Kings School Old Boys to Kings FC
30 May 2008

In 1954/5 Peter Whitmore and David returned from doing national service with the RAF and decided to start a football team.

They recruited players who had been to the Kings School and in their first season, played friendly matches because they did not have a pitch that they could use.

Eventually they joined the North Gloucester League and in their first season, they played all of their matches away. That first season saw them win the league sportsmanship award.

A pitch was eventually found at Fielding & Platt and the roots of the club were planted.

After several seasons in North Gloucester, the club applied to join the Cheltenham League and since that time, they have always had at least one team in the league.

In the 1960s, the team benefitted from the "Old Boys" from the school joining the club and providing its lifeblood for the future. Ben Hill and David Williams were two players whose drive and determination, sowed the seed for the clubs success.

In the late 60s and early 70s, the King School converted to Rugby and football no longer featured as prominently as it once did. This impacted on the club, but despite this loss of potential players, the club kept going, recruiting players and keeping them as well.

By this time, the club had formed links with Churchdown School through Dave Williams and Doug Bell, and a succession of young players started to wear the shirt of KSOB with pride.

Martyn Oakey, Roger Clements, Rob Pearce and Neil Vincent were some of those who joined and gave many years of valuable service to the club.

Added to this, they were also able to find footballers who had moved to the City and were not playing. The technique used to persuade one Doug Langdon was a classic.

After training on a Tuesday evening Willy walks into The York House on London Road, standing at the bar was a lione figure having a quiet pint. Willy gets into conversation and ask's, "do you play football", the response was the affirmative. What are you doing "Saturday", "nothing" came the reply, "well we will see you at 2pm at Plock Court".

At this time, the team would train at the Kings School, where they used the paddock and during the winter months, the small gymnasium and playground. In those days, there was a very special bond between those who played. It was a combination of fun and playing football.

By the early 70s the club was playing at Plock Court, the changing rooms were at the entrance and the communal showers, where you had to be quick to get a vacant shower. The slow ones, usually stood and froze during the winter.

By this time Beard, Bently, Bailey and Bell were plying their skills.

Because of the number of players, a second team was started and joined the Stroud League, for a while a third team, which also played in the Stroud League was formed.

In the mid to late 80's, the club suffered a major crisis, when it was decided to move from Plock Court to Meadow Park. The decision was not unanimous and caused some rifts to appear.

Despite this, the club continued and although the third team was disbanded, the two other sides, were by this time back in the Cheltenham League.