The tragedy must have had an impact on the players, some of the most talented drifted away in the seasons that followed. While attracting young players from the village the Club found it hard to maintain its league status and by 1978 had found itself in Division 3 of the league. Players like Derrick Gardener, Mike Tomkins, Roly Wilkes, David Parker, Dave Jones and John Sinden held the first team together helped by new arrivals Dean McFarland, Alan Graham, Roger Moat and Dave Ponting. Their fortunes improved somewhat when youngsters Martin Spicer and Graham Carr brought their goals to the club and talented teenager Claudio Spadini who played a number of games before moving on to bigger and better things.

The Reserves at this stage were made up of players such as Kevin George, Alan Jones, Neville Gardiner, Keith Hoskin, Chris Bourne, Ken Fry, Sam Barnes, Jono Watson, Billy Hetterley and Julian Brunt. There was also a certain Ken Roberts who would go on to feature heavily in the future operations of the club.

In the early 1980s an artist called Paul Thomas moved into the village from London. ‘Thommy’ joined the football club and proved that he was talented on grass as well as canvas. Local teenagers Stuart Craddock and Carl Berry brought their skills from the youth leagues and Paul Gabb was now a regular between the sticks. Division 3 was to be a hard league to get out of and for the early eighties that’s where the club were stuck.

Staggy
In 1984, Yorkshireman Graeme Stagg who had been playing cricket for Leonard Stanley made an appearance. ‘Staggy’, along with Ken Roberts set about recruiting some talent. Most significantly this brought Pat Casey to the club, Casey was in the twilight of a career that had seen him perform at semi-professional level for among others Cheltenham Town. Along with Casey came the experienced Paul Green and Dave Hudd from Shortwood Utd, youngster Andy Clark from Stonehouse and local boy Donald Mann returned to the club. With the team that Stagg put together Leonard Stanley won division 3 of the Stroud league in 1986/87 and along with it the Stroud Charity Cup - beating Poulton in the final at Tuffley – with goals from Thomas and ?. They narrowly lost out to Ridings High in the final of the Berkekley Hospital Cup after a replay at Wotton-U-Edge.

The assault on Division 2 the following season saw Stanley in the top 5 for most of the campaign. While some of the better players had disappeared Casey stayed and the club continued to progress. Tony Clarkson found himself promoted from the Reserves and Mike Anderton had joined the club. Casey’s performances – although getting on in years – against Stroud league opposition were so impressive they earned him the nickname ‘god’ from some of his team-mates. Roly Wilkes, an original member of the reformed club in 1964 was still performing at first team level.

The 1988/89 season was a particularly good one for the Reserves. Dropped earlier from Division 6 to Division 7 when the Stroud League restructured they stormed to the top of that Division. Eventually winning it just ahead of Paganhill. Under the captaincy of Ian Marshall the team consisted roughly of John Brammer, Alan Graham, Dennis Prictor, Kevin Smith, Mark Niblett, Jono Watson, Neville Gardiner, Robin Evans, Darren Perry along with whoever was on offer from the first team squad, usually a Thomas, Craddock or Carr.

In 1991 the first team, under the player-management of Ken Roberts and the captaincy of Tony Clarkson, reached the final of the Gloucestershire County Cup (Intermediate). After beating Laurentian Life, Whitecroft and Cleave Portfolio in previous rounds they faced Northleach Town in a final at Cirencester Town. A Casey-less team consisting of Paul Gabb, Floyd Neal, Ken Roberts, Tony Clarkson, Steve Powell, Alan Jones, Dean McFarland, Jono Watson, Stuart Craddock, Paul Thomas and Mike Anderton went down 3-1 to the richly talented Northleach side who on the night were the better team. Paul Thomas got Stanley’s goal.
Another notable moment from this season was an Arthur Shipway Cup match at home to Chippenham Town – with John Evans guesting in the Stanley team they won 2-1 with goals from McFarland and Casey.

The following season (1992/93) when Roberts needed a break from running the team, Jono Watson stepped in. He felt the squad needed revitalising with youth and it was during this time that Dave (Des) Walker, Thomas Whatmore, Stuart Edghill and Roger Merrett became regular selections. Leicester-born Neil Balfour was elevated from the Reserves and with the remaining established players still doing the business, the team finished a reasonable 6th in Division 2 in 91/92 and a few places lower in 92/93. A season which saw a very young and skillful Matt Casey, son of Pat, make occasional appearances and a still-at-school Paul ‘Chopper’ Groves would soon become a regular selection.