16/06/2026
🩵💜🦉 FIRST TEAM PROMOTED 🦉💜🩵
Sometimes football has a funny way of rewarding perseverance.
In 2023/24, we needed 1 more goal in our final game to get the points needed for promotion, but didn’t quite achieve it.
In 2024/25, we finished in a promotion position, only for circumstances beyond our control to deny us a place as an additional team was relegated from Glos County League into GNSL Division 1.
This season, we finished one place outside the promotion spots. And yet, in a fitting twist of fate, an additional place opened up in GNSL Div 1 and we have been awarded promotion.
Football doesn’t always give you what you deserve when you deserve it. Sometimes it asks you to keep going. This promotion belongs to every player, coach, volunteer and supporter who refused to let disappointment define us over the last three seasons.
A huge amount of credit goes to former manager Craig Salter, who assembled the bulk of this squad, kept the group together through near misses and earned promotion last season. His work laid the foundations for where we are today. Equally, credit goes to Hayden Rust, whose seamless transition into the role has ensured the momentum continued and the standards remained high.
Also, thank you GNSL for the pragmatism in agreeing their constitution while uncertainty remains surrounding Longlevens AFC Reserves promotion. We hope the situation is resolved soon for them to receive the promotion they deserve as GNSL champions.
This promotion marks our return to GNSL Div 1 for the first time since 2011. It is only the 3rd time in our history we’ve reached this level – the highest we have ever been.
To our players, supporters, families, volunteers, sponsors and everyone who has played a part in this journey: thank you. This achievement belongs to all of you.
This means all 3 men’s teams have been promoted, following last week’s Stroud League constitution announcement, which also confirmed us as having a 4th team for next season.
The club is bigger, stronger and healthier than it has ever been.
Preseason starts next week. We’re excited to get to work 🦉💜🩵
