The Club’s history can be traced back to the 1899/1900 season, when the team were playing in local football at various venues in and around the village. A gap in the records suggests there may have been a couple of seasons when no games were played, and thus, officially, the Club’s centenary was celebrated in 2002-03.

For the next forty-odd years the Club were predominantly members of the Stroud and District League with varying degrees of success and failure, except for a period between 1960 and 1968 when they were in the Gloucester Northern Senior League.

By the end of the second World War in 1945, the club were playing in a field just off Moorend Lane, which was sold for housing redevelopment, and which eventually became Tyning Crescent in the village. Therefore, in 1950, they moved just over the other side of Moorend Lane to a pitch in a field on Fishers Farm, with their changing rooms being sited a couple of fields away at the Village Hall.

This upheaval off the pitch did not seem to disturb the footballing side, with the first team winning Stroud League Division Three in 1951-52 (Along with the Gloucestershire Minor County Cup), Division Two in 1952-53, and Division One in the 1953-54 season in an early purple period for the club.

The Fishers Farm site was also sold for housing development a few years later, so between 1950 and 1958, they were forced to move three times. From Fishers Farm, they moved to a pitch alongside the River Cam behind the George Pub in Cambridge, and the nearby White Lion Pub became a de-facto Clubhouse for Club meetings. It was at the White Lion that the deeds to our current ground were formally handed over to the club in 1960.

The pitch behind The George was the site of some legendary Boxing Day tussles, when the First Team and Reserves played a Tug of War on either side of the River Cam. The great football tradition of leaving fishing nets on the side of the pitch to retrieve stray balls from the river was also part and parcel of those years. You can still visit this site, although nowadays it is part of a campsite situated behind the pub.

The current ground at Wisloe Road (Now renamed as Thornhill Park) became the club’s third home in the 1950’s when they moved there in 1958. It subsequently became the legal property of the club after former player, and ex-Chairman of the club, Evi Thornhill, bequeathed the land to the Club in his Will, with the Club becoming legal owners in 1960 having played the previous two seasons at what would become their permanent home. It was to prove an incredibly valuable treasure in future years.

Evi had purchased the two fields upon which the club and the industrial estate next door are now situated for £600.

The reserve team continued to play on the Field behind the Slimbridge British Legion during the mid 1960’s.

The modern history of the club really starts nearly thirty years after they acquired the Wisloe Road pitch. In 1988 a handful of committee members led by Gordon King and Gordon Tudor, and the following season joined by Paul Chappell, started to move the club forward. Construction of new changing facilities, to County League standard, were completed. Paul Chappell was to remain a vital part of the club until his retirement from his duties in 2020, and still remains a regular visitor to the club.

As playing standards improved, 2000 saw the completion of the building of a long awaited Social Club in an area of the ground that in it’s old life had housed a cowshed. John Mack, a successful local entrepreneur, joined the club as Chairman, and he also remains a committed supporter of the club to this day as Club President. In the summer of 2001, Doug Gray was appointed Manager, and the club began a period of upward momentum.

The team achieved a Runners-up spot in their first season in the Gloucester County League, and were accepted into the Hellenic League. Hellenic Division One West was won by an eleven point margin in 2002/03. A creditable fourth place finish was achieved in the Hellenic Premier League in 2003/04. In a marvellous season the club also claimed the Hellenic ‘Norman Matthews’ Floodlit Cup and the G.F.A. Challenge Trophy.

Floodlights arrived at the ground in the summer of 2003. A pre-season visit from Conference side Forest Green Rovers on 22nd July, produced a then ground record attendance of 427 to witness the inaugural game under lights at Wisloe Road.

A few weeks later on Sunday 24th August, the ground attendance record was beaten again at a Bank Holiday Hellenic Premier Division fixture that was part of the 2003-04 annual ‘Ground Hop’ weekend. Local rivals Shortwood United provided the opposition in front of a crowd of 525.

Season 2004-05 again saw a fourth place finish in the Hellenic Premier. The club also made their first appearance in the F.A. Vase, which resulted in a run to the third round proper before a 2-1 extra time defeat at Western League side Backwell United.

In February 2005, Gray stood down after nearly four seasons at the helm of the club.

The club started season 2005-06 under newly appointed Manager Doug Foxwell. A first entry into the F.A. Cup saw a visit from Wessex League side Wimborne Town. A 1-0 defeat did not dampen the sense of occasion on the first day of the season. A second successful run in the F.A. Vase came to an end in the Third Round Proper, with a 3-1 defeat at South Midland Premier, Welwyn Garden City.

After a record-breaking 64 game season, the team achieved a fifth place finish in the Hellenic Premier, and the club also won the Hellenic ‘Norman Matthews’ Floodlit Cup and the GFA Challenge Trophy, both for the second time in three seasons.

After two successive third place finishes in the Stroud and District League First Division, season 2005-06 saw the Reserves finally win the title and with it, promotion to the Gloucester Northern Senior League Division Two. This was the same League title that the first team won in season 1998-99 which proved the springboard for five successive first team promotions.

Season 2006-07 proved to be the most successful in the Club’s history to date, with both the First Team and Reserve side recording League and Cup doubles, with the added bonus of record-breaking F.A.Cup and Vase runs for the senior side.

In the F.A. Cup, a five match run from the Extra-Preliminary Round finished at Merthyr Tydfil in the Third Qualifying Round. Along the way there were memorable wins against two other

Southern Premier sides, 2-1 at Yate Town and 3-1 at home to Chippenham Town.

It was six matches in the F.A. Vase before defeat was tasted, the run ending in the Fifth Round Proper at home to the eventual winners, Truro City.

In the Hellenic Premier Division, bad weather, which led to a record number of postponements during the subsequently extended season, led to half a season’s fixtures being played in the final two months. A tremendous effort saw the Club bring the Championship Shield to Wisloe Road, the winning margin being three points over second placed North Leigh.

There was a rousing performance in the G.F.A. Trophy Final against Almondsbury Town. A 3-1 victory not only retained the Trophy, but recorded a third success in four seasons in that competition.

The Reserve side had an early success in the Gloucester Northern Senior League Cup with a 2-0 win against Division One Tuffley Rovers. This saw confidence rise and they went on to break a Gloucestershire Northern Senior League record in winning Division Two with a Played 30, Won 30 record.

As a result of winning the league after an inspiring final day victory, and the upgrade to the ground facilities at Wisloe Road, the club were promoted into the BGB Southern League Division One Midlands for Season 2007-08, however, there was a twist to come in the tale.

On July 10th 2007 the club decided not to take up the promotion, and effectively, the first team took over the position in the pyramid occupied by the reserve team four steps below, and which was disbanded.

The First Team reverted back to the Gloucester Northern Senior League. This meant a severe upheaval in the club both on and off the field with the manager Doug Foxwell and several senior players moving on the pastures new.

However, a loyal band of players stayed on including James Cole, who took over as player manager with assistance from long term club captain Leon Sterling to begin the next stage of the club’s journey.

Four promotions followed as the club regained their previous status. James Cole handed over to Leon Sterling, who moved into the Manager's role, joined as Assistant Manager by long time Slimbridge stalwart Freddy Ward. The two guided the side to three top six finishes in their first three seasons back in the Hellenic Premier.

After the completion of the 2012-13 season, the Swans applied for a transfer to the Toolstation Western Premier League in an effort to reduce prohibitive travelling costs, a move which was approved by the FA in the Summer of 2013.

After two seasons in the Toolstation Western Premier League, a third place finish at the end of the 2014-15 season gave the Swans a second opportunity to return to the Southern Football League. This time the club accepted the offer and took their place in the South and West Division, finishing a credible 18th in their first season, the highest level the club had ever achieved at that time in their history. Prior to the commencement of that campaign, John Mack had stepped back from Chairman duties and his position was taken up by Barry Gay.

At the start of the 2016-17 season, and prior to our pre-season friendly fixture with neighbours Forest Green Rovers, the football ground in Wisloe Road was formally renamed to Thornhill Park in recognition of the marvellous gift we had received from Evil Thornhill 46 years earlier.

Evi's son, Tony and his wife Margaret (Sadly neither of them still with us) were on hand to cut the ceremonial Ribbon, and Tony made a short and very heartfelt speech about how much the renaming meant to him and the entire Thornhill family, and how honoured they were that the football club had recognised their father in this way.

A difficult two seasons of struggle at a higher level saw the eventual departure of Leon Sterling as Manager, with Freddy Ward stepping up to the plate, assisted by Lee Driver-Dickerson. With Freddy then stepping aside to concentrate on his last few years of playing having steadied the Swans’ ship, ‘Drive’ took over the reins as Manager of the first team.

The Club’s previous ground attendance record was smashed on 4th February 2017, when 898 fans saw the side suffer a 3-0 defeat to Hereford FC, who were working their way back up the league pyramid following their reformation after the collapse of Hereford United.

Prior to the Covid suspension of football in March 2020, the Under 18s and the Reserves were top of their respective leagues, while the first team were sitting in 12th place in the Southern League Division One South, the highest placing in the history of the football club. Although the FA has made the season’s results null and void, they have been officially added to club statistics and all appearances and goals will stand in our records as a permanent tribute to all who represented the club in a fantastic season in the strangest of all campaigns.

The 2021-22 Season saw the departure of Driver-Dickerson, who decided to accept an opportunity to move to Evesham United, and the assistants team of former Swans’ legend Tom Speers and Adam Coyle took over the reins, assisted by Tom Deakin and Tom Hitchings.

The 2022-23 season was a very difficult one for the side resulting in the departure of Speers in February 2023 with the side having achieved only four victories at that point. Adam Coyle and Tom Deakin moved into the Management role, but the season resulted in relegation and a return to the Hellenic League for the 2023-24 Season.

On a brighter note, the Under 18s side had a historic Double winning season, winning the S.Turier and Son Cup, beating Bishops Cleeve at Evesham United’s ground, before clinching the Cheltenham Floodlit league title and the double on a memorable night a few days later at Tuffley Rovers.

In their third season in the Hellenic League, Tom Deakin assumed the role of Sole Team Manager following Adam Coyle’s decision to step back from the position during the 2024-25 Season, with Sam Prior brought in to work as his Assistant.

After an inconsistent season that petered out, the introduction of Mike Palmer (as Joint Manager) and Ben Powell prior to the start of the 2025-26 season completed the ‘Fab Four’ Management Team, and it paid off spectacularly.

The Swans clinched the Hellenic League Title with two games remaining, for only the second time in the club’s history, securing promotion to the Southern League South after four years away. A late winner at Tuffley Rovers and an excruciating 11 minutes of stoppage time in other games made them wait, however, the celebrations were unrivalled once all the games had finished.

Kieran Brice-Ingles and his management team also made some superb progress with the Under 18 side, who won the Cheltenham Youth Floodlit League and also triumphed in the HFA Giantkillers Cup Competition to crown a superb season for the team and for the football club.

With a fresh Southern League challenge in front of them, these are exciting times for the little village team from Gloucestershire.


16	Shaftesbury	17	17
17	Bideford	15	16
18	Melksham Town	15	16
19	Slimbridge AFC	14	16
20	Larkhall Athletic	13	17
21	Paulton Rovers	12	15
22	Bristol Manor Farm	10	18

Slimbridge AFC

Match Outlook

Division One South