History
Puma Football Club was formed by secretary Lee Jenkins and Derek Bayliss in the summer of 1993. Initially the club comprised of a group of local youngsters keen to have a game of football on a Saturday afternoon and who had responded to Lee's advert in the local newspaper and local shop windows. The club took it's name from the defunct Valley Pumas Youth team that many of the players played for and whom Lee coached.
After much hard work behind the scenes, Puma FC had their application to join the local North Gloucestershire Association Football League accepted and were admitted to Division Four of the league. Plans to use a local school for home matches were scuppered when Cinderford Town found themselves without a home pitch for the start of the 1993/94 season, so the club relocated to Ruardean.
The club finished 13th in a 15 strong Division Four in season 1993/94, but a run of two defeats on the last dozen games boded well for the future.
The following season was more successful. Puma finished 3rd in a division that they had led for much of the campaign, just two points behind the champions, and acheived promtion to the 3rd Division. A Hospital Cup semi-final apperance enhanced the feeling of 'so near, yet so far'.
The 1995/96 season saw the creation of a reserve team, who were to play their home games in Cinderford at Barleycorn Square Recration Ground, formorly the home of the now defunct Northern Senior League side Hilldene Athletic. After slow starts, the reserve team were to finish in mid-table, but the first team were to earn a second consecutive promotion after finishing third in Division Three.
The 1996/97 season saw the club collect their first trophy as Puma Reserves won the FJ Pope cup beating Division Three side Broadwell Amatuers 'B' 3-0 in the final.
1997/98 saw another successful season for Puma as the first team were once again promoted but this time as Division 2 Champions. The season also saw a succesful cup run for the first team with the club reaching the Final of the G Sandoe Cup, a game they eventually lost.