was a 'fluke'.
The most successful season in the clubs brief history and one of the most successful in the history of the Neath League ever is an achievement not fully appreciated even by the people involved. Critics might say it is only the Neath League, but whatever the level a team can only win the competitions it enters.
With that in mind during the season 2002/2003 Llansawel played a total of 22 Premier League games, 4 Premier Division Cup games and 6 League Cup games using only 14 players. Going into the final week of the season they had still to lose a single game in all competitions and with only 3 league games remaining could win the title by beating the only team that could stop them clinching part one of the 'unique treble'.
Clifrew away is always a difficult place to go and win but to go there win the title and end their season was not going to be easy. However the team were on a role and nothing was going to stop them winning their second title in 3 years. A few days later the opportunity to win their second double arose when they played Ynys in the Premier Division Cup final, they won 3-2 and the second double in 3 season had been won.
These successes went a long way to dismissing any doubts that Llansawel did not belong in the Premier League and no one could have forgiven them for taking their foot of the pedal but their focus remained on winning the League Cup. Playing against a spirited Cwm Wanderers they eventually overcame them winning 2-1 and for the first time in 20 years the Neath League Treble had been achieved.
Although there had been six previous teams who had won the treble no team in the history of the Neath league had achieved it without losing a single league game. Llansawel added that statistic to a fantastic season remaining unbeaten in the Premier League, Premier Cup and League Cup.
It was a remarkable season by any standards and at any level and whatever the club achieves in the future 2002/2003 will always go down has the season 'Llansawel Football Club' made history'.
