The real history of Gornal Athletic is hidden in the depths of time - whilst the present club can trace its most recent incarnation back to 1945, there is no doubt that it has roots back in sides that were playing back at the turn of the century

Reformed after World War II as Lower Gornal Athletic, the present club has played in a variety of leagues, including the Worcestershire Combination, Birmingham & District and currently the West Midlands (Regional). Without a doubt the team’s most successful period was the decade from the mid 1960s until 1975. During this time - in 1964/65 - the club recorded its highest ever position in the league (4th behind Kidderminster Harriers in the premier division of the West Midlands (Regional) League) and ten years later it had its best ever FA Cup run, reaching the Third Qualifying Round before losing to Nuneation Borough

It was also during this period - in 1965 - that the club received its highest ever transfer fee when George Andrews and Gary Bell signed for Cardiff City in a deal worth £2100. Subsequently George went on to play for Walsall and will be remembered by many for scoring the goal that knocked Newcastle out of the FA Cup

After several years of struggling, however, the team was relegated to Division One of the League in 1979/80 and it took until 1994 to reverse the drop when they won the Division One Cup and finished second to Stafford Town in the league.

Unfortunately, the Club’s second spell in the Premier Division came to an end in 2002/3 when a miserable campaign saw us firmly anchored to the bottom of the league. The Club, however, was determined to bounce back to the top level as quickly as possible and indeed we finished last season by winning our very first senior league title.

The Youth Team also did us proud by winning the Western Division of the Midland Floodlit Youth League at the very first attempt. Elsewhere the picture for Gornal Athletic is equally bright with 16 junior sides competing in the Stourbridge & District League and over 200 youngsters registered to the Club.

Indeed, as a Club we are looking ahead to the future with tremendous optimism. Project Duncan Edwards is now well on the way to fruition - a plan that will see us have one of the best football facilities in the West Midlands. We are not only confident that we will maintain our position as one of the strongest clubs in Dudley but also that we will further enhance our reputation across the whole Midland region.

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