It’s been quite a journey for Hartpury FC with back-to-back title successes thrusting them into the Southern League for the first-ever time in their short history.
The club, which represents the Gloucestershire University, followed up their Hellenic League Division One triumph with the Hellenic League Premier Division crown last term, a campaign which also saw them get one game away from a Wembley appearance as they reached the semi-final of the Isuzu FA Vase.
Hartpury University and Hartpury College are among the UK’s leading specialist education providers in sport, as well as agriculture, equine and veterinary nursing.
The football programme that they offer has evolved into one of the most respected in the country; it’s ethos is built on development, professionalism and providing opportunity to help players reach their full potential.
Vice-Captain, Jacob Towns, is entering his fourth season and has benefitted greatly from the high-performance culture that has been created.
His formative years were spent within the youth academies of the likes of Stoke City, Forest Green Rovers and Everton as well as representing England at Schoolboy level.
Since moving to Hartpury, he has not only played a key role in the team’s progression, but also earned further recognition for his country as part of the England Universities squad.
“I have thrived in this unique environment,” he told us. “To be part of such a renowned and forward-thinking programme has really brought the best out of me, both as a footballer and as a person.
“I’m relishing the challenge that stands before us in the Southern League; it’s a just reward for the hard work and dedication that everyone has put in.
“An excellent opportunity stands before us to test ourselves at a higher level. The leap from Step 5 to Step 4 is a big one, but we’ve been building towards this for a few years now, it’s an accumulation of a winning habit that has seen us take two League titles in a row and also enjoy a fantastic run in the FA Vase.
“This has only strengthened us as a club and the general feeling amongst the players is that this is a level we can thrive at and really establish ourselves.
“We’re going into a very competitive League amongst some well-established clubs. Obviously we’re a young side, but we believe in the programme and with the players at our disposal and the infrastructure around the institution, there's no reason why we can't really kick-on and compete.
“As a club we’ll be pretty unique and do things differently to most, so it’s going to be interesting to see how things pan out for us.
“This is a good standard of football that most of our players haven’t experienced before, so it will certainly be a learning curve, but we have the ability and character within the group to take it in our stride and really make a statement as one of the top and most respected University teams in the country."
The club, nicknamed The Acorns, will be hoping to continue growing and we welcome them into the Southern League, where they will be part of Division One South.
IMAGE: Hartpury FC
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