One of the more impressive football leagues are celebrating a special milestone this year.

The Gloucestershire County Football League are coming to the end of their 50th season and as things stand there is every likelihood that the next 50 years will be just as successful.

That’s certainly the hope of the league’s secretary Ron Holpin, who has done so much for the league over the past few years.

The 77-year-old has been secretary since 2006 and said of the league reaching a half-century: “Yes, it is an achievement.

“It’s a strong league and we look after it well. We don’t let clubs drop below the standards required and we don’t let them come in if they’re not up to standard.

“We ground grade clubs every three years.”

The league sits at step 7 of the national league system – they are allowed a maximum of 16 teams – and is a feeder to the Hellenic League and Western League.

“We’ve been able to promote 11 clubs in the last 13 years,” continued Holpin. “If clubs want to go up we encourage them to do so.

“We don’t want to hang on to them and new teams coming in keep the league fresh.”

And there have certainly been some strong clubs who have gone on to bigger and better things after making their way out of the County League, most notably Forest Green Rovers who are now doing so well in League Two of the Football League.

Other clubs to have come through the league are Bishop’s Cleeve, Brimscombe and Thrupp, Cinderford Town, Cirencester Town, Fairford Town, Longlevens, Lydney Town, Slimbridge, Shortwood United and Tuffley Rovers.

“The only team that ever came back were Slimbridge,” said Holpin. “That was about 10 years ago and they only stayed for one season because they won the league that year.”

That was in 2008/09 – they now play in Division One South of the Southern League – and among other winners of the league are Matson Athletic back in the 70s, Shortwood, Tuffley, Lydney, Hardwicke, Brimscombe and Thrupp, Longlevens and Cheltenham Civil Service.

The first ever winners of the league were Stonehouse Town and as such they will be hosting a representative game at the beginning of May to mark the league’s 50th anniversary.

It will be between a County League side, who will be managed by Wick boss Mike Strawford, and a team from the Western League and it will take place on Saturday 4th May (2.30pm).

There will also be a special anniversary dinner at the Whitminster Inn in Whitminster on Saturday 18th May.