Imagine dominating your local five-a-side league, winning the top division season after season.Some of you might already be in this position.Well, now imagine if you were told that your team was being kicked out of the league for being ‘too good’.This is precisely what’s happened to Bristol-based outfit The Three Crowns, who have won a remarkable 57 titles from a possible 60.The team is comprised of players who used to play at semi-professional level - which may explain their dominance - and they took part in the first match in the Goals Bristol North league 20 years old.

Per Bristol Live, The Three Crowns are currently top of the Thursday Premier Division after sealing 13 wins from 13 games, meaning they’ve comfortably wrapped up another title with one match left to play.

However, after their next game they will lift the Thursday Premier Division trophy for the final time.

Needless to say, The Three Crowns’ players have been left shocked by the league’s request for them to retire once the current campaign has finished.

"It's such a shame to be honest," James Potts, 38, commented. "We can't really get our heads around it.

"We know it's only 5-a-side but it's been our hobby every Thursday for the past 20 years so we don't want to stop.

"They've offered us the chance to play in a different league on a different weeknight but a few of us can only do Thursdays due to other commitments, so that's not possible.

"Considering we've never missed a game, we always turn up on time and we've never owed money, we feel quite hard done by and want to make a point of that.

"We're competitive and we take it seriously whenever we play, but we're not a nasty team."

The sports therapist adds that five of their games this season have been walkovers as their opponents refused to play them, fearing they’d be on the receiving end of a thrashing.

He reckons the league manager is worried about losing money due to teams dropping out.

"It should really be about good quality football and not the business side of things," Potts adds.

"It's a kick in the teeth, especially as we must have contributed about £50,000 to the league over the past 20 years.

"Thursday evening games gave us all something to look forward to when we were at work, but this will be the end of the Three Crowns and it's a shame."

A spokesperson for Goals Bristol North said: "We want to thank the Three Crowns for playing in our leagues, but we have had to make the hard decision to remove them from their current division as their ability level is of such that doesn’t make the league competitive at this time.

"We have an obligation to all our teams to ensure the safeguarding of all players.

"We have offered the team to play in other more suitable leagues that meet their standard of play which unfortunately have been declined.

"We hope to see the Three Crowns playing again soon at our Bristol club in a suitable competitive league."