Tony Burns took over as manager for the 1980–81 season and the club's new Longmead Stadium hosted its first game on 18 August 1980, a crowd of 701 watching a Southern League Cup game against Crawley Town. Despite having a new home, finances proved to be a problem for the club. Burns departed for Gravesend & Northfleet in December 1982 to be replaced by John Keirs, who took the club to fourth place in the 1983–84 season, promotion only denied to the Angels on the final day of the season. Phil Emblen took over the reins in July 1985 and led the club to another Southern League Semi Final appearance in 1987, but his departure along with several key players at the end of the 1987–88 season led to a slump in the 40th anniversary season. 1988–89 proved to be a disaster for the club. Former Tottenham Hotspur man Terry Naylor took charge and lasted for just seven games, in that time only managing to earn a single drawn match. With the Angels at the bottom of the league Tommy Sampson came in to try to steady the ship but the damage was already done. The Angels bade farewell to the Southern League after 40 years, relegation to the Kent League being the club's "reward" after ending the season in next to bottom spot. Angels regrouped for the 1989–90 season with former player and manager Tony Burns returning to manage the club for a second time. Tonbridge finished in a worthy third place, not enough for a quick return to Southern League football, but silverware was forthcoming in the form of the Kent League Cup. Another former manager returned for the 1990–91 season, Phil Emblen, and he sparked a revival in the club's fortunes. Emblen patiently built a winning team and after two fourth-placed finishes, money-spinning Cup runs and another Kent League Cup win, the title finally arrived at Longmead in the 1992–93 season. And so, after a few seasons away, Tonbridge returned to the league which they had graced for so many years. The Angels briefly topped the Southern Division on their return to Southern League football in the 1993–94 season but settled for a mid-table finish, which was to be repeated the following season. The club struggled in the 1995–96 season with Phil Emblen resigning as Manager in February 1996 to be replaced by Bill Roffey and the