Truro City FC Official Website

Truro City History

Truro City became a founding member of the Cornwall County Football Association (CCFA) on September 18, 1889.

Promotion celebrations in 2015

On this same day, at a meeting which took place in the city at the Royal Hotel, the CCFA was formed.

City’s first ever recorded match took place at Truro College on October 4, 1889 with the side prevailing 7-1 against Penzance and just six years later, a first of 15 Cornwall Senior Cups to date was secured. Truro defeated Launceston 5-1.

After initially playing league games in the Plymouth & District League, Truro joined the newly formed Cornwall Senior League in 1931. However, just three years later, in 1934, they re-joined the P&D League owing to a dispute over travelling expenses.

City were subsequently barred from entering the Cornwall Senior Cup but were re-admitted in 1939, just before the outbreak of the Second World War.

In 1951, Truro were founding members of the South Western League and on four occasions in the 20th century, Truro were league champions.

After many years with only limited success, in 2004, Truro were the subject of significant investment on the pitch and with a wealthy backer, a rapid rise up the non-league football pyramid ensued.

City were promoted to the Western League for the 2006-07 season which is arguably the most historic in the club’s entire history. The side romped to the league title but it was in the FA Vase that the club wrote a new chapter in Cornish football history.

Truro reached the final at a newly rebuilt Wembley Stadium and in front of a bumper crowd, defeated then Wessex League outfit AFC Totton 3-1.

City fell behind to the Southampton-based side but a brace from Kevin Wills, alongside a single Joe Broad strike saw Truro lift the FA Vase – thus becoming the first Cornish side to ever appear, and then subsequently win, at Wembley.

In 2007-08, Truro won the Western Premier Division at the first attempt by 17 points and would become the first Cornish side to ever play in the Southern League.

The success didn’t stop and just a single season at Step Four ensued with City equalling a British football record of four straight promotions and for 2009-10, the side would ply their trade in the Southern League Premier.

Life was much harder at Step Three for Truro and there was to be no fifth promotion on the spin as the side finished the campaign in a credible 11th place.

It was just a momentary pause in the upward trajectory of Truro City as 2010-11 saw normal service resumed and another promotion to Conference South level saw the side just two promotions from the Football League.

A first year of consolidation at Step Two saw Truro finish 14th but the bubble of success was about to burst in spectacular fashion.

The club ran into financial difficulties and were hit with a 10-point deduction for entering administration and a transfer embargo. The very future of the club looked uncertain but at the eleventh hour, City were rescued by a local based consortium. An inevitable drop down to the Southern League then took place.

A second relegation on the spin was avoided after a strong end to 2013-14 and once again, the club could start to look upwards.

They returned to the newly titled National League South for 2015-16 after defeating St Neots Town 1-0 in the Southern League play-off final thanks to a penalty from Shane White.

The next three seasons were up and down for Truro as they suffered two play-off semi-final defeats, sandwiched between a brush with relegation which was narrowly avoided.

There was yet more history for Truro in 2017-18 as they reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time before bowing out to former Premier League giants Charlton Athletic 3-1 at the Valley.

The 2018-19 season saw Truro suffer a tumultuous campaign with three permanent managers, the start of the season playing home games at Torquay United, before moving back to Treyew Road after the festive period.

The upheaval had a detrimental effect on results and the season ended with relegation and new owners too.

Before the covid-19 pandemic, City looked odds on for an instant Step Two return under manager Paul Wotton but the league campaign in 2019-20 was declared null and void.

Part way through the next season, also owing to coronavirus, the season was not completed and the club would vacate Treyew Road, moving to Bolitho Park, home of Plymouth Parkway, while a new facility is built at Langarth.

Connor Riley-Lowe scores the winning goal in the 2023 Southern League Premier Division Play-Off Final

After adjusting to life playing every game across the border and out of Cornwall, City returned back to National League South after a four year absence in 2023, winning the Southern League play-off final.

In a dramatic game away to Bracknell Town, skipper Connor Riley-Lowe scored the winning goal deep into stoppage time to hand City promotion and a 3-2 win.

The club began life back in Step Two, whilst a new stadium in Langarth was constructed, playing games in Devon, but due to a wet winter, were forced to play home matches towards the end of 2023-24, 200 miles away in Gloucester.

Remarkably, despite playing 10 games in 20 days during April, National League South safety was secure with a 16th placed finish.

During 23-24, the club was purchased by a North American consortium and this coincided with a huge upturn in fortunes for Truro City.

Firstly, the club returned to Cornwall and the city of Truro after four years away at the newly constructed Truro City Stadium. The club changed its nickname to the Tinners and reverted to playing in red and black as its primary colours.

John Askey was also appointed as Truro’s new manager, replacing Wotton who left for Torquay United.

Close to 3,000 fans packed into the TCS to see the side’s first ever game at their new facility, which ended in a 2-1 defeat to promotion favourites Dorking Wanderers.

And despite losing on the opening day, City were one of the division’s top teams, defying the bookmakers odds of being favourites for relegation to push for promotion and become the first team from Cornwall to play in the National League.

In one of English football’s closest ever title races, six teams – City, Torquay, Eastbourne, Worthing, Dorking and Boreham Wood – all had a mathematical chance of winning the league on the final day.

Realistically, it was between City and Torquay with Askey’s charges hosting relegation threatened St Albans, whilst the Gulls were on the road at Hemel Hempstead.

In the most dramatic of final days, both sides won, but City, holding a two-goal advantage over the Devonians, won the title by virtue of a better goal difference. Truro thrashed the Saints 5-2, whilst Torquay defeated the Tudors 4-1.

City became National League South champions: Picture: Phil Mingo/PPAUK

Cue glorious celebrations between players, staff and the supporters as City were champions. The club were not presented with the trophy however due to multiple last day permutations.

Instead, the trophy was presented to captain Riley-Lowe in front of Truro Cathedral some two weeks later, as thousands of fans lined the city’s streets for an open-top bus parade and celebration.

Truro City lift the National League South trophy – Picture: Colin Bradbury

Club Honours

National League South Champions
2024/25
Southern League Premier Division Champions
2011
Southern League Premier Playoff Winners
2015 2023
FA Vase Winners
2007
Southern League South & West Division Champions
2009
Western League Premier Division Champions
2008
Western League Division One Champions
2007
South Western League Champions
1961 1970 1994 1996 1998
South Western League Cup Winners
1960 1967 1993
Cornwall County League (West) Champions
1930 1931 1932
Cornwall Senior League Champions
1933 1934
Plymouth & District League Champions
1937
Cornwall Combination League Champions
1995 1999 2006 2008
Cornwall Combination League Cup Winners
1969 1978 1986 1988 1999 2000 2001 2006 2008
Cornwall Combination League Supplementary Cup Winners
1993
Cornwall Senior Cup Winners
1895 1902 1903 1911 1924 1927 1928 1929 1938 1959 1967 1970 1995 1998 2006 2007 2008
Durning Lawrence Charity Cup Winners
1912 1913 1920 1926 1929 1930 1931 1933 1950 1965 1981
George Evely Cup Winners
1969 1986 1988 1999 2000 2001 2006

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