The Future's Bright
17 Apr 2008

Gala Wilton may be at last starting to re-climb the football pyramid to play games at a standard their pitch and general facilities deserve. Formed in 1952, as Wilton Rovers, the club has seen the highs of being 3rd in the Glos County League to the lows of mid-table in the 2nd Division of the North Glos League.
Recent times have seen the club transfer from the North Gloucester to the Cheltenham League in 1999. That first season saw them gain promotion to Division 1, the top division, and also win the GFA Intermediate Cup beating Horsley 3-1 in the final.
The Club stayed 3 seasons in Division 1 but suffered relegation in 2003. The club then had the foresight to appoint Ben Symons as first team manager. Ben, only 28 at the time, had been a player at the club since 1994 but had unfortunately suffered a serious knee injury curtailing his playing days. Ben football being in his blood, took various FA coaching badges, and learned his managerial skills with the Reserves team.
On his appointment, Ben's first real success was to persuade former star player Mike Perris to return to the club as player and assistant manager after a two-season spell at Tuffley Rovers. The first season that the two were in charge, saw Wilton return to Cheltenham's top Division and also win the GFA Intermediate Cup for the second time in four years beating Trident 3-1 in the final. The following season saw them beat Longlevens Reserves, again in the GFA County Cup final, and, the following year, gain promotion to division two of the Northern Senior League. Since then Gary Greenwood (Oz to his friends) has taken on the role of assistant manager and the club gained promotion to division one in the 2007/8 season.
Roy Morris then took over the reigns half-way through the following season, when Ben moved on to pastures new, and started to develop the side into a real good footballing team, with aspirations towards the county league.
Jay Kelly took on the reigns in the summer of 2010 with the desire to take the club on still further and to breed the new talent for the future.
The club now also runs a 2nd and 3rd team, who both play in the Cheltenham League, as well as a vets side. And the youth section of the club is growing stronger and stronger with U-18s, U-15s, U-13's and U-11's sides.

Gala Wilton, at this present time, is probably as strong off the field as it ever has been with Stalwarts Graham White (President), Terry Onions (Secretary), Wayne Irvine (Chairman), Paul Bowers(Vice-chairman) and many others all working extremely hard and this all bodes well for the future which at this moment appears extremely bright.

Remember, the future's bright, the future's Black and Yellow!!