elcome to the latest Gloucester Groundhopper blog post.
We stayed in my current hometown of Gloucester for this chapter of the blog to watch some Women's Football. Gloucester City Ladies, who play at the same Tiger Turf Stadium as the men's team, faced Bishop's Cleeve Ladies in a game that had to be decided on the day. Gloucester City Ladies was founded in 2021, so this tie would be an excellent way for them to go down in history.
The Gloucester City stadium is in Hempsted, Gloucester. It is about a 10-minute walk to the famous quays and about a 20-minute walk to the city centre. The city has a rich history, including Gloucester Cathedral, which was used in some of the Harry Potter films, and the Beatrix Potter Museum. There are numerous cafes and restaurants, as well as a few bars, for people to enjoy. We went to the stadium after taking in the sights of Gloucester.
It’s All In The Name
The Tigers are the nickname for Gloucester City. They have been known as the Tigers since the 1980s, when a sponsorship with Westbury Homes caused the club's traditional red colours to be changed to yellow and black, resembling a tiger.
Some Notable Former Players
Leroy Rosenior
Steve Mildenhall
Dale Watkins
Some Notable People From Gloucester:
Bridget Christie-comedian
David Lawrence-Cricketer
Yasmin Bannerman- Hollyoaks Actress
Scott Redding- Motorcyclist
Fred West- Serial Killer (lived in Cromwell Street, Gloucester)
A History Lesson With AFC Finners
Gloucester was founded in 1883, and after briefly ceasing operations, they played their first competitive game in 1889. In 1902, they joined the Bristol and District League and added the suffix "city" to their name.
After several players left to join the Gloucester YMCA team, the team changed its name to Gloucester City and joined the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League in 1925. They turned semi-professional after winning a double in 1935, joining the Birmingham Combination League.
After WWII, they joined the Southern League, where they spent many seasons before winning the Southern League Cup in 1956. In the 1960s, they relocated to Horton Road and were promoted to the Southern League Premier Division by the end of the decade.
After that, there was a dry spell, and they relocated again in 1986. They won the midland division of the Southern League in 1989 and even went on a tour of Georgia in the early 1990s.
However, after the departure of chairman Les Alderman, the club disintegrated as many players left, and they were on the verge of folding when Keith Gardener intervened at the last minute. However, financial problems would resurface at the end of the decade, and their stadium was damaged by flooding at the turn of the century. Local entrepreneur Eamonn McGurk assisted the club financially, nearly wiping out all of their debt. They were quickly promoted back to the Premier Division of the Southern League.
However, disaster struck quickly. Huge floods hit the UK in 2007, and images of the club's ground submerged in water were widely circulated across the country. Meadow Park was irreparably damaged, and Gloucester was forced to spend many years couch surfing.
They previously played at Forest Green and Cirencester, but in 2009 they won the Southern League playoff final, allowing them to join the Conference League for the first time.
They were controversially assigned to the conference's northern region, where they spent many years. They would end up sharing a stadium for a long time with rivals Cheltenham Town. In 2017, they were promoted to the National League South and were forced to share a stadium with Evesham United.
Gloucester would finally have a place to call home in 2020, with the construction of a new stadium on the site of Meadow Park. They got off to a fast start during the 20-21 season, but lockdown ruined everything, as clubs voted to end the season due to fans being unable to attend games.
They are currently in the National League North, hoping to make good progress as they settle into their new home, with the goal of one day reaching the Football League.
Additionally, a fun fact, in 1952, Gloucester City set a record attendance of around 10,000 when they defeated Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 in a friendly, with the Spurs team including the legendary Alf Ramsey.
Honours
🏆 Southern Football League Premier Division (Playoff Winners: 2008–09) (Runners-up: 1990–91)
🏆 Southern Football League Midland Division (Champions: 1988–89)
🏆 Southern Football League Western Division (Runners-up: 2003–04)
🏆 Southern League Cup (Winners: 1955–56) (Runners-up: 1981–82)
🏆 Southern League Merit Cup (Winners: 1968–69)
🏆 Birmingham Combination Tillotson Shield (Winners: 1935–36)
🏆 Gloucestershire Northern Senior League (Champions: 1933–34) (Runners-up: 1925–26, 1932–33, 1934–35)
🏆 North Gloucestershire League Division One (Champions: 1907–08,1908–09)
🏆 Gloucester and District League Division One (Champions: 1897–98, 1899–1900, 1903–04) (Runners-up: 1898–99, 1906–07)
🏆 Cheltenham and District League Division One (Champions: 1906–07) (Runners-up: 1909–10)
🏆 Mid Gloucestershire League (Champions: 1898–99, 1899–1900, 1900–01)
🏆 Gloucester City Hurrans Cup League [War-time League] (Runners-up: 1942–43)
🏆 Gloucestershire FA Senior Professional Cup (Winners: 1950, 1951, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1975, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1991, 1993, 1996) (Runners-up: 1936, 1937, 1938, 1940, 1946, 1948, 1949, 1952, 1954, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1985, 1987, 1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2009, 2010, 2018)
🏆 Worcestershire FA Senior Professional Cup (Runners-up: 1983–84)
🏆 Gloucestershire FA Senior Amateur Cup (Winners: 1931–32) (Runners-up: 1929–30, 1932–33)
🏆 Gloucestershire FA Junior Cup (Winners: 1902–03) (Runners-up: 1892–93, 1906–07)
🏆 Godsman Cup [War-time Cup] (Runners-up: 1942–43)
🏆 City Cup [War-Time Cup] (Finalist: 1942–43)
Severn Sport Shield (Winners: 2018–19)
Matchday: Gloucester Ladies 2-2 Bishop's Cleeve Ladies
As previously stated, the Tiger Turf Stadium is located in Gloucester's Hempstead neighbourhood, approximately 20 minutes from the city centre. The stadium is accessible by bus and is also walkable from the train station. There is limited parking at the stadium, but you can also park at the quays and other nearby car parks if necessary. The stadium appears to be difficult to find, but it is located down a residential road with some signposts pointing you in the right direction, but people will need to be eagle eyed to spot them.
The normal turnstile was closed when we arrived at the stadium. There was a clear lack of disability access at the stadium, and we saw a lady who was very unsteady on her feet having to climb a lot of steps to get to the ground; however, if that turnstile had been open, disability access would have been much better because there is a ramp up to the stadium. On matchdays, the club shop is normally open, but it was closed for this game. The lady at the turnstile was very friendly, and she was very sorry when the card machine didn't work, so we entered the stadium after paying the £3 entry fee.
The stadium was charming, with two stands on one side of the pitch seating roughly 300 fans each, and the rest of the stadium covered in terracing. The stadium does its job well, and after being without a home for many years, it's easy to see why Gloucester City fans are pleased. The toilet facilities were quite amusing, with a portacabin being converted into a toilet, but other than that, it's a nice National League North level ground. It is very aesthetically pleasing, especially since you can see Gloucester Cathedral in the distance.
At the ground, there is a clubhouse and a small kitchen serving food such as burgers, hot dogs, and pies. The fans I met were actually really nice; with a certain couple of Gloucester fans making headlines online, I was a little worried, but the people there were lovely, welcoming, and eager to chat, which was nice. It was nice to feel the community spirit throughout the game, with fans constantly encouraging the players.
Teamsheets
Gloucester City Ladies
Manager: Chris Hill
Aimee Hancock
Chloe Day
Chloe Jarvis
Chloe Golding
Kaylie Day (c)
Kate Ambrey
Bethany Smith ⚽️
Bethany Davies
Claire Gabb
Zoe Gabb
Paige Todd
Substitutes
Megan Long
Megan Prout ⚽️
Charlie Priday
Kacie Anderson
Rakiya Morgan-King
Bishop's Cleeve Ladies
Manager: Chris Gough
Saffron O'Brien
Immi O'Brien
Alice Lees
Cora Bolton
Sophie Taylor (c)
Lottie Winter
Jess Stirling
Emma Kent
Beth Emms
Lucie Cummings ⚽️
Leonie Gough ⚽️
Substitutes
Ella Sharpe
Janet Slavova
Amelie Owen
Lara Owens
Laura Newman
The game itself started slowly, with neither team creating any clear-cut chances, with Sophie Taylor leading the Cleeve backline well while Gloucester City were challenging for every ball. Bethany Smith had Gloucester City's first clear chance of the afternoon, but her effort failed to trouble the visiting keeper. Gloucester City's goal was then disallowed for offside. Saffron O'Brien, goalkeeper for Bishops Cleeve, saved Bethany Smith's effort well. Kate Ambrey followed up and fired home, but the linesman's flag was raised. The hosts then began to pile on the pressure, with Paige Todd having a chance but failing to hit the target. Kate Ambrey then found herself in on goal, but she couldn't beat the imposing O'Brien in the Cleeve goal.Just before halftime, Paige Todd surged down the left flank before finding Bethany Smith, who slotted home to give City the lead. As it was, Gloucester lead 1-0 at the half time break.
After the halftime break, Bishop's Cleeve equalised almost immediately. Lucie Cummings powered a header into the top corner after a corner was swung in. Leonie Gough was played through on goal and lobbed the goalkeeper to make it 2-1 for Cleeve. The game then became even more cagey as Cleeve attempted to run out the clock, but Gloucester City equalised in the 87th minute. Megan Prout was played through on goal, and her initial shot was well saved by O'Brien, but the rebound fell directly to her, and she was able to fire straight in to make the score 2-2. Gloucester City almost had a winner when Rakiya Morgan-King found Megan Prout, but the latter couldn't quite guide it home. The game was then decided by penalties.
Penalties
Gloucester City 2- 4 Bishops Cleeve
Chloe Jarvis ❌ ✅ Immi O'Brien
Zoe Gabb ❌ ✅ Leonie Gough
Rakiya Morgan-King ✅ ✅ Ella Sharpe
Kacie Anderson ✅ ✅ Jess Stirling
Scores On The Doors
Atmosphere: 3/10
Food and Drink: 4/5
Stadium: 5/10
Welcome: 7/10
Overall Experience: 6/10
GG
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