Club History


Truro City became a founding member of the Cornwall County Football Association (CCFA) on September 18, 1889. 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 and just six years later, a first of 15 Cornwall Senior Cups to date was secured. Truro defeated Launceston 5-0.

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.

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.

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’s exile from the Duchy will end next season with a move back to the City and a new facility at Langarth. And in November 2023, the club was purchased by a North American consortium who also own to Cornwall rugby league club.