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History - 1919 to 2005 |
FIRST TEAM (since 1919)
The first record of a football club at Upton St. Leonard’s is the 1920-21 season. It states the club had been formed in 1919 with a Mr A.R.Green as the secretary and playing football at the Upton St L Recreation ground, with the changing facilities at the Parish rooms in Upton. They were members of the North Gloucestershire League where they had two successful seasons winning Division 3 in 1920-21 season and again in 1921-22 season. However, in the 1925-26 season the club was disbanded.
It restarted again in the 1927-28 season, with Mr Green as the secretary again. The team were members of the North Gloucestershire League and won the Premier division in the 1935-36 season and Division 2 in the 1953-54 season. Once again in the 1957-58 season the club was disbanded and reformed in the 1959-60 season with Mr Mike Long as secretary.
In 1966 the club joined the Stroud & District League entering at Division 5.
The club expanded in 1973-74 season to include a reserve team playing in division 6.
The first team won Division 5 in 1975-76 and won their first Charity cup in 1976-77 season beating Uley 3-1 in the final. They also won their first (and only to date) County cup final in 1979-80 when they defeated Ebrington United 1-0 at Shipton Oliffes ground.
They went on to win Division 4 in 1977-78 season and then steadily climbed the divisions and made it to division 1 in 1992-93 season.
The club finished Stroud & District League 1 Runners-Up on two occasions. The first time in 1993-94 when Eastcombe mangaged to pip us by 2 points. In 1997-98 we so nearly stepped up into the Northern Senior League following a collosus of a battle with Kingswood. Both sides collected 50 (of 60 possible) points, but our GD was slightly inferior.
Three more Charity cup wins to note, against:-
Randwick 4-1 in 1991-92
Horsley 2-1 in 1996-97 and Leonard Stanley 2-0 in 2000-01.
THE PRESENT
The 2002-06 seasons saw a decline in league positons, but in each, League 1 status was maintained. However, in 2005-06, the club was forced into seeking a possible merger in order to preserve it's status, but were unable to and were resigned to dropping down the League in order to regroup. Unfortunately that step meant that in the 2006-07 season, it was back to Division 5.
THE FUTURE
Hopes are still there that a possible merger with a club of a higher division may allow "The Saints" to revert back to a higher status ... failing that, a long hard slog to climb the divisions again will ensue.
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