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History


Sharpness A.F.C was founded in the 1900-1901 season. Their home ground was The Port (pictured in the 1980-2000 gallery) which they rented from British Waterways for a pepper-corn rate of one pound per year.

The club who are also known as 'The Sharks' have always fielded 1st and 2nd XI teams and on a number of occasions had 3 teams.

During 3 seasons of the mid 20's Sharpness won the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League. Although no football was played during both wars Sharpness players regularly wrote home to tell of their footballing achievements while they were away on duty.

After the 2nd World War Sharpness were very much to the fore and played at the highest standard in Gloucestershire football. The Sharks were very successful and in the 1962-63 season the 1st XI won the N.S.L whilst the 2nd XI won the Stroud League Div 1 without losing a game, a remarkable achievement.

In 1974 a clubhouse was built and from that point Sharpness went from strength to strength. They won the Gloucestershire County League and joined the Hellenic League where they were very successful for a number of years. In the 1985-86 season they got to the last 16 in the country playing in the F.A. Amateur Cup.

It was at this point that British Waterways decide they wanted to develop on the land where The Port was situated so the club had to leave its home of 88 years. Following World War 1 a Grandstand had been built in memory of those who perished in the war, alas this was bulldozed when The Sharks had to leave The Port.

For three seasons they played on Forest Greens pitch at a price far too high for that time. It became impossible to cover the costs of playing at Forest Green so the club had to revert to playing at a lower level. Reduced to one team now playing in N.S.L. Div 2 they got promoted in their first season 1991-92. Sharpness 1st XI have retained their position in N.S.L Div 1 ever since then, even winning the league in 2001-2002 but alas their facilities prevented them getting promoted.

Since leaving Forest Green Sharpness have played their games at Berkeley Vale School. At the time of writing The Sharks hope to be playing their soccer back in Sharpness but with many disappointments these last 15 years we can never be certain.

What of the future

The present chairman James Thomas who has now been with the club for over fifty years remarks that he is indeed proud of the present teams and says that the club has shown great character these last 14 years. He is dedicated to see The Sharks back to where they belong as one of the leading clubs in Gloucestershire football.