 | ||
| Full name | Gymnasium Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname | Gymns | |
| Founded | 1890 | |
| Ground | Tromode Park, Tromode Road Douglas, Isle of Man | |
| Chairman | Tony Hewson | |
| Manager | Vacant | |
| League | Isle of Man Football League Division Two | |
| 2025–26 | Combination Two, 4th of 13 | |
Gymnasium F.C. are a football club from Douglas on the Isle of Man. They compete in the Isle of Man Football League. They wear a light blue and white shirt, black shorts and light blue and black socks, and play their home games at Tromode Park in Douglas.
Gymnasium A.F.C. was founded on Saturday 11 October 1890 at a meeting held in the reading room of the Douglas Gymnasium, which was itself opened on Tuesday 12 November 1889. The meeting decided, on the casting vote of the chairman, to adopt the Association code, rather than Rugby, which was more prevalent on the Isle of Man at the time.This meeting is fully reported in the Isle of Man Times edition dated Wednesday 15 October 1890.
Gymns were one of eight teams that initially made up the official Manx Football League.
They have been Isle of Man Football League champions seven times, including four consecutive championships from 1902–03 to 1905–06. [1] They have won the Manx FA Cup ten times. [2]
The club experienced an internal power struggle during 1987, resulting in the resignation of a section of the committee and players to form spin off club, Douglas Royal, who even copied the Gymns kit of the time and to this day consider themselves rivals.
In 2001–02 they were relegated to Division Two [3] but were promoted again the following season as runners-up. [4] However, they spent just one season back in the First Division, finishing the season having won just two games. [5] And yet again the following season, 2004–05, they were immediately promoted as runners-up. [6] Following that turbulent period, the club was able to consolidate its position within the top tier.[ when? ]
In addition to the Senior team, the club has a reserve team that play in the Isle of Man Football Combination
Thanks to links with a prominent Premier League club, Gymns were donated a playing kit for the 2002–03 season. Unfortunately a mix-up in communication resulted in blue/white stripe shirts being provided instead of the club's traditional all-white. As a result, Gymns altered the club colours that season to reflect this new kit, later switching the shorts and socks from blue to black and thus creating the home strip worn today.
During the 2008–09 season, the club achieved The Football Association Charter Standard status, the FA's kitemark scheme for quality assurance.
The 2013-14 Season saw a strong trophy haul for the club, with both the first and the combination teams winning the respective league titles, as well as lifting the Woods Cup trophy.
The club then experienced a lean spell and have been back in the second division for a number of years.
After seeing many players depart the club in the summer, Gymns were only able to field a combination side for the season. The team struggled to get going in 2024, sitting at the bottom of the table on just 7 points by the end of the calendar year. However, after some tactical changes and the return of a couple of players, most notably Goalkeeper Josh Kingett from a long-term injury, the team showed signs of improvement and were able to finish the season strongly, earning 16 points in the final 7 matches, with the only loss in that run being to league champions, Colby. This run of form saw Gymns climb off the bottom of the table and up to a 10th place finish.
Club captain Daniel Kewley won the Players Player of the Season award, with Ricky Bell receiving the Managers equivalent for his debut season. Ollie Horbury won Young Player of the Year, and Dean Corlett received the award for best Newcomer. Alex McKeeman, Ally Sinclair and Danny Shefford were all given awards for their behind-the-scenes contributions to the club.
Despite some strong summer recruitment, Gymns are again only able to field a combination side, but with a new club sponsor in Celton, and a new kit manufactured by Swaz, the team began the 2025/26 season looking to build on the strong finish of the prior season. With no official manager, a group of players on the club committee have stepped up to lead the squad until a new manager is appointed.
Starting the season slowly with just 1 point from the opening 3 games, the team impressively went on to climb to 4th in the table following a 5-match unbeaten streak (DWWWD) that included 3 victories by a margin of 5+ goals.
| GK | DEF | MID | FWD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Saunders | Adam Clucas | Andrew Burkitt | Ally Sinclair |
| Josh Kingett | Alessandro Mazzotta | Calvin Kitching | Charles Simuchimba |
| Phil Cowin | Alex Hamilton | Daniel Kewley (c) | Hayden Gray |
| Alex McKeeman | Dean Corlett | Joe Hoy | |
| Brandon Quayle | George Rumney | Joe Price | |
| Corben Kewley | Mokebe Malatjie | Courage Ohikhuae | |
| Danny Shefford | Peter Wambui | Theo Boland | |
| Ricky Bell | |||
| Ste Faragher |
In early-2025, it was agreed that Celton would become the clubs primary sponsor for the upcoming 2025-26 Season.
The club is a member of the Cronkbourne Sports & Social Club, which also includes the Cronkbourne Cricket Club and the Cronkbourne Bacchanalians Hockey Club. This partnership enables the CSSC pavilion facilities to be used during the football season to provide a further level of comfort to home and visiting players.
The GTID Cricket team was formed in the summer of 2020, consisting of mixed ability players who play football for the club. From courageous catches to dubious drops, the club have achieved a staggering 3 promotions in 3 years. Smithy and the rudder have been prominent figures in this team over the years, with most people worldwide attributing the success of the team to them.
| League | No. | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Division One | 7 | 1897-98, 1902-03, 1903-04, 1904-05, 1905-06, 1919-20, 1986-87 |
| Division Two | 3 | 1969-70, 1973-74, 2013-14 |
| Division Two Combination | 1 | 2013-14 |
| Competition | No. | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Manx FA Cup | 10 | 1894–95, 1901–02, 1902–03, 1903–04, 1910–11, 1931–32, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1999–2000 |
| Railway Cup | 5 | 1906–07, 1924–25, 1927–28, 1950–51, 1986–87 |
| Hospital Cup | 3 | 1921–22, 1922–23, 1986–87 |
| Omnitec Invitational Trophy | 1 | 2009-10 |
| Woods Cup | 1 | 2013-14 |
