CHELTENHAM TOWN F.C.

'Cheltenham Town Football Club' are a football team based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. They play in Coca-Cola League One after winning the Coca-Cola League Two play-off final in 2005-06 season. They play their home games at Whaddon Road (capacity: 7,408). Their home kit features red and white striped shirts with white shorts and red socks, and there are currently 2 away kits of all yellow shirts with yellow shorts and socks and blue shirts with white shorts and socks. The club is currently sponsored by Bence Builders Merchants.
Cheltenham has a long history of football prior to 'The Robins'. In 1849, the first use of three official referees in a match, two in field and one in tribune was recorded in the town. However, the modern club was founded in 1887 by Albert Close White. Cheltenham joined the Southern League in 1935 and won promotion to the Alliance Premier League (now the Conference National) in 1985, but were relegated seven years later. The appointment of Steve Cotterill as manager during the 1996-97 was the start of a revolution at the club. They won promotion to the Conference in his first season as manager despite not actually winning the then Dr Martens league (commonly known as the Southern Football League and currently known as the British Gas Business Football League) and two years later gained promotion to the Football League. After two mid-table finishes in Division Three (now League Two) they won via the playoffs and were promoted to Division Two.
Cotterill then moved to Stoke City and his successor Graham Allner lasted just seven months at the helm before Cheltenham's dismal Division Two form cost him his job. His successor Bobby Gould was unable to stave off relegation and the following season was replaced by John Ward, who guided Cheltenham to glory in the 2005-06 League Two playoffs, beating Grimsby Town in the final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
Cheltenham Town F.C. also grabbed some spotlight when their matchday programme was voted best in League 1 and in the top 10 in England. It ranked above Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool's! Number 1 of the list was Arsenal.

Contents

2007-8 season

History

Cotterill era

02-06 seasons

Honours

Current Squad - 2007-08

Club Records

Sources

External links

2007-8 season

Cheltenham opened up the 2007-2008 season with a 1-0 win against Gillingham in a match that had 3 men sent off, 1 for Cheltenham & 2 for Gillingham. Cheltenham suffered defeat in extra time against fellow League One side Southend Utd 4-1 in the Carling Cup and narrowly cost 1-0 to Millwall after a goalkeeping error from Shane Higgs just before half time.
Current League One Position: 12th
Cheltenham have brought in Andy Lindegaard from Yeovil Town on a free transfer, left back Lee Ridley signing from 2006-2007 League 1 Champions Scunthorpe, Aaron Ledgister on a free transfer from Bristol City, Tommy Manship on non-contract terms he had formally been with Grantham Town and Jennison Myrie-Williams on a months loan from Bristol City.

History

★ '1932-33' - Joined Birmingham Combination

★ '1935-36' - Joined Southern League, Western Section. Also played in Central Section

★ '1955-56' - Southern League runner-up

★ '1963-64' - Promoted to Premier Division

★ '1968-69' - Relegated to Division One

★ '1976-77' - Southern League Division One North runner-up; promoted to Premier Division

★ '1979-80' - League re-organised to Southern & Midland Divisions (No Premier); placed in Midland Division

★ '1982-83' - Southern League Midland Division Champions; promoted to Premier Division

★ '1984-85' - Southern League Champions

★ '1985-86' - Joined Alliance Premier League

★ '1986-87' - Alliance Premier League renamed Conference

★ '1991-92' - Relegated to Southern League Premier Division

★ '1992-93' - Southern League runner-up

★ '1993-94' - Southern League runner-up

★ '1994-95' - Southern League runner-up

★ '1996-97' - Southern League runner-up

★ '1997-98' - Rejoined Conference. Conference runner-up. FA Trophy Winners

★ '1998-99' - Conference Champions; Promoted to Football League Third Division; FA Trophy semi-finalists

★ '2001-02' - Promoted to Football League Second Division after play-offs

★ '2002-03' - Relegated to Football League Third Division

★ '2004-05' - Football League Third Division became known as League 2

★ '2005-06' - Promoted to League One through end-of-season play-offs

★ '2006-07' - Survived the threat of relegation from League One

Cotterill era

Cheltenham Town's most successful manager ever is Steve Cotterill, who joined the club in January 1997. Four months after taking charge he guided the club to runners-up spot in the Dr Martens Premier League (Southern Football League Premier Division), but they won promotion to the Conference because Dr Martens Premier League champions Gresley Rovers were unable to meet the required ground capacity for Conference membership.
In 1997-98, Cheltenham surprised all the observers by finishing runners-up in the Conference and giving champions Halifax Town a run for their money right up until the end of April, and securing a place at Wembley in the FA Trophy final, beating Southport 1-0 in front of a crowd of some 27,000 of which 19,000 were from Cheltenham. In 1998-99 Cheltenham went one better and secured the Conference championship - their passport to the football league.
After two mid-table finishes in Division Three, Cheltenham finally won promotion to Division Two (via the Division Three playoffs) at the end of the 2001-02 season. Shortly after winning promotion, Steve Cotterill left Cheltenham to pursue his career by joining Stoke City as manager. He remained there for just four months before quitting to become Sunderland's assistant manager, a role which he held for just five months. Cotterill returned to football management in June 2004 with Burnley. He is still manager there.

02-06 seasons

Meanwhile, Cheltenham replaced Cotterill with first-team coach Graham Allner who had won the Conference championship with Kidderminster Harriers in 1994. But he was sacked in January 2003, after just six months in the job, with Cheltenham hovering near the foot of Division Two. Cheltenham turned to Bobby Gould, one of the most experienced managers in English football whose exploits include an FA Cup victory with Wimbledon in 1988. Cheltenham continued to struggle and defeat in their final game of the season condemned the club to relegation back to Division Three after just one season.
Gould resigned as Cheltenham Town manager in November 2003 and was replaced by the experienced John Ward, who has been an assistant manager with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Aston Villa and Watford, and a manager with Bristol City, Bristol Rovers and York City.
During the 2005-06 season, a new stand for visiting fans was added (The Carlsberg Stand) and a small electronic scoreboard was installed. The club punched above its weight and finished the season in 5th, earning a place in the play-offs. In the semi-final Cheltenham beat Wycombe Wanderers 2-1 away and drew 0-0 in the second leg at Whaddon Road. In the play-off final, Cheltenham beat Grimsby Town 1-0, securing a place in League One for 2006-07. The match at the Millennium Stadium ofo May 28 2006 was attended by 29,196 people, making it the club's largest ever stadium audience. However despite promotion, attendances have not increased as the club hoped, though they incresed to 4359. The club were knocked out of the various cup competitions in early stages and were finding it difficult to muster up the funds to invest in additional players. However, with the prudent guidance of chairman Paul Baker and the rest of the board of directors the club is in a stable financial position, preferring not to risk this stability by taking gambles on expensive signings.

Honours

★ FA Trophy Winners (1997-98)

★ Football Conference Champions (1998-99); Runners Up (1997-98)

★ Division Three Play-off Winners (2001-02, 2005-06)

★ Southern League Champions (1984-85); Runners Up (1955-56, 1992-93, 1993-94, 1994-95, 1996-97)

★ Southern League Midland Division Champions (1982-83)

★ Southern League Division 1 North Runners-Up (1976-77)

★ Gloucestershire County Cup - Winners 32 times

★ Leamington Hospital Cup - Winners (1934-35)

★ Midland Floodlit Cup - Winners (1985-86, 1986-87, 1987-88)

Current Squad - 2007-08

(captain)

Club Records

★ Record transfer paid - £50,000 Grant Mccann from West Ham United

★ Record transfer received - £200,000 Kayode Odejayi to Barnsley

★ Record attendance - 10,389 vs Blackpool FA Cup 3rd round 13th January 1934 (game played at Cheltenham Athletic Ground)

★ Record attendance at Whaddon Road - 8,326 vs Reading FA Cup 1st round 17th November 1956

★ Record win - 12-0 vs Chippenham Rovers FA Cup 3rd qualifying round 2nd November 1935

★ Record defeat - 1-10 vs Merthyr Tydfil Southern League 8th March 1952

★ Record appearance - Roger Thorndale 702 (1958-1976)

★ Record goalscorer - Dave Lewis 290 (in 3 spells between 1967-1983)

★ Record goals in a season - Dave Lewis 53 in all competitions (1974-1975)

★ Youngest player - Paul Collicutt

★ Oldest player - Clive Walker

Sources

Cheltenham Town at the Football Club History Database

External links

★ Official Website

★ Robins news, features and audio interviews on BBC Gloucestershire website

★ Cheltenhamshire - reports and information

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