Tigers' Main Goal Is To Be Back Home Before Too Long

The next match is always the most important, perhaps except this time of year when their concentration is placed on what happens on the first day of the league season.

Gloucester City’s Marc Richards doesn’t subscribe to that theory.

As important as their opener at Concord Rangers is, next season isn’t the one really in the eye-line of the Tigers.

It’s what happens after that. If all goes to plan there is a chance Gloucester could be back home in twelve months. A truly historic homecoming for a club which has been on its knees for far too long.

A third major flood in 2007 threatened their existence, forcing them out and over a decade later the National League South’s nomads have been chasing their tails.

“There’s a few of us at the club, but a hell of a lot of work to do. Everybody’s heart is in the right place,” he told the National League Oli Osborn.

“We could do with some help, yes, but people are doing everything they can to get us back in the city. We need to be back for the start of next season. It’s massive.

“It is a struggle not having a home ground. We need to be back, as when we do the club it will take off. The club has so much potential. The city of Gloucester is growing and growing - it’s crazy what’s going on, and we need to be a part of it.

“It needs a football club there. It needs a club that these young talented players we have got can have an affinity with.

“When we do, they can hopefully get the club competing at the top end of the National League South and looking further up, as opposed to thinking all we’ve got to do is survive.”

Gloucester really turned around once they made a change last season.

The gloom of a relegation struggle was lifted once Richards replaced popular Tim Harris. There was even talk of a play-off push at one point.

But it seems the bookmakers haven’t quite learned their lesson.

“I saw some odds last week. We were rock bottom!” he said. “I love that, it’s a challenge for the players and for myself and the boys behind the scenes. We’ll go under the radar, that’s fine!

“But we’ll see. Six or ten games in we will have a much better idea. I just can’t wait for the season to get started now. We’ve been in since late June

“I think the boys are really up for it now, they’ve been working their socks off.”

Gloucester clearly need an ethos while they’re in limbo and out of town.

They’ve lost players but Richards’ outlook is refreshing. He’s even helped some of the better players out the door.
“In the off-season period there will always be turnover,” he adds. “Some of the players have been given opportunities to look after themselves shall we say, and we wish them all the best.

“I’ve been pro-active with helping some of the boys, too. We are a club at the moment who can attract good young players and be a stepping stone for them to go higher up the pyramid.

“But we also want a core group of players here who want to be Gloucester City identified players. By that I mean by their workrate, their honesty and the standards which they portray week in, week out.

“There has been a bit of coming and going, but it’s starting to take shape now.

“It’s something we have to do. We have got 18-year-olds here who are holding their own.

“‘M excited about the likes of Dan King, the likes of Will Tunnicliffe and and Noah Smerdon and giving them the opportunity to play at a very good standard of football.

“We’ll see what happens. We’re really looking forward to seeing how they can perform at a tough standard.

“You don’t want them to peak too soon. You don’t want them to peak on the 4th of August, you want them to do it mid-way through. Their fitness should be on a trajectory, they shouldn’t be smashing it pre-season then flagging come November. It’s got to be well managed.”