Mangotsfield United

The 2025/26 season will mark Mangotsfield's fourth year
competing at step 5, following a total of 22 seasons as a
Southern League club, which includes the annulled 2019/20
and 20/21 seasons. After spending thirteen seasons in the
"Pitchin In" Southern Football League Division One South, the
club previously achieved a 9th place finish in 2009/10, 3rd in
2010/11 (though they lost the play-off semi-final 1-3 to Frome Town), 14th in 2011/12, 13th in 2012/13, 11th in 2013/14, 10th in 2014/15, 14th in 2015/16, 8th in 2016/17, and 16th in both 2017/18 and 2018/19. After the two-year "Covid gap", Mangotsfield ended the 2021/22 season in 18th place (out of 19 teams) and were automatically relegated to the Hellenic League Premier Division.

Football has been played in the village since 1888, and four years later, Mangotsfield FC became a founding member of the Bristol & District League (which later evolved into the
Western Football League in 1895), but the club ceased operations after a decade. From 1898 until the 1950s, Mangotsfield FC was disbanded and reformed multiple times. In
January 1951, the parent club eliminated the Reserve XI for financial reasons, leaving many local players without a team. These players chose to establish a new club in the village, and at the beginning of the 1951-52 season, the newly formed Mangotsfield United FC was entered into the Bristol & District League, Division VII. They achieved five consecutive promotions and gained entry to the Bristol & District Premier Combination in

The club remained in that league until the 1972-73 season when it was accepted into the Western League. During the 1970s, the club became established in the Western League,
and despite being relegated to the first division in 1981-82, "The Field," as they were affectionately known, quickly bounced back the following season. Under the leadership of the charismatic Ralph Miller, who served as Chairman and took on the responsibility of enhancing the ground and its facilities, the club became a formidable presence in the Premier, frequently competing for top positions.

In 1991, the club, under the management of Harold Jarman and with the assistance of Terry Rowles, celebrated regional success by winning the (then) Great Mills League Premier Division title, finishing ahead of the runner-up, Torrington. Unfortunately, they were unable to gain promotion to the Southern League due to their ground not meeting the necessary grading standards, leading to several challenging seasons that resulted in the disbandment of the team.

However, with the election of Richard Davis as Chairman, improvements began to take shape off the pitch. In 1995, Terry Rowles returned to take over the management of the club and kept them in the public eye by consistently achieving top three or four finishes in the Great Mills/Screwfix League, along with a notable appearance in the FA Vase semi-final, where they were defeated by Clitheroe. Nevertheless, their aspirations for promotion and participation in Southern League football were persistently hindered by the ongoing successes of Taunton and Tiverton Town. It was deemed crucial to establish a solid operational foundation, enhance ground facilities, and secure a long-term lease on their Cossham Street ground.

In earlier years, the partnership between Roger Pullin and Richard Davis witnessed numerous enhancements, including the installation of Conference-style floodlights. By the conclusion of the 2003/04 season, the Cossham Street end of the ground was covered, alongside the addition of new toilet facilities and improvements to the social club. Former player Andy Black returned to the club as Manager in 1999, leading the team to promotion to the Dr. Martens Southern League and achieving three successful campaigns. However, the 2003/04 season did not unfold favorably, and just prior to Christmas, Black was succeeded by Martyn Grimshaw. Towards the end of the season, Nigel Webb joined as his Assistant, but the club could only secure a 13th place finish, which fell short of the expectations for the planned restructuring of the Pyramid.

The management duo prioritized promotion in the 2004/05 season, and the club led the table for the majority of the campaign, ultimately claiming the Division One West title with an impressive 21-match unbeaten streak. After 28 seasons at the Western League level, the club had only spent five seasons at the Southern League level before advancing to the Premier Division. In April/May 2005, Roger Pullin departed from the club, and Mike Richardson assumed the role of Chairman with a new Board.

Now sometimes referred to as 'The Mangos', the 2020/21 season commenced with Glyn Ashton at the helm. He had previously managed the U18s Floodlit Youth team but took on the role of temporary Manager in 2019/20 following the unexpected exit of Manager Ollie Price, bringing in nearly his entire U18s squad. Glyn resumed his position managing the U18/Reserves team at the start of the 2021/22 season, while Ray Johnston, along with assistant Terry Moore, took over the first team management responsibilities. However, Glyn returned to the managerial position after the departure of Ray and Terry due to some disappointing performances and results. The club regrettably could not "avoid the drop," concluding the season in 18th position out of 19 teams.

During the summer of 2022, Chairman Mike Richardson was succeeded by Steve Brown, a new committee was established, and with a fresh commercial team in place, the club embarked on an exhilarating new chapter in its history.

In the 2022/23 season, Glyn Ashton resumed his managerial role after a brief tenure by John Allen and Josh Bruton. "The Field" ultimately secured an 11th place finish in the Hellenic Premier Division during their inaugural season at that level, triumphing in the Hellenic League Floodlit Cup on their first attempt. In the 2023/24 season, the anticipated improvement in league standing was not realized as the team finished in 13th place; however, they achieved further cup success by winning the Gloucester Challenge Trophy.

After several years of diligent efforts behind the scenes, planning permission for a 3G pitch at Cossham Street was finally approved. With deep appreciation to the Hellenic League, last season, "The Field" played all of their away matches (with the exception of one) during the first half of the season while construction was underway, and all their home games on the new 3G pitch at Cossham Street in the latter half of the season. The team finished the league in fourth place but fell short of promotion, losing to Sporting Inkberrow in the playoff semi-finals.