CRIBBS CAN CLAIM CITY HONOURS!
FOR YEARS, Cribbs FC have been the noisy neighbours of Bristol – now they are ready to shout loudly from the city rooftops as the Non-League top dogs.
Cribbs earned their place in Step 4 for the first time in their history after clinching the Hellenic Premier division last week with an impressive 100-point tally.
And there they will finally lock horns with a number of rival clubs such as Yate Town, Paulton Rovers and possibly even Bristol Manor Farm if they can escape the Step 4/5 Play-Offs.
“We’ve never really had a proper rival,” manager Richard Luffman told The NLP. “We’ve enjoyed our tussles with Malvern Town but they are situated miles away, so the prospect of coming up against the likes of Manor Farm has been a massive incentive for us this season.
“There is a lot of good feeling between the clubs and we have a lot of respect for what they have achieved. I think football’s been in a bit of a decline in Bristol recently, but it’s a proud city so hopefully the fans can embrace the rivalry and it can help us attract some big crowds.
“Already, we’ve gone from getting 60-70 at home to having over 120 coming over to watch us win the league at Wantage, so people are starting to take notice.”
Unique
Cribbs FC was founded in London in 1958 as Sun Life Assurance with the Bristol team established in 1976 when Sun Life first relocated to the city.
In the summer of 2011, the club changed from AXA to its new name of Cribbs Friends Life FC and in the first season of their new guise they claimed their first Gloucestershire County League title as well as the League Cup.
Promotion from the Western League Division One followed in 2012–13 before Cribbs were transferred to the Hellenic League in 2020-21. There, they achieved a best-ever fourth place finish in their first season, while also winning the League Cup.
The insurance links remain today with many board members still involved in the industry, while Luffman has led from the front on the field in a successful three years at The Lawns.
“It’s been a culmination of three years’ hard work,” said Luffman, who led Alresford Town to the top of the Wessex League before Covid cruelly curtailed the season.
“This is a unique club. We’ve got no mega backer and a mid-table budget at best, but we were quietly confident we had a chance going into the season and the team have been magnificent. To get promoted with 100 points is a fantastic achievement, I never expected that.
“We knew we have come from nowhere but, as a group, we feel we are ready for Step 4 football. We’ve built a strong squad here of players who leave their egos at home and are willing to roll their sleeves up and work hard.
“We know next year will be tougher games, but the philosophy will stay the same.”