Gloucester City Association Football Club is a semi-professional association football club based in Hempsted, Gloucester, England. The club is affiliated to the Gloucestershire County Football Association and, as of the 2025-26 season, plays in the Southern League Premier Division South, at the seventh tier of the English football league system.

The club traces its history back to 1883, when a club simply named Gloucester was founded, changing its name to Gloucester City in 1902 but folded in 1910. The current club was established at that time, originally called Gloucester YMCA before becoming Gloucester City in 1925. It spent a record 70 years within the Southern Football League from 1939 until 2009, when it secured promotion to the National League system after a play-off final win against Farnborough. Since promotion, and despite its southern location, the club has spent the majority of their seasons in the National League North, with a two-year spell in the National League South from 2017 to 2019.

After playing in six different locations across the city since foundation, Gloucester City found its long-tenured home at Longlevens from 1935 to 1964, followed by Horton Road Stadium from 1964 to 1986, and at Meadow Park from 1986 to 2007. In July 2007, countrywide flooding left Meadow Park under of water. From then until 2020, the club played exiled home games at Forest Green Rovers' New Lawn stadium in Nailsworth, Cirencester Town's Corinium Stadium, Cheltenham Town's Whaddon Road, and Evesham United's Jubilee Stadium. The club finally returned to a rebuilt Meadow Park in December 2020.

History

Formation and the early years Although born in March 1883, Gloucester AFC did not take their first steps until February 1884 almost one year after birth. An advert for that very first game played by Gloucester AFC appeared in The Citizen on Friday 8 February 1884:

Football – Gloucester Association v Warmley (Bristol) Association. – This match (the first in the city under Association Rules) will be played on the ground of the Hornets F.C., Union-lane, tomorrow. Kick off 3.15 p.m. – (Advt.)Clark & Kujawa (2009), p1

However, that first Gloucester team folded in 1886. The club re-formed in September 1889. Gloucester's first competitive game in October 1889 was a Gloucestershire FA Junior Challenge Cup 1st Round tie beating Clifton Association Reserves 10–0 at Budding's Field.

The club became members of the Bristol and District League which subsequently became the Western League. During this era the club was noted as 'The Gloucestrians' and 'The Citizens' in local media. The club were renamed 'Gloucester City' in 1902 and later merged with St. Michael's at the beginning of the 1906–07 campaign, and in the process adopted St. Michael's red kit colours. This club then folded in September 1910. A different team, Gloucester YMCA, formed at the same time and most of the players who had been with City joined Gloucester YMCA.

By 1925, this latest club had assumed the name of Gloucester City once more and had become founder members of the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League. In 1934–35, after winning both the Cup and League, City turned semi-professional, and joined the Birmingham Combination, as well as moving to a new stadium in Longlevens where the club stayed for the next 26 years.

They won the Tillotson Cup for being the best club in the Birmingham Combination, and then had former Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Reg Weaver break all records with his 67 goals in the 1937–38 season.

Southern League entry and cup success In 1939, the club played in the Southern Football League for the very first time, albeit in a restricted wartime competition, as they took part in the west section.

After the war, City rejoined the Southern League and went on to become the league's longest serving members. For three consecutive seasons, 1948–51, the club reached the First Round of the FA Cup, each time losing to Football League opponents: Mansfield Town (1–4 away), Norwich City (2–3 home), and Bristol City (0–4 away). The club's all-time attendance record was set at Longlevens in 1952, when Stan Myers and Peter Price scored to beat Tottenham Hotspur 2–1 in front of 10,500 spectators, a side which included the superstars of the day such as future World Cup winner Alf Ramsey, Ted Ditchburn, Charlie Withers and Les Medley.

In the 1955–56 season Gloucester won their first cup in the Southern League. A Southern League Cup final win against Yeovil Town in which City had lost the first leg 4–1, but beat Yeovil 5–1 in the second leg. This was the club's first major honor.

Horton Road era In 1964, the club moved grounds again, from Longlevens to the massive Horton Road Stadium, closer to the centre of Gloucester, which could possibly hold over 30,000 people if full. Although Gloucester City were promoted to the Southern Football League Premier Division in the 1968–69 season, it was generally a barren spell.

In the 1981–82 season, a sixth-place finish was enough to clinch a place in the reformed Premier Division. They were also runners-up in the League Cup, going down 1–2 to Wealdstone, who included future England captain Stuart Pearce in their ranks.

Despite Kim Casey scoring 40 goals, the club were relegated to the Midland Division in 1984–85, after three seasons in the Premier Division.

Meadow Park and a famous FA Cup run In 1986, the club moved once more, this time to Meadow Park. The Horton Road ground became a housing estate which now boasts the names of City legends: (Stan) Myers Road, (Dicky) Etheridge Place, and (Ron) Coltman Close amongst others.

Former Aston Villa and Wales player Brian Godfrey was appointed manager in 1988.

Players such as Lance Morrison, Steve Talboys, Wayne Noble, Chris Townsend and Brian Hughes took the club to the Southern League Midland Division title in 1989, clinching the crown at home against Grantham Town. The League trophy was presented to the club at King's Lynn's The Walks Stadium on the last day of a tough campaign.

The next big achievement of the Godfrey years was the famous FA Cup run in 1989–90 which has still not been matched. Mangotsfield United (4–0), Barry Town (2–2,2–0), Folkestone (1–0), and Dorchester Town (1–0) all came and went before City suffered heartbreak in the replay against Cardiff City after being 2–0 up at Ninian Park with just five minutes to go. The club were beaten 1–0 in the replay at Meadow Park, missing out on an encounter with First Division side Queens Park Rangers.

In the winter of 1990, Gloucester saw a major snowstorm and when the thaw came the River Severn overwhelmed all local flood plains. The knock-on effect of the flood saw incredible scenes at Meadow Park as the pitch was submerged under of water, and the whole ground was out of commission for over a month. The first game back at Meadow Park, however, saw City defeat Gosport Borough 9–0.

Last minute promotion heartbreak and debt

In the1990–91 season Godfrey added several players to his squad as City challenged for the league title. The Tuesday before the end of the season Gloucester City had needed to beat VS Rugby at home to go top of the table, but could only manage a 2–2 draw, so it was all on the last day of the season at the Victoria Ground, the home of Bromsgrove Rovers.

Farnborough headed up to Atherstone needing to win, and went 0–1 down to the delight of the thousand traveling City fans. In the final minutes, substitute John Freegard got his head to a long free kick had put The Tigers ahead. In the meantime Farnborough had scored, as City fans were on the pitch celebrating the Championship and promotion to the Conference National, but all they had heard were premature radio reports from Atherstone; Farnborough had actually scored a winner three minutes before the end of the game and they were promoted instead.

In July 1991, the club became the first British football club to venture to the newly independent country of Georgia for a summer tour, playing second division side Napareuli, Mesxti and Umaglesi Liga outfit Shevardeni. The club hosted European sides at Meadow Park during this period, such as Dinamo Minsk from Belarus and Gornik Zabrze from Poland.

Into the 1991–92 season, the bombshell hit City that Chairman Les Alderman had left the club. The squad was ripped apart: major players were released for derisory sums, some went unpaid and took the club to the FA, and forced a transfer embargo. Brian Godfrey was sacked and replaced by his assistant Steve Millard. Millard only lasted three months in what was a disastrous spell. In February Godfrey was re-appointed to the hot seat and started to turn things around again. The club survived the next few seasons under the guidance of Chairman George Irvine. The club had crippling debts and were about to fold when Keith Gardner stepped in.

The glory years and FA Trophy run

Gardner appointed former Cheltenham Town boss John Murphy as the club entered the most exciting period in their history. Gardner wanted to make the whole 'Meadow Park' area into a footballing centre, with all-seater stadium, a leisure centre, ice rink and an all-weather pitch. His ambitions were matched on the field too, after seeing the club get by with local players, talent was brought in from further afield and the Tigers became a force to be reckoned with. A memorable game during the period was when Dave Porter scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over rivals Cheltenham Town at Whaddon Road in 1994.

Murphy was dismissed in March 1996. Former West Ham United striker Leroy Rosenior took over.

Dale Watkins, Adie Mings and record signing David Holmes formed one of the most potent front lines in non-league football and it was no surprise to see the Tigers battling on all fronts. Despite having to play manager Leroy Rosenior in goal against Kingstonian in their first game in the FA Trophy, City managed to reach the semi-final before being beaten by Dagenham & Redbridge after a dramatic replay.

During the cup run City had to play three games a week to claw back games in hand and eventually lost out to Cheltenham Town in the race for second spot (after Champions Gresley Rovers ground was deemed ineligible for promotion).

Relegation and almost bankrupt

A diminishing playing budget and poor performances resulted in relegation. To exacerbate the situation, just before Christmas 2000, Meadow Park was struck another blow when the River Severn burst its banks for the second time in a decade. The flood water did more damage than on the previous occasion, reaching just under high and flooding the changing rooms, causing widespread damage. The club was unable to hold matches at the ground for more than six weeks. The resulting lack of revenue almost saw the club go bankrupt, and several players left the club after not being paid.

Tommy Callinan took over in a player-manager role, and left at the end of the 2000–01 season. He was followed by Chris Burns, who was tempted back from Forest Green Rovers and brought with him a number of inexperienced young players to accommodate the club's limited wage structure.

In November 2001, ex-director Colin Gardner returned to the club to take over the chairmanship. Working together with the Supporters' Club, they stabilised the financial situation. The situation on the pitch also improved, with new manager Chris Burns moulding his former City youth team into a force to be reckoned with.

Bouncing back