ALDERSHOT TOWN F.C.
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'Aldershot Town Football Club', based in Aldershot, England, was founded in the spring of 1992 just after the closure of debt-ridden fourth division club Aldershot F.C., who had been founded in 1926 and had been league members since 1932. They play at the Recreation Ground in Aldershot. In 2003-04 they came close to promotion to the Football League when they reached the Conference playoff final, losing on penalties to Shrewsbury Town.
| Contents |
| History |
| Current Squad 2007-2008 |
| Managers |
| Transfer records |
| Stadia |
| Club records |
| Rivals |
| Supporters |
| Notable players |
| Season-by-season record |
| Head-To-Head records |
| Club information |
| External links |
History
In March 1992 the town of Aldershot was without a football club after Aldershot F.C. became the first Football League team since Accrington Stanley in 1962 to fold during the football season. An emotion charged encounter at Cardiff City's Ninian Park on March 20 1992 is now set in history as Aldershot's last competitive fixture and over 6,000 people were there to witness it. There were, however, some excellent times in the Football League for the Hampshire club. After several high placed finishes in seasons prior, in 1987 Aldershot won promotion via the first ever Fourth Division Play Off final defeating Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-0 on aggregate; the second leg was played in front of 20,000 spectators at Molineux. In the season before the closure of Aldershot FC the Shots held West Ham United to a draw at Upton Park in an FA Cup 3rd round tie.
According to the Guinness Book of Records, the longest penalty shoot-out was contested between by Aldershot and Fulham F.C., who shared 28 kicks during a Freight Rover Trophy game in 1987.
Aldershot Town was born in 1992, competing in the Diadora Isthmian League. Despite the fact that the level was five divisions lower than the Football League, the attendance for the first ever competitive fixture was higher than the last ever professional match played at The Rec. Ten successive victories were recorded under the guidance of former player Steve Wignall and Aldershot won the championship by 18 points. A feat made all the more remarkable by the fact that in May of 1992 the manager had just one player on his books.
A further promotion and an FA Vase Quarter Final placing was achieved in the 1993-94 season. When manager Steve Wignall departed to take charge of Colchester United mid way through the 1994-95 season, former Nottingham Forest winger Steve Wigley took over. Despite steering the club to six successive victories at the end of the 1994-95 season only goal difference prevented a third successive promotion. After narrowly missing out during the next two seasons Wigley left to become Youth Development Officer at Nottingham Forest in July 1997.
He was replaced by George Borg. Attendances continued to rise during this period and the final fixture of the 1997-98 Isthmian League First Division championship-winning season, at home to Berkhamsted Town, attracted 4,289 people to the Rec. The success under Borg continued with a Ryman League Cup, two Hampshire Senior Cups and a runners-up spot in the Ryman League Premier Division.
The Reserves returned in 2000-01 and entered the Suburban League. The FA Cup in 2000-01 saw Aldershot take on league opposition at The Rec for the first time since reforming, when Brighton visited for a 1st Round tie in November and a record attendance of 7,500 were there to see the game covered by Match of the Day. However it was the league side who progressed to meet Scunthorpe United in round two.
Borg signed a number of experienced Ryman League players in the summer of 2001 as the club aimed for promotion to the Conference encouraged by some excellent pre season performances. In the FA Cup, Bristol Rovers were the next League competition to visit The Rec, again in the 1st Round. In front of over 5,000 at The Rec, the Shots secured a replay in a game they should have won at the death, and only exited the competition when Vitalijs Astafjevs' 87th minute goal took the League side into the 2nd Round, with a 1-0 win in Bristol.
In November 2001 after Borg was critical of supporters whose patience was wearing thin, came a shock defeat at home to Boreham Wood. When Canvey Island overhauled a 1-0 Shots lead and won 3-1 just weeks later, the supporters put huge pressure on Borg and the club to end his tenure as manager. In little over a month, George Borg, the most successful manager the club had yet seen, left Aldershot Town.
On 20 March 2002 - 10 years to the day since Aldershot F.C. played its last ever league fixture - Aldershot Town F.C. appointed Terry Brown as its fourth manager. He won his first game in charge beating Newport IOW 1-0 in the Hampshire Senior Cup Semi Final 2nd Leg. A 3-0 aggregate win saw them progress to the final at Southampton's St Mary's where a Stafford Browne hat-trick secured the Hampshire Senior Cup again with a 3-1 win over Havant & Waterlooville.
During the summer of 2002, Brown set about transforming Aldershot Town. Eleven first team players were moved on, and 11 replacements brought in, many former Football League or Conference players. After a few setbacks and injuries to key players, he steered Aldershot to the top of the table in mid November. The Shots never relinquished that position despite Canvey Island trying to close the gap. In April 2003 over 2400 Shots fans made the journey to Canvey for what was billed as the title decider. A Roscoe D'Sane penalty secured a 1-0 win.
Six days later, after a 5-1 demolition of St Albans City, the Shots travelled to Sutton United needing just one point for the championship. Another D'Sane goal secured a 1-1 draw and the Shots won promotion to the Conference at the fifth time of asking. The last game of the season saw 3000 Shots fans head once again to St Mary's as the Shots retained the Hampshire Senior Cup with a 2-1 win over Bashley.
3,680 fans saw Aldershot's first game in the Conference, a 2-1 over Accrington Stanley. But it was just as taste of things to come as the still part-time side constructed by Terry Brown went on to stay in the play-off positions in the league table for all but 3 days of the season, surrounded by full-time professional former football league sides. The Shots equalled their best ever run in the FA Cup, reaching the 2nd Round and losing 1-0 to Colchester United at Layer Road in a hard fought encounter. And there were more club records tumbling as the side also reached the semi-final of the FA Trophy, losing to eventual winners Hednesford Town and the average attendance for league matches at The Rec ended on a record high of 3,303.
A 1-1 draw against Tamworth on the last day of the season carried the Shots into the play-offs for a place in the Football League. Over two legs the Shots held their own against favourites Hereford United, drawing 1-1 at The Rec and 0-0 at Edgar Street. Extra time finished without any further score and the tie was concluded on penalties with the Shots winning 4-2. The Conference Playoff Final against Shrewsbury Town finished 1-1 after extra time. Shrewsbury returned to the league with a 3-0 win in the penalty shoot-out.
A meeting on 24 May 2004 saw the club officers take the historic decision to convert Aldershot Town to full-time professional status from 1 July 2004. For the first time since March 1992 the town of Aldershot had a professional football team.
In 2004-05 the Shots once again equalled their best ever run in the FA Cup as they reached the 2nd Round proper, where they lost 5-1 to Hartlepool United. After a slow start in the league, Aldershot showed some fine form in the run-in. In their final game of the season they needed to beat Scarborough to reach the play-offs. In front of nearly 4,500 Tim Sills was the hero as his brace ensured Exeter City and Morecambe with their superior goal differences could not qualify.
The Shots faced Carlisle United but there was no repeat of the 5-0 home Conference humiliation at the hands of the Cumbrians, as Nick Crittenden's goal saw Aldershot take a 1-0 first leg advantage to Brunton Park. Before half time Carlisle had overturned Aldershot's lead to hold the advantage 2-1 on aggregate, before loanee Jamie Slabber levelled in stoppage time. Extra time could not separate the sides and the tie went to penalties. At one point the Shots were 3-1 up, but the shoot-out went to sudden death. Jon Challinor missed his effort and Danny Livesey sent Carlisle into the final.
The next two seasons were disappointing ones for the Shots. 2005-06 saw Aldershot's team ravaged by injuries, and they struggled to 13th in the table, with a goal difference of -13, 13 years after the end of the new club's first season. The team made it to the 2nd round of the FA Cup, losing 1-0 at home to Scunthorpe United F.C.. The next season was equally disappointing, with the side never really getting close enough to the aim of finishing in the playoff positions. The club eventually made it to 9th in the reformed 24 club Conference National, finishing 13 points off the playoffs. Terry Brown resigned, citing the poor health of his wife as the primary reason, although his position may have been untenable with regards to the season's performance. Martin Kuhl took over as caretaker manager. They made it to the 3rd round of the FA Cup for the first time, though, losing 4-2 at Bloomfield Road to Blackpool F.C.
On 17 May 2007, Gary Waddock became the new manager, with Martin Kuhl reverting to his coaching position.
Current Squad 2007-2008
Managers
''As of September 6th, 2007. Only competitive matches are counted.''
| Name | Nat | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Wignall | 1992 | 1995 | |
| Paul Shrubb CARETAKER | 1995 | 1995 | |
| Steve Wigley | 1995 | 1997 | |
| George Borg | 1997 | 2002 | |
| Stuart Cash CARETAKER | 2002 | 2002 | |
| Terry Brown | 2002 | 2007 | |
| Martin Kuhl CARETAKER | 2007 | 2007 | |
| Gary Waddock | 2007 | - |
Transfer records
'Record Purchase'
★ Grant Payne from Peterborough United for £20,000 November 1999.
'Record Sale'
★ Adam Miller to Queens Park Rangers for an undisclosed club record fee November 2004.
Stadia
Aldershot Town play their home games at the Recreation Ground. It has a capacity of 7,500.
Club records
★ Best league position: 4th in Conference National (level 5), 2004-05
★ Best FA Cup performance: 3rd round, 2006-2007
2nd round, 1999-2000, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06
★ Best FA Trophy performance: Semi-Final, 2003-04
★ Best FA Vase performance: Quarter Final, 1993-94
Rivals
Aldershot Town's main rivals are considered currently to be Woking.
Supporters
Aldershot Town FC has a few different supporters groups.
> Red Blue Army
> Supporters Club
> Shots Trust
> Phoenix Club
> Stray Shots
Each has a different "job" with the Red Blue Army being on the terrace home and away creating the colour of red and blue throughout matches.
Notable players
Jason Chewins holds the record for the most number of appearances for the club, playing 489 times between August 1994 and May 2004. This led to the left-back being the first and, to date, only player to receive a testimonial which was played against Portsmouth in July 2004.
Before Chewins, the record was held by Mark Butler, who joined the club at its inception in 1992. Butler played 303 times between August 1992 and May 1998, also holding the all-time goal scoring record by netting 155 times, a record he still currently holds.
Three other have played more than 200 times for the club, Stuart Udal, whose brother Shaun was an England international cricketer, played 236 times for the club. Current goalkeeper Nikki Bull and the eccentric winger Jimmy Sugrue have also passed the land mark.
Gary Abbott is, apart from Butler, the only Shots player to have ever scored over 100 goals for the club. Over the course of three seasons, between August 1998 and May 2001, he scored 120 goals.
Season-by-season record
| Season | Division | Position | Significant Events |
|---|---|---|---|
| 'Aldershot Town formed and placed into Isthmian League Third Division' | |||
| 1992-93 | Isthmian League Third Division | 1 | Champions, Promoted |
| 1993-94 | Isthmian League Second Division | 3 | Promoted, FA Vase Quarter-Final |
| 1994-95 | Isthmian League First Division | 4 | FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round, FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round |
| 1995-96 | Isthmian League First Division | 5 | FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round, FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round |
| 1996-97 | Isthmian League First Division | 7 | FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round, FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round |
| 1997-98 | Isthmian League First Division | 1 | Champions, Promoted, FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round, FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round |
| 1998-99 | Isthmian League Premier Division | 7 | FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round, FA Trophy 4th Round, Hampshire Senior Cup Winners |
| 1999-00 | Isthmian League Premier Division | 2 | Runners-up. FA Cup 2nd Round, FA Trophy 4th Round, Hampshire Senior Cup Winners |
| 2000-01 | Isthmian League Premier Division | 4 | FA Cup 1st Round, FA Trophy 3rd Round |
| 2001-02 | Isthmian League Premier Division | 3 | FA Cup 1st Round, FA Trophy 3rd Round, Hampshire Senior Cup Winners |
| 2002-03 | Isthmian League Premier Division | 1 | Champions. Promoted to Conference, FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round, Hampshire Senior Cup Winners |
| 2003-04 | Football Conference | 5 | FA Cup Second Round, FA Trophy Semi-Final, Conference Playoff Final |
| 2004-05 | Conference National | 4 | FA Cup Second Round, Conference Playoff Semi-Final |
| 2005-06 | Conference National | 13 | FA Cup Second Round |
| 2006-07 | Conference National | 9 | FA Cup Third Round, Hampshire Senior Cup Winners |
Source:
Head-To-Head records
last updated: 9th sept 2007
Club information
'''Club Address:''' High Street, Aldershot, Hampshire, GU11 1TW, England
'''Telephone Number:''' 01252 320211
'''Fax Number:''' 01252 324347
'''Official Website:''' www.theshots.co.uk
'''Nearest Railway Station:''' Aldershot Railway station is less than a ten minute walk away from the ground. Upon leaving the train station, go down the station approach and turn right into Windsor Way. Continue down Windsor Way passing a Peugeot garage on your right and the Holy Trinity Church on your left. The road bends to the left and leads into Victoria Road. Turn right along Victoria Road and at the bottom of the road you will see floodlights of the Recreation Ground in front of you.
External links
★ Official club web site
★ Unofficial club web site
★ Stray Shots
★ Red Blue Army
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