Gloucestershire County Football Association

The Gloucestershire County Football Association has developed from small beginnings in 1886 into an Association of more than 2000 affiliated teams and 20 affiliated Leagues. Key dates in the history of the Association are provided below:

1886: At a meeting in the Full Moon Hotel, Stokes Croft, Bristol on 7 September, the Gloucestershire Football Association was formed to be administered by a Management Committee. Gloucestershire’s first President was the famous cricketer Dr W.G. Grace who was also an active Referee.

1889–90: 33 Clubs had affiliated to the County, which enabled a delegate to be sent to the Football Association.

1892: The Association was running two Cup Competitions and playing five or six County matches a season with the first League commencing operations.

1898: The Association's Management Committee became the Council with representatives from 15 Clubs and a representative from each League affiliated to the Association.

1919–20: A major change in the structure of the Council occurred when Northern Council was formed from areas north of Thornbury. However all decisions still had to be sanctioned by the full Council.

1927: The County Minor (Youth) Association was formulated.

1933: The responsibilities of the County Minor Association were assumed by the Main Council.

1946: The County Youth Association was revived following its demise in 1933.

1967: Moves were made to form an entirely separate Council in the North. But at a meeting in December it was agreed that two separate Associations were impractical. The immediate result was that a joint annual meeting was introduced in addition to the A.G.M.

1976: The last independent North and South Council meetings took place and in 1977 the Council again became a unified body.

1995: Following the sudden death of the long serving Hon. Secretary E J Marsh, the County appointed Paul Britton as full- time Secretary and shortly afterwards purchased the property at Oaklands Park, Almondsbury as its first permanent Headquarters.

1999: The County took the significant step of becoming a Limited Company becoming known as Gloucestershire Football Association Ltd.

2000: The development of Oaklands Park that included the addition of a Floodlit All-Weather Pitch and new Dressing Rooms was completed. These facilities are now being extensively used for training groups from local junior clubs and disabled organisations.

2001: The development of the All-Weather Pitch and Dressing Rooms released capacity within the original building for the development of office space, a Board Room and Council Chamber.

2002: The County Youth Association ceased to be a semi- autonomous Association when it was incorporated into the main Association as the Youth Committee.

2006: David Neale was appointed Chief Executive following the death of Paul Britton in December 2005.[2]

Oaklands Park was purchased by the Gloucestershire Football Association (GFA) for their new headquarters in 1994 after the existing owners Almondsbury Town FC was regretfully placed in the hands of the liquidator following a period of financial difficulties. Almondsbury Town FC became tenants at Oaklands Park in 1995 until May 2010, and in addition to using the pitch, the club were able to rent half of the building as a bar and skittle alley.

By 2009 the GFA established that they needed to take over this area for our their own use in order to cater for the increasing number of people employed by the Association in developing grassroots football. In addition to accommodating their staff, the GFA also needed training facilities to assist the development of clubs, coaches and referees.

The situation has eventually led to the demise of Almondsbury Town FC who in April 2011 announced that they were withdrawing from Zamaretto League's 2011–12 season and disbanding the first team citing failure to find a ground share as the main cause.[3] In response the GFA released a statement advising that it was Almondsbury Town's decision to leave Oaklands Park, originally in April 2010, that prompted them to find new tenants and that an agreement had been struck with Winterbourne United and Roman Glass St George in October of that same year.[4]

The situation has resulted in damaging publicity for the GFA in the local press.[3] The Association have reiterated that their "main purpose as an organisation is to drive increased participation in football. As a direct result of the Oaklands Park refurbishment programme, (they) were able to host a team of four FA Tesco Skills Coaches". The GFA expressed disappointment that the club were unsuccessful in their discussions with other parties.[5]

A number of leagues that were affiliated to the Gloucestershire FA have disbanded or amalgamated including:

• Bristol Avon League (not to be confused with Bristol & Avon League)
• Bristol Church of England League (now known as Bristol & Avon League)
• Bristol Regional League (Saturday Competition)
• Bristol Wednesday League
• Dursley and District League
• Dursley and Wotton League
• Gloucester and District League
• Iron Acton and District League
• Forest of Dean League
• Mid Gloucestershire League
• Wotton and District League

Among the notable clubs that are affiliated to the Gloucestershire FA are:

• Gloucestershire FA's official site
• 5aside football's official site