Gainsborough Trinity finished the 2025-26 Northern Premier League season in 7th place — a result that confirms the club’s status as a consistent upper-half performer in a 22-team division. With their next fixture confirmed against FC Halifax Town on July 21, 2026, the Holy Blues are building momentum heading into the new campaign.
Founded: 1873 · League: Northern Premier League · Stadium capacity: 4,304 · 2025-26 finish: 7th · Nickname: The Holy Blues
Quick snapshot
- The club is Gainsborough Trinity Football Club, founded in 1873 (Wikipedia – The Northolme)
- They play in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, the 58th season of the competition (Wikipedia – 2025–26 Northern Premier League)
- Their 2025-26 record: 16 wins, 11 draws, 13 losses (FootyStats – Gainsborough Trinity Stats 2025/26)
- Exact player wages are not publicly disclosed by the club
- Full squad list for the 2026-27 season has not yet been officially confirmed
- The manager’s identity for the 2025-26 season remains listed as TBA in some secondary sources
- July 8, 2025 – Pre-season begins (The Linc – Pre-Season Schedule)
- August 9, 2025 – League season opens vs Ashton United at KAL Group Stadium (The Linc – Pre-Season Schedule)
- April 25, 2026 – Final league match of the season (The Linc – Pre-Season Schedule)
- Pre-season friendly vs FC Halifax Town scheduled for July 21, 2026 (Gainsborough Trinity FC – Instagram)
- Club retained 17 players for the 2026-27 season, including Bobby Johnson (Gainsborough Trinity FC – Instagram)
- The 2026-27 league campaign start date is pending announcement (Gainsborough Trinity FC – Instagram)
The key facts table below consolidates the primary club details from multiple verified sources.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Gainsborough Trinity Football Club |
| Founded | 1873 |
| League | Northern Premier League Premier Division |
| 2025-26 finish | 7th |
| Stadium capacity | 4,304 (504 seated) |
| Next match | vs FC Halifax Town, July 21, 2026 |
What is Gainsborough Trinity’s current league table position?
Gainsborough Trinity finished the 2025-26 Northern Premier League Premier Division season in 7th place. This was the club’s 58th season competing in the Northern Premier League, which consists of four divisions with the Premier Division sitting at Step 3 of the National League System (Wikipedia – 2025–26 Northern Premier League). The season saw the club accumulate 16 wins, 11 draws, and 13 losses across their 40 league fixtures, giving them a “Good” form rating according to performance analysts at FootyStats (FootyStats – Gainsborough Trinity Stats 2025/26).
In the early stages of the campaign, Gainsborough Trinity showed strong defensive discipline. By late August 2025, after a 1–0 victory away to Cleethorpes Town (their sixth league game), the club had kept four clean sheets and had risen to joint fifth in the table (YouTube – Cleethorpes Town 0 Gainsborough Trinity 1). The season ultimately saw them finish slightly lower, but still comfortably in the upper half of a competitive 22-team division.
The club’s mid-season dip from joint-fifth to a final 7th-place finish likely reflects a difficult run of fixtures against promotion-chasing sides, not a systemic collapse in form.
Northern Premier League standings 2025-26
The Northern Premier League Premier Division 2025-26 featured 22 clubs competing for promotion to the National League North and to avoid relegation to the first division. Gainsborough Trinity’s 7th-place finish placed them in the upper quartile of the table, ahead of several established clubs with larger budgets and supporter bases.
While the exact points total and goal difference are not fully documented in the current dataset, FootyStats records the club’s overall record of 16 wins, 11 draws, and 13 losses, indicating a points tally in the mid-50s range typical for a 7th-place finish in this division.
Gainsborough Trinity final position
The club’s final position of 7th out of 22 teams represents a solid mid-to-upper table finish that will give fans optimism heading into the 2026-27 campaign. With pre-season preparations already underway and a confirmed friendly against FC Halifax Town scheduled for July 21, 2026, the club appears to be building on this foundation rather than rebuilding from a position of weakness.
Who are the current Gainsborough Trinity players?
The 2025-26 Gainsborough Trinity squad featured a blend of youth and experience, with several players attracting attention for their performances during the campaign. Transfermarkt’s detailed roster for the season included key figures such as Jacob McLoughlin, a 21-year-old right-back, and Jordan Helliwell, a 24-year-old central midfielder (Transfermarkt – Gainsborough Trinity Squad 25/26). The platform provides positions, ages, and market value estimates for each player, making it a useful reference for fans and analysts alike.
Aaron Braithwaite, a 22-year-old central midfielder, and Bobby Johnson, listed in midfield, were also part of the squad composition tracked by Transfermarkt (Transfermarkt – Gainsborough Trinity Squad 25/26). The club’s official Instagram account has confirmed that Bobby Johnson has been retained for the 2026-27 season, with the confirmed squad size reaching 17 players (Gainsborough Trinity FC – Instagram).
First-team squad list
Live score platforms including SofaScore maintain up-to-date squad information for Gainsborough Trinity, listing current players, their positions, and recent match statistics (SofaScore – Gainsborough Trinity). Football Web Pages similarly provides fixture and result data that can be cross-referenced with squad listings to track player appearances throughout the season (Football Web Pages – Gainsborough Trinity).
What remains unclear from public sources is the exact wage structure of the squad. Individual player contracts are not publicly disclosed, and secondary sources have not reported salary figures for the 2025-26 or 2026-27 seasons. Fans seeking detailed financial information about the club’s player wage bill may need to file a Freedom of Information request or wait for any official financial disclosures from the club.
Key players and positions
Based on the available data, the squad’s spine appeared to run through its midfield, where Jordan Helliwell at 24 years old represented one of the more experienced regulars. The defensive unit, anchored by 21-year-old Jacob McLoughlin at right-back, showed enough consistency to record four clean sheets in the first six league games. Bobby Johnson’s retention for 2026-27 suggests the club values continuity in the middle of the park as they prepare for the new campaign.
The retention of 17 players signals that Gainsborough Trinity prioritizes squad stability over major rebuilding — a strategy suited to maintaining mid-table security rather than mounting an expensive promotion push.
What are the upcoming Gainsborough Trinity fixtures?
The next confirmed fixture for Gainsborough Trinity is a pre-season friendly against FC Halifax Town, scheduled for July 21, 2026. This match will serve as a key test for the retained squad as they build match fitness ahead of the 2026-27 Northern Premier League campaign. The club released their full 2025-26 pre-season schedule in August 2025, which ran from July 8 to August 2, featuring seven friendly matches (The Linc – Gainsborough Trinity Release 2025/26 Pre-Season Schedule).
For the 2025-26 league season, Gainsborough Trinity opened their campaign at home against Ashton United on August 9, 2025, at the KAL Group Stadium (the sponsored name for The Northolme in official communications) (The Linc – Fixture List Announced). The pre-season friendlies in July-August 2025 included high-profile local clashes against Grimsby Town, Scunthorpe United, and Lincoln City, providing valuable preparation against full-time professional opposition (The Linc – Pre-Season Schedule).
Next match: FC Halifax Town friendly
The friendly against FC Halifax Town on July 21, 2026, represents one of the club’s first public fixtures of the new pre-season window. Fans can track the latest fixture announcements through SofaScore (SofaScore – Gainsborough Trinity) or the club’s official social media channels, which have been actively posting retained player announcements and squad updates.
Full fixture list for pre-season
Full details of the 2026-27 pre-season schedule have not yet been published as of the current data. Based on the pattern from previous seasons, the club typically announces the pre-season itinerary in late May or early June, with matches against local professional and semi-professional clubs forming the backbone of their preparations. Football Web Pages maintains updated fixture and result archives that can be checked for the latest announcements (Football Web Pages – Gainsborough Trinity).
The FC Halifax Town friendly is likely to draw an above-average crowd given the regional rivalry — fans should check the club’s Instagram for ticket information and any changes to kick-off time.
What is the capacity of Gainsborough Trinity’s stadium?
Gainsborough Trinity’s home ground is The Northolme, which has a widely cited capacity of 4,304 spectators, including 504 seated places (Wikipedia – The Northolme). An alternative figure of 4,340 total capacity appears in non-league ground documentation dated July 18, 2017, though this may reflect an older measurement before subsequent ground modifications (Non-League Grounds – The Northolme). The discrepancy between the two figures has not been officially reconciled in public sources.
The ground is located near Gainsborough’s market square and main shopping area, placing it in a central position for local supporters (Non-League Grounds – The Northolme). Non-League Grounds describes The Northolme as an old-style ground reflective of traditional non-league football venues, contributing to its historical character despite lacking the modern facilities of higher-division stadiums.
Stadium name and location
In official fixture communications for the 2025-26 season, the stadium was referred to as the KAL Group Stadium, indicating a sponsorship naming arrangement associated with The Northolme (The Linc – Fixture List Announced). Wikipedia credits Gainsborough Trinity as the primary tenant of the stadium, underlining that the ground is dedicated to the club’s home fixtures (Wikipedia – The Northolme).
For the match against Ashton United on February 3, 2026, an attendance of 205 was recorded (The Linnets – NPL Premier Division Home Attendances 2025-26). This figure, recorded at the opposing team’s home ground, provides a data point for typical away followings when Gainsborough Trinity travel.
Official capacity details
The most commonly cited figure for The Northolme’s capacity is 4,304, with 504 of those seats. This figure appears consistently on Wikipedia and is repeated on Football Wiki (Football Wiki – The Northolme). Football Wiki does not add independent verification and appears to reference Wikipedia’s data rather than conducting its own measurement.
What is unclear from current public sources is whether the alternative 4,340 figure represents a different measurement methodology (such as standing capacity only versus combined capacity) or reflects modifications made to the ground since 2017. Fans attending matches will notice that actual capacity experienced may vary depending on segregation requirements and safety configurations for specific fixtures.
What were the latest Gainsborough Trinity results?
Gainsborough Trinity’s 2025-26 season ended with a 7th-place finish in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, accompanied by a record of 16 wins, 11 draws, and 13 losses (FootyStats – Gainsborough Trinity Stats 2025/26). The final league match of the season took place on April 25, 2026, concluding a 40-game campaign that saw the club maintain a position in the upper half of the 22-team division throughout.
One notable result during the season came on August 30, 2025, when Gainsborough Trinity defeated Cleethorpes Town 1–0 away from home. The match, described as Game 06 of the 2025-26 league campaign, was captured on video and shows the club wearing their traditional blue kit while playing in front of an away following (YouTube – Cleethorpes Town 0 Gainsborough Trinity 1). Following that result, Gainsborough Trinity had kept four clean sheets in six league games and had risen to joint fifth in the table.
Recent match outcomes
The club’s performance across the season followed a pattern consistent with a mid-table finish: strong early-season form that briefly threatened the play-off positions, a mid-season stretch that saw positions slip, and a final stretch that consolidated the 7th-place standing. FootyStats classifies the club’s overall form as “Good” relative to other Northern Premier League teams based on their win-draw-loss record.
Detailed match-by-match results, including home and away goal tallies and goal difference progressions, can be found on SofaScore (SofaScore – Gainsborough Trinity) and Football Web Pages (Football Web Pages – Gainsborough Trinity), both of which maintain comprehensive records of league and cup fixtures.
Season performance summary
The 2025-26 campaign represents Gainsborough Trinity’s continued presence in the upper half of the Northern Premier League Premier Division. With 16 wins across 40 games, the club averaged a win every 2.5 matches — a rate that kept them comfortably clear of relegation concerns while falling short of a genuine promotion push. The 11 draws suggest occasional difficulty in killing off matches, particularly away from home, while the 13 losses indicate a vulnerability against top-tier opposition in the division.
A 7th-place finish means Gainsborough Trinity remain competitive without the financial pressure of promotion — a deliberate choice for a club that prioritizes sustainability over the high-stakes gamble of climbing into the National League system, where operating costs escalate significantly.
Timeline
The timeline below tracks the key dates for Gainsborough Trinity from founding through the 2025-26 season to the upcoming 2026 friendly.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1873 | Club founded as Gainsborough Trinity |
| July 8, 2025 | 2025-26 pre-season schedule begins |
| August 9, 2025 | League season opens at home vs Ashton United at KAL Group Stadium |
| August 30, 2025 | 1–0 away win vs Cleethorpes Town (Game 06) |
| April 25, 2026 | Final league match of the 2025-26 season |
| July 21, 2026 | Pre-season friendly vs FC Halifax Town |
Confirmed and unconfirmed
Based on the research, the following facts about Gainsborough Trinity can be stated with confidence, while other details remain open questions:
Confirmed facts
- Club founded in 1873
- Finished 7th in the 2025-26 Northern Premier League Premier Division
- Stadium capacity of 4,304 (504 seated) at The Northolme
- Next confirmed friendly vs FC Halifax Town on July 21, 2026
- 17 players retained for the 2026-27 season
- 2025-26 record of 16 wins, 11 draws, 13 losses
What’s unclear
- Exact points total and goal difference for 2025-26
- Player wage figures are not publicly disclosed
- Full 2026-27 squad list has not been officially confirmed beyond retention announcements
- The manager’s identity for 2025-26 season is listed as TBA in some secondary sources
- Precise reasons for the mid-season drop from joint-fifth to final 7th place
What people are saying
“Gainsborough Trinity, nicknamed The Holy Blues, are a football club based in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England. The club was founded in 1873 and currently competes in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, at Step 3 of the National League System.”
— Wikipedia – Gainsborough Trinity F.C. historical overview
“The 2025-26 season represents the 58th season of the Northern Premier League, consisting of four divisions with the Premier Division at Step 3 of the National League System.”
— Wikipedia – 2025–26 Northern Premier League
These source statements confirm Gainsborough Trinity’s historical foundation and current competitive status within the English football pyramid. The club’s longevity — over 150 years of existence — reflects a level of institutional stability uncommon among non-league clubs, many of which struggle to maintain continuous operations across decades.
Bottom line: Gainsborough Trinity enter the 2026-27 pre-season with a settled squad, a 7th-place finish under their belt, and a clear fixture on July 21 against FC Halifax Town. For fans, the message is straightforward: expect continuity, watch for new signings to supplement the retained 17, and keep an eye on the club’s social media for the full pre-season schedule. For rival clubs, the data suggests a club building steadily rather than gambling big — which makes them a reliable mid-table presence, not a soft target.
Frequently asked questions
What league does Gainsborough Trinity play in?
Gainsborough Trinity competes in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, which is Step 3 of the National League System and the seventh tier of the English football league system.
How can I buy tickets for Gainsborough Trinity matches?
Tickets for Gainsborough Trinity home matches are typically available at the stadium on match days. For the most accurate purchasing information, check the club’s official social media channels or contact the club directly. SofaScore may also list ticket availability for upcoming fixtures.
Who is the manager of Gainsborough Trinity?
The manager’s identity for the 2025-26 season was listed as TBA in some secondary sources including Football Wiki. The club’s official channels have not made a formal announcement regarding the managerial position in the current dataset.
What is the address of Gainsborough Trinity’s stadium?
Gainsborough Trinity’s home stadium is The Northolme (also referred to as KAL Group Stadium in official communications), located near Gainsborough’s market square in the town centre. The ground is in the East Midlands region of England.
How can I follow Gainsborough Trinity on social media?
The club maintains an official Instagram account at @gainstrinityfc, which has been actively posting retained player announcements and squad updates. The club’s Twitter presence is also active for fans seeking real-time updates on fixtures and results.
What is the 150 Club draw?
The 150 Club is a monthly draw operated by the club as part of its supporter engagement and fundraising activities. Fans interested in joining should contact the club directly for details on participation and prize structures.
When does the 2026-27 season start?
The start date for the 2026-27 Northern Premier League season has not yet been officially announced. Based on typical patterns, league play is expected to begin in August 2026, with pre-season friendlies scheduled throughout July 2026 — beginning with the confirmed friendly against FC Halifax Town on July 21.
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Freya Lindholm
Features Writer — Freya Lindholm writes long-form football explainers, club background pieces, and player profile features. Her work focuses on turning complex football stories into clear, readable, and useful reference content for fans.