RUGBY Town’s board of directors have released an end-of-season message following the club’s relegation from the Northern Premier League Midlands.
Valley finished bottom of the NPL Midlands table to suffer a second successive relegation after a reprieve saved Rugby from the drop at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
The club have confirmed boss Grant Joshua will remain in his role as manager for the 2026/27 season despite Rugby ending the season with a run of 15 games without a win.
And Rugby hope to use the club’s latest relegation as a reset with Valley determined to return to the Northern Premier League as soon as possible.
The club said via a statement: “Now the season has concluded we can reflect fully on what has been a very disappointing outcome following a difficult second half of the campaign.
“As a board we take responsibility for that outcome – this is not where we expected or wanted the club to be and ultimately the responsibility for setting the direction, structure and environment to succeed on the field sits with us. While there are a number of contributing factors, we recognise that we have fallen short.
“After last season’s late reprieve, it is also fair to say that we did not make the most of that opportunity. That reprieve brought its own challenges as it came at a point where we had already begun preparing a squad for Step Five with a new manager in place.
However, while that created disruption, it cannot be used as an excuse for where we have finished. In fact, at the halfway stage of the season, sitting in mid-table, it looked as though we had successfully navigated those challenges and established a solid platform to build from.
“What followed was a run that ultimately cost us our place in the NPL and one we have to be honest about in our assessment.
“There is no single reason for that downturn with a mixture of mistakes and moments of bad luck leading to too much disruption across the season.
“We used a high number of players which inevitably affected consistency in selection with only six players making over 30 appearances and that lack of continuity made it difficult to build rhythm and momentum.
“Looking forward now, I want to confirm that Grant Joshua will remain as manager.
“Grant joined the club 12 months ago with the objective of building a side capable of winning promotion from Step Five and that objective is now exactly the same going into next season.
“It has been a challenging season for Grant and his staff. Ideally, this would have been a year where adversity provided learning while still achieving survival. Instead, it has been a much harsher experience for everyone involved.
“That said, the attitude, work rate and the relationship that has been built with Grant over the past year are exactly why we are continuing with him.
“We believe he is a talented manager with the ability to build a strong, competitive side, and he will have our full support in doing so.
“There is an opportunity here to reset after three challenging seasons at Step Four and our focus is on using that reset in the right way to build something stronger and more sustainable in terms of success on the field.
“Our aim is clear. To return to the NPL as quickly as possible while delivering a standard of football that reflects the size of the club and the expectations of our supporters.
“This season has been a setback and one we must learn from properly – what matters now is how we respond.”
Valley ended the season with a 4-0 defeat away at local rivals Rugby Borough.
