Bibury withdraw from Gloucestershire Northern Senior League - TEN sides set for promotion for 2026/27 season?

Bibury have withdrawn from the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League ahead of the 2026/27 season.

The decision was submitted to the league over the weekend and was accepted at the start of this week, with the club citing a loss of players throughout this season into next as a major reason for the withdrawal.

Bibury secured a 9th place finish in the GNSL Division One table, but will run their reserves side as their new first team in the Cheltenham League for next season.

In the email to the league, it acknowledges the difficulty the club have had to compete in the GNSL given their location and they will now look to take stock as a football club to try and push back up the ranks to make a return in the future.

Severn Sport approached club Chairman, Kieran Brice-Ingles, who has said the following about the decision.

“Unfortunately we’re losing some lads who have been key to the success of the club over the last few years due to retirement, and being a village club virtually in the middle of nowhere compared to some of the others in the league, we don’t have the influx of players externally to replace them.

Due to this, we were always going to struggle to compete in either of the divisions in the league, but that is also not fair on those committed if we are going to also struggle for numbers week-to-week.

Dropping down and making this decision gives us a chance to refresh as a club, which we had to do in order to preserve the longer term future of the club,” Brice-Ingles said.

Bibury are also looking to recruit new coaches and a Manager for their side going into next season, with Bibury playing in the Cheltenham League for the 2026/27 campaign. If there are any individuals who are interested, please contact the club on social media for more information.

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Bibury’s withdrawal comes after the league lost all of FC Lakeside, Staunton & Corse and Berkeley Town at various points of the season, so there is a question mark on what will happen for next season for the league.

Rumours have been circulating that the GNSL is reducing to two divisions of fourteen teams, whilst there is also a feeling that if Longlevens Reserves win their County League play-off next week, then as many as SIX sides could be promoted across the Stroud, North Gloucestershire & Cheltenham Leagues into the GNSL.

Those six sides are likely to be made up of the Champions of each league and/or sides who have finished further down their respective table but have applied for promotion and pass the ground grading.

It is believed that Old Richians, Tuffley Rovers Reserves and Minchinhampton would fit this criteria from the Stroud League, however it remains to be seen how the split across the three leagues will unfold.

Due to the fact neither of the two sides set to be relegated from the County League would come into the GNSL, there is scope for a reshuffle – with talks of as many as four sides needing to be promoted from Division Two into Division One for next season.

If that was to happen then Hardwicke, Smiths Barometrics, Wickwar Wanderers and one of Barnwood United or Mushet & Coalway Utd would be promoted in order to take Division One back to sixteen teams for next season.

With a huge final week of the season left for the GNSL, the one thing that is for sure is that it will be another summer of movement to make sure it is as competitive as possible for the 2026/27 campaign.