Steve Cotterill, the revered manager of Cheltenham Town, is set to be awarded the Freedom of the Borough in a ceremony at Cheltenham Town Hall on Monday, May 18. This prestigious honour, one of the highest that a local council in the UK can bestow, comes after more than 1,000 individuals signed a petition celebrating Cotterill’s outstanding contributions to the town and its football club.
A true hometown hero, Cotterill was born and raised in Cheltenham, attending Elmfield and Arle Comprehensive schools. His football journey began locally, playing for clubs such as the Robins, Alvechurch, and Burton Albion, before making it to the top flight with Wimbledon, where he featured in both the old First Division and the Premier League. His playing career also included stints at Brighton & Hove Albion and AFC Bournemouth.
Cotterill’s managerial journey started in Ireland with Sligo Rovers, where he led the team into the UEFA Intertoto Cup. Returning to Cheltenham Town in late 1996 as player/manager, he rapidly transformed the club’s fortunes, achieving promotion back to the highest level of non-league football by May 1997. The following seasons were marked by historic successes: a memorable FA Trophy win at Wembley and a record-high league finish as runners-up in what is now the National League.
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The pinnacle of Cotterill’s first tenure came in the 1998/99 season, when Cheltenham Town clinched the National League title, earning promotion to the Football League and bringing professional football to Gloucestershire for the first time. The club maintained its upward trajectory, narrowly missing the play-offs in the next two seasons before finally securing promotion to the third tier with a 3-1 victory over Rushden & Diamonds at the Millennium Stadium. That same season featured a remarkable run to the FA Cup last 16.
After managing notable clubs such as Burnley, Notts County, Portsmouth, Nottingham Forest, Bristol City, and Shrewsbury Town—and celebrating an impressive milestone of 1,000 managerial matches—Cotterill returned to Cheltenham Town in September 2025. Faced with the daunting challenge of steering a struggling club at the bottom of League Two away from relegation, he immediately made an impact, winning his first game 2-0 and securing the club’s safety well before the season’s end.
Recognized academically with an Honorary Fellowship from the University of Gloucestershire in 2000, Cotterill has long expressed how much it would mean to be named an Honorary Freeman. Now that recognition is coming to fruition.
“I am extremely proud to receive this prestigious award,” Cotterill said. “It means everything to me and my family. Very few people receive this honour, so I feel privileged and humbled, and I am in great company. I’d like to thank Greg Newcombe and the Robins Trust, who I know started the petition. I really look forward to the night now. It might be an emotional occasion for me, if I have to start speaking! Either way, I will take my award home with me and be very, very proud. It will certainly be cherished.”