Marown AFC and St George’s will play in the second tier of Manx football next season after both suffered relegation from the Canada Life Premier League.

The Crosby side’s struggles were evident throughout the campaign.

The Farmers were relegated on the final day of last season, but were reinstated after Douglas Royal’s voluntary relegation.

However, having picked up only three points this campaign, joint Marown gaffer Colin Gilbert reflected on a frustrating season.

‘Making history as the first team to suffer back-to-back relegations is not how I wanted this season to end,’ he said.

‘We weren’t caught out with our pre-season preparation – we trained to be the fittest team in Division Two and didn’t lose players due to relegation.

‘My expectation was to build on our strong second half of last season and get enough points to stay up.

‘Why that didn’t happen is frustrating and puzzling. It can only be put down to a hangover from last season and a lack of confidence throughout the squad.

‘That said, the players’ commitment to training has been fantastic. I’m extremely proud of the club.

‘We started poorly and didn’t recover, but we have showed more consistency in the second half of the campaign.

‘Looking forward, there are positives.

‘We have a good committee, talented young players, and a club spirit that’s second to none. But bouncing back won’t be easy.

‘We need a tough pre-season and confidence-building performances.’

Colin hopes the management team remains.

‘I hope the same team stays in place, and I’ll be working hard to get the longest-serving manager in Manx football, David Brew, to commit for another season.’

Marown’s youth setup offers hope, with their under-16s winning their B League. Colin praised the junior coaches for maintaining a steady pipeline of talent.

For St George’s, relegation marks the end of an era.

Once the dominant force in Manx football, the Glencrutchery Road club won multiple Grand Slams under Chris Bass Sr.

Player-manager Johnny Myers admitted his side had shown glimpses of their ability but not enough to survive.

‘It’s a very disappointing day for the club,’ he said.

‘We put in some very good performances towards the end of the season, but ultimately we fell short. Other teams around us pulled out great wins, and they deserve to stay up.

‘You get out what you put in, and across the season, we didn’t have enough players putting in enough to stay up.

‘The effort in the last five or six games was a stark contrast to the first half of the season. I just wish we’d started like that because we wouldn’t have been in this position.

‘You can’t be on top forever; every club has ups and downs. I told the players that how they react to disappointment is what matters.

‘We have good young players who played a part this season, and they will form the basis of the squad next season. But we need to recruit well.

‘It’s an opportunity to play with freedom and enjoyment and hopefully get back to winning.’