Tim Harris has hailed his “miracle men” after a remarkable season in National League North.

Gloucester City, without a home for 10 years and with one of the smallest playing budgets in the division, have stood toe to toe with the league’s big boys and the players have come through with flying colours to secure a comfortable mid-table position.

“When you consider what we’re up against in this league – five ex-Football League clubs, four full-time clubs – with the resources we have it’s been an unbelievable season,” Harris said. “I don’t think the club get the credit we deserve.

“Look at Stockport County, they get crowds of up to 4,000. Then there’s Darlington, Kidderminster, Halifax, Boston, and don’t forget the new kids on the block FC United, who get crowds of 2-3,000, Class of 92 who part own Salford City and AFC Fylde, who have just spent £16 million on their stadium.

“That puts everything that we’ve achieved into perspective – we truly have produced a miracle.”

Any mention of the word ‘stadium’, of course, naturally raises the hackles of all Gloucester City fans who have been on the road for the past 10 years since being forced to leave their ground at Meadow Park due to the floods. They have spent the last seven years playing their home games at Cheltenham Town’s ground in Whaddon after spells at Cirencester Town and Forest Green Rovers.

Next season they will be on the road again, this time to Evesham United, and Harris, while desperate for a return to Gloucester, can see positives among the obvious negative.

“What it has done is bring us closer together,” he said. “You can’t get away from the fact that we have lost a generation of supporters by not being able to play our home games in Gloucester.

“But those fans that do come and watch us have a real passion for the club. They create a fantastic atmosphere and if you support Gloucester City Football Club you will go anywhere to watch your club play.”

Since returning to the club three years ago after spending 14 years with Newport County, Harris has been a man on a mission to stabilise the club’s place in National League North and to engineer a return to the city on the old Meadow Park site.

The first part has been achieved but Harris said of the second part: We are still scrapping and fighting. There’s a real desire within the club and fanbase to make it happen.”

When asked how long he thought Gloucester’s fans would have to wait before returning home, Harris paused before saying: “Eighteen months.”

Gloucester’s on-field success has been matched by the community work being done off it.

“We go into the schools and offer kids the chance to come to our games, meet the players and get their autographs,” said Harris. “It’s not just Gloucester schools, we’ve had kids from Tewkesbury and Leckhampton. It’s been brilliant and we’ve been getting 30-50 kids to all our home games through the scheme.

“The community side is really growing and it’s made a big difference.”

Gloucester’s crowds have been in the mid-400s for much of the season and Harris added: “Just to be in this league and competing is something we can be very proud of.”