14^th February 2026 - Filton Athletic keep pressure on at top

Mark Simpson

Filton Athletic closed the gap on Tewkesbury Town and Sharpness at the top whilst at the bottom Hanham Athletic are starting to come a little bit adrift and Totterdown United have slipped into the bottom two after defeat at fellow strugglers Cribbs Reserves. Ruardean Hill’s form has improved no end. Sharpness followed Bromley Heath United into the semi-finals of the County Cup.

At Elm Park Filton Athletic came from behind against Quedgeley Wanderers to make it six League wins in a row. There was an early chance for the hosts when a good cross from Tom Fry was headed over by Kieran Cooper. He then had another chance when a corner wasn’t cleared and Taylor Anderson put the ball back in only for Cooper’s header to be saved by Stephen Sparrow. Quedgeley had a chance of their own when Nathan Payne was put through but he shot tamely at Tom Bradley. Filton kept pushing and from a corner Fry headed straight at Sparrow. But, as it happened, it was the visitors who scored first when a good Harry Reynolds strike from the edge of the area flew into the corner of the net. Filton almost equalised soon after when an acrobatic Cooper effort went just wide and QW should have gone two-up when after a mix up in the Filton box the ball fell to Riley Stokes but his effort went straight to Bradley. Early in the second half the hosts went close but, to his frustration, Cooper shot just wide. Filton eventually equalised when after good work down the right Taylor Anderson fired the ball across goal and an unfortunate defender put through his own net. Filton soon made it 2-1 when Trey Merrett clinically finished Anderson’s flick on, and Filton seeing out the rest of a hard-fought game for a 2-1 win.

Totterdown United visited the Lawns to take on Cribbs Reserves with both teams looking for points to move away from the bottom of the table with both having picked up points in recent weeks, and it was the home side who took the lead on 3 minutes when Dan Monk’s pass found Luco Ponsillo on the edge of the box and his low right footed drive found the bottom left hand corner of the net. On ten minutes Monk’s lofted ball sent Alex Craig through but his lob lacked enough height to beat Ashley Martin. Both teams passed the ball around well on a sticky surface and whilst Cribbs limited Totterdown to long range efforts they themselves lacked the final ball. Cribbs almost made it two just before half time when Harvey Jasper had an effort cleared off the line and James Capon hit a post. The second half followed a similar pattern to the first but on 65 minutes Cribbs were awarded a penalty for a push on Ponsillo who the stepped up only to put his spot kick tamely wide. Totts pushed for an equaliser putting more men forward with Chas Hemmings a constant threat and the pressure almost paid off when during a goalmouth scramble Cribbs keeper somehow scooped the ball off the line. The game became stretched and was end to end but Cribbs held on for a vital win.

Hanham Athletic and Bishops Cleeve Development played out an open game at Kayte Lane, but it was the home side who ran out comfortable winners. On only two minutes Soloman Osinuga was set free by Smith and slid in to give Cleeve the lead. Hanham then started to ask a few questions of the hosts with Sunter in the Cleeve goal being called into action. The game remained open with both sides trading attacks but it wasn’t until the second half that Cleeve really asserted their dominance on the game. New continued his scoring run with a quick-fire double before Ellerton added to his goal tally for the season with a tap in from close range. Cleeve contrived to waste further opportunities through Smith, Ellerton, and Debonis, but the game was already won by then. So, 4-0 to Cleeve leaving Hanham an awful lot of work to do.

Bishops Cleeve Development (Green) v Hanham Athletic (Black/White), Images courtesy Peter Langley

Bishops Cleeve Development (Green) v Hanham Athletic (Black/White), Images courtesy Peter Langley

Bishops Cleeve Development (Green) v Hanham Athletic (Black/White), Images courtesy Peter Langley

Bishops Cleeve Development (Green) v Hanham Athletic (Black/White), Images courtesy Peter Langley

Bishops Cleeve Development (Green) v Hanham Athletic (Black/White) - Images courtesy Peter Langley

Bishops Cleeve Development (Green) v Hanham Athletic (Black/White), Images courtesy Peter Langley

Bishops Cleeve Development (Green) v Hanham Athletic (Black/White), Images courtesy Peter Langley

Bishops Cleeve Development (Green) v Hanham Athletic (Black/White), Images courtesy Peter Langley

Bishops Cleeve Development (Green) v Hanham Athletic (Black/White), Images courtesy Peter Langley

Bishops Cleeve Development (Green) v Hanham Athletic (Black/White), Images courtesy Peter Langley

Bishops Cleeve Development (Green) v Hanham Athletic (Black/White), Images courtesy Peter Langley

Bishops Cleeve Development (Green) v Hanham Athletic (Black/White), Images courtesy Peter Langley

Bishops Cleeve Development (Green) v Hanham Athletic (Black/White), Images courtesy Peter Langley

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At the Bellfield Frampton United welcomed Broadwell Amateurs and it was the visitors who had an early chance through Liam Brain who cut inside the defender but shot just wide. Frampton responded with a quick break with the ball crossed in for Manolo Marquez to slide in but his shot crept just wide. The only goal of the game came from a 30-yard strike by Frampton’s Lewis Vye which flew into the top of the net. On 75 minutes Broadwell had a great opportunity to equalise when they were awarded a penalty but Frampton keeper Tom Kaye saved well from Jamie Belfitt’s effort. Broadwell’s Ben Lear was unlucky when his turn and strike came back off the crossbar and was followed by a good run by Frampton’s Vye who pulled the ball back only for Kak Tyers’ shot to go wide. Frampton held out for the rest of the game to take the points with a 1-0 win.

Bromley Heath United took on Ruardean Hill Rangers at Pomphrey Hill and the first part of the match was a very tight affair with both teams having good possession without really creating anything. On the half hour mark Ruardean won a corner, probably against the run of play at that stage, and the ball sailed in beyond the far post where it was neatly controlled by Tom Landon who smashed it into the net. Ten minutes later Max Telling found himself in space on the edge of the six-yard box and looped a header over the keeper for 2-0. Bromley came out for the second half determined to get something out of the game but couldn’t really fashion anything clear cut and were hit with a sucker punch when Harry Clark put Ruardean further ahead ten minutes into the half with Bromley’s makeshift defence not reacting quick enough to clear the ball. However, five minutes later a well-placed header from Bromley’s Trai Elliston-Sackett gave them some hope of getting back into the game. The rest of the game rather fizzled out with Ruardean determined to consolidate their lead and with Bromley desperate to pull something back the inevitable happened and Ollie Mason scored a breakaway goal for the visitors. A good 4-1 victory for Ruardean continuing their climb up the table and on this occasion not to be for Bromley Heath.

With the sun making a rare appearance of late Stoke Gifford SGS United and Chalford both started brightly at the SGS College and 17 minutes in Gifford took the lead, a mistake in the Chalford defence allowed Froilan Lopez a free hit from the edge of the box giving Chris Load no chance with the ball finding the bottom corner. Within three minutes however, Chalford were level, a well delivered cross into the box saw an own-goal off the head of a Gifford defender. Gifford restored their lead almost immediately when Pat Kosciolek rounded off a well worked move from inside the box. Gifford had numerous chances to extend their lead but it was Chalford who came closest to scoring with Fin O’Kelly’s free kick hitting a post and the follow up shot well saved by Taylor Smith. Chalford were denied an equaliser at the start of the second half with a goal ruled out for offside but on sixty minutes the scores were level with Ben Pring heading home an in-swinging corner. Taylor Smith in the Gifford goal pulled off a few key saves to keep his side in the game before Gifford edged their noses back in front on 80 minutes when Lopez calmly dispatched a penalty. Chalford pressed forward and were themselves awarded a penalty six minutes into stoppage time with Cam Kerr keeping his nerve to score from the shot and earn a share of the points at 3-3.

12^th February 2026 - Promotion and Relegation

Nigel Meaney

The following club has applied for promotion to Step 6 of the National League System for Season 2026/7

• Sharpness

The bottom two clubs will be relegated and replaced by the two successful applicants as determined by the Gloucestershire FA (GFA) rules for promotion in the local football pyramid as described in the GFA Handbook Here, on pages 47-49, Regulations of the Association Section 7 - Local Structure (South/North). The background to this process is described in an article on the GFA website Here

Clubs applying to join the league for next season are as follows

Bristol Premier Combination

• DRG Frenchay
• Hallen Reserves
• Iron Acton

Bristol and Suburban League

• Almondsbury Reserves
• Southmead CS Athletic
• Warmley Redbridge
• Wessex Wanderers

Gloucestershire Northern Senior League

• Dursley Town
• English Bicknor
• Longlevens Reserves
• Whaddon United

Hellenic League

• University of Bristol

8^th February 2026 - Spoils shared all round on weather affected day

Mark Simpson

I suppose a long winning run had to come to an end at sometime and so Tewkesbury Town’s sequence ended at the hands of Totterdown United who gained a valuable point in their quest to avoid relegation. Ruardean Hill also gained a valuable point away to Stoke Gifford for a similar cause.

Despite plenty of rain throughout the week which caused multiple postponements, the pitch at Norton Lane managed to hold through the monsoon so that Totterdown United could play Tewkesbury Town. The game started fairly evenly with neither team forcing the play but it was Tewkesbury who got a hold on the game after around ten minutes where they had multiple corners one of which was cleared and dropped to Jordan who crashed his shot off the bar before Martin gratefully gathered. At around 20 minutes the ball was played through into the Totts penalty area and a tangle of legs saw a penalty awarded and Jordan slotted home to give the visitors the lead. Totterdown struggled to build much with Saunders isolated up front and waves of Tewkesbury pressure finally broke Totterdown, with a sliced clearance seeing Jordan stroll through to make it 2-0. Tewkesbury had a chance to make it three from a corner but Martin made an excellent point blank save to deny them. Totts were standing up to the pressure well, but were making zero threat until the final five minutes of the half when some great wing play by Price saw him slip Lovell in who flashed across the box only for Maker to just miss.

Totterdown swapped things about a bit for the second half and started ta cause Tewkesbury a few problems. Jordan had a few half chances from good through balls which he failed to capitalise on and Tewkesbury were having great trouble dealing with Tobin’s surging runs. On the hour Totts moved the ball well from right to left and Wiltshire moved up and whipped in a teasing cross which saw Poole come to claim only for Tobin to leap in and head home. Totterdown’s tails were up and they could smell blood, and in the 75^th minute Tewkesbury were struggling to clear the ball which worked its way to Hemmings at centre back, he drove forward and from the edge of the box rocketed the ball into the back of the net for 2-2. With the game flipped on its head Totts made multiple runs and saw some great opportunities but weren’t able to make the final telling pass. Tewkesbury broke a few times but did not trouble Martin, and the game finished 2-2. Tewkesbury probably should have wrapped the game up in the first half but Totterdown deservedly got a point from their second half performance and they have been improving for a while with hope to look up the table rather than down.

On a very wet afternoon Stoke Gifford SGS Unitedtook on Ruardean Hill Rangers at the SGS college with neither team able to get a foothold in the game early on with the blustery conditions not helping the cause. Gifford slightly edged the opening twenty minutes with Zac Morgan and Patryk Kosciolek going close but never really threatened Aaron Underwood in the Ruardean goal, and at the other end a shot from Harry Clark just cleared the Gifford bar. On the half hour Gifford took the lead, Dave Talbot’s free kick into the box was poked home from close range by Morgan and minutes later Gifford thought they had extended their lead, but the goal was ruled out for offside. As the break approached Gifford failed to deal with a long clearance up field and a speculative effort from 30 yards by Bobby Walding flew over the keeper’s head and into the net for 1-1. Clear chances in the second half were few and far between with Matt Hamer coming close for Gifford and a well struck shot from Max Telling narrowly missing the Gifford upright. So, 1-1 it finished and the spoils shared.