Cheltenham Town

The club was formed in the 1880s and spent 50 years in regional leagues before turning pro in the 1930s and spending the next 50 years in the Southern League. They made the fifth tier (now National League) in the 1980s and then, under manager Steve Cotterill (a local lad and former player), made the Football League in 1999. In 1998 they won the FA Trophy. Cotterill eventually left for a (so far) nine other clubs, currently Forest Green Rovers.

To give you an idea of their stature in the game, among the accomplishments they most brag about is when they did the double over Leeds United during the 2007–08 League One season. Other than one season in the National League (when they were champions), they were in League Two until winning promotion to League One in 2021. They dropped back down to League Two, though, in 2024.

All of this is to say, they’re a tiny club. So let’s take some time here to talk about the town instead. It’s officially called Cheltenham Spa, and everyone calls it a Regency spa town. The Regency period started around the later part of King George III’s reign, when he went nuts and was replaced by his son, who ruled as the prince regent. After Crazy George’s son and grandson had ruled, they were replaced by Queen Victoria, who was queen for, like, 148 years. So the Regency era was, say, 1795 to 1837, when she took the throne.

As for spa, that’s because of mineral springs discovered in the area in 1716. A retired mariner named (amazingly) Henry Skillicorne saw the commercial benefit of the springs and had the good sense to marry the owner’s daughter. He started to build things up, and when George III and his family visited in 1788, it was game on.

By the 1830s a whole new town had essentially been built, and horse racing had also become popular. The Cheltenham Festival was established around 1860; this is the number two annual event in the type of racing where horses jump over stuff. (Our knowledge of British royal history is only slightly better than that of horse racing.) There are still many other cultural festivals throughout the Cheltenham calendar, the biggest of which is the Cheltenham Gold Cup, which usually coincides with St. Patrick’s Day and is, to hear a local describe it, a virtual Irish invasion of the town and the biggest drinking throwdown in the world.

All of this lies about two hours west of London’s Paddington Station and at the foot of the Cotswolds, which you can think of as England’s Tuscany—a land of rolling hills, sheep, and old stone villages packed with charm. The 102-mile Cotswold Way, a walking path through the whole area, starts 20 miles from Cheltenham in Chipping Camden and passes through the Cheltenham area, most notably a couple of miles away at Leckhampton Hill.

2024–25 SEASON: 15th in League Two, 2nd Round FA Cup, 1st Round League Cup

2025–26 SEASON: League Two (relegated in 2024)

These days it’s mainly about Forest Green Rovers, some 20 miles away in Nailsworth. But, Rovers are relegated in the National League. In older times it would have been local neighbors Gloucester City and Hereford, now three leagues below them in the pyramid.

Cheltenham Town Women FC are actually called the Robinesses, and they play in the FA Women’s National League Southern Division at tier 4. See ctwomenfc.com for more.

A few years back the team recorded one called “Cotswold Pride” for an FA Trophy run, but everybody seems to act like that never happened.

Their ground, Whaddon Road holds 7,066, most of it seating but with a couple of terraces. The main stand is the Jelf Stand, where you find the ticket office, bar, and club shop. The away fans will be just to the right of this stand, in the all-seated Hazelwoods Stand.

TOURS: None

GETTING THERE: It’s about two miles from the station, so a taxi may be the best bet. The walk is just over an hour, adding a swing through Pittville Park on the way (see Around Town).

PUBS: There’s a bar in the ground, but a steward in the car park recommended the Airs and Graces as a proper pub. It was closed at the time, so we can’t comment, but it is the closest thing around.

The tiny Kemble Brewery Inn was recommended for real ales and looked a cool place. Elsewhere in town the Cheltenham Motor Club was recently the CAMRA (beer gurus) Pub of the Year. In the center, the Old Courthouse is a beautiful pub in a 200-year-old building, and the Whittle Taps had a nice feel and big menu.

GRUB: The Old Courthouse and Whittle Taps are options. There are also outlets of all the big chains around town, including Prezzo, Turtle Bay, and Wagamama.

AROUND TOWN: Get a £1.50 walking map from the tourist information place in the center, which is about a 20-minute walk from the station (or take Bus D). Although the town is “only” about 250 years old, there are some nice buildings and parks to check out, particularly Pittville Park, which is lined with beautiful old homes. In the park, look for the 1830 Pump Room, the quaint Central Cross Café, and a super charming boathouse where (outside of winter) you can rent paddleboats or just have some ice cream.