Aldershot Town F.C.
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| Aldershot Town | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Aldershot Town Football Club |
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| Nickname(s) | The Shots | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Founded | 1992 (originally 1926) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | Recreation Ground Aldershot |
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| Capacity | 7,500 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman |  John McGinty |
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| Manager | Martin Kuhl (as caretaker manager) |
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| League | Conference National | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005-06 | Conference National, 13th | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Aldershot Town Football Club, based in Aldershot, Hampshire, 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.
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[edit] 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
[edit] Rivals
Aldershot Town's main rivals are considered currently to be Woking and Farnborough Town. Reading were former rivals of the old team, Aldershot, but have never played the new side in a competitive fixture, and with Reading now playing in the Premier League, the rivalry shown is less but yet still remains with offensive songs by both clubs offending the other. Aldershot Town supporters collation known as the Red Blue Army (RBA) recently won the award for best fans whilst ironically Reading FC won the award for the worst set of fans.
[edit] 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.
[edit] History
Early Beginnings
So far it has been a fairy tale story for Aldershot Town. In March 1992 the town was without a football club after Aldershot FC 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. As recently as 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. Also if the play offs had been introduced earlier then Aldershot would have featured in them on five occasions in a ten-year spell prior to their introduction.
However it has been the re-emergence of football in the town that has built an outstanding loyalty from the supporters who have been so influential in the clubs progress. Starting in the Diadora Isthmian League in 1992 Aldershot Town was born. 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 has just one player on his books. Aldershot Town are now in their ninth season since the Football League side went out of business and what has always continued to surprise people is the level of support that the new club has managed to attract, averaging attendances of over 2,000 at The Recreation Ground since reforming.
A further promotion and an FA Vase Quarter Final placing was achieved in the 1993/94 season and when manager Steve Wignall departed to take charge of Colchester United mid way through the 1994/95 season he left the club content that he had built a firm foundation.
Steve Wigley Period
So in 1995 Former Nottingham Forest winger Steve Wigley took over but was unfortunate that despite steering the club to six successive victories at the end of the 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 and after many hours of intense work Aldershot officials finally managed to secure the services of their number one choice to replace Steve Wigley.
And Here Comes Borg
George Borg arrived at the Recreation Ground in September 1997 with an excellent managerial record. After ensuring he had the correct management team in Assistant Stuart Cash arriving from his previous club Enfield, work was undertaken to secure the First Division championship by eleven points from Billericay Town. Attendances continued to rise during this period and the final fixture 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 Surburban League under the guidance of Simon Pullen who, along with Martin Kuhl, also ran the youth set up in his new role of Football in the Community Officer after enjoying considerable success in the previous season. As a result a couple of players are already pushing for a first team place. 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 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 competiton 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, in a display of fan power the like of which had not been witnessed in the non league game, 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 and the hunt for the next manager of the club began.
On Wednesday 20th March 2002 - 10 years to the day since Aldershot FC played its last ever league fixture - after a lengthy and painstaking interview and selection process, Aldershot Town FC appointed its fourth manager.
The Golden Ages (the Brown Era)
Terry Brown arrived at the Recreation Ground from Conference side Hayes after a nine year spell in charge. He had managed to take Hayes from the brink of relegation from the Isthmian Premier Division, to 3rd in the Conference, just six points behind champions Cheltenham Town. But with a diminishing budget and his best players sold to make ends meet, Brown's saw his side slip into a relegation dogfight. Frustrated, he applied for the Aldershot job and was selected for the job ahead of 50 other candidates.
His first game in charge of the Shots was at Newport IOW in the Hampshire Senior Cup Semi Final 2nd Leg. With Aldershot Town already leading from the 1st Leg 2-0, Brown enjoyed a dream start to his managerial career with the Shots opened the scoring after just 21 seconds - then a new Aldershot Town record. Aldershot won the game and progressed to the final at St Mary's in Southampton 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. No fewer than eleven first team players were released or moved on. Slowly Brown brought in players he knew and admired. Eleven new players were signed from Divisions 2 and 3 in the professional game, and the Nationwide Conference. With an experienced squad assembled, Brown set about the task of taking Aldershot forward. 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 saw the division's best defence outfox the division's best attack and the Shots fans sensed title success at last.
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. With the 2002-03 season ending in triumph a new chapter in Aldershot's incredible history was about to be written.
One Step Below
The new chapter started at the Recreation Ground in front of Sky Sports cameras and 3,680 supporters as Accrington Stanley became the first side to play Aldershot Town in a national league. A 2-1 win for the Shots was the perfect start to life among the non-league elite. 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 red-hot favourites Hereford United, drawing 1-1 at The Rec and 0-0 at Edgar Street. Extra time finished without any further score on the Bank Holiday Monday and the tie was concluded on penalties with the Shots winning the shootout 4-2. Shrewsbury Town defeated Barnet on penalties in their tie and it was a Final between the two Conference new boys. Shrewsbury, looking for an immediate return to Division 3 battled against a determined Shots effort in normal time and when the game ended 1-1 went on to look the stronger side in extra time. But the deadlock could only be broken again in a dramatic penalty shootout. It was not to be for Aldershot Town as the Shrews returned to the League with a 3-0 penalties win.
Looking to consolidate on an outstanding season that had exceeded all expectations, the Board of Directors met with Terry Brown on Monday 24th May 2004. The meeting followed months of intensive planning and feasibility studies. The meeting saw the club officers take the historic decision to convert Aldershot Town to full-time professional status from 1st July 2004. For the first time since March 1992 the town of Aldershot once again had a professional football team.
2nd Season
Aldershot's second season in the Conference did not start quite as well as the first but even so it was solid enough for relative newcomers to non-league's elite. The Shots once again equalled their best ever run in the FA Cup as they reached the 2nd Round proper. However there was to be no overcoming an in form Hartlepool United and a 5-1 defeat ended the romantic dreams of a tie with one of the big boys.
There were to be no FA Trophy exploits either as Thurrock surprised Brown's side with a 1-0 win. The season would once again be about the league, but with Barnet soaring away back to League Two it was a play off place that was coveted. There were some indifferent results along the way but the turning point in Aldershot's fortunes came in March after a 3-1 win at Burton Albion. There then followed a brilliant 4-0 demolition of Woking in front of Sky Sports cameras. Three games later a dramatic and nailbiting 3-3 draw at Accrington ensured Stanley had no chance of reaching the last four and that Aldershot would reach the play offs on the last day of the season - if they could beat Scarborough at The Rec. 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 ball from the right drifted inside the far post to see Aldershot take a 1-0 first leg advantage to Brunton Park. Before half time though and roared on by 10,000 home fans, Carlisle had overturned Aldershot's lead to hold the advantage 2-1 on aggregate. Five minutes of stoppage time were signalled and with 15 seconds of those remaining, Dave Lee's cross was met by the head of loanee Jamie Slabber and the net bulged to level the tie on aggregate. Extra time could not separate the tiring sides and it was the lottery of penalties that would once again bring heartbreak. 3-1 up on spot kicks the Shots had two chances to book their place at the Britannia Stadium, but both opportunites were wasted. It was in sudden death that Jon Challinor missed his effort and Danny Livesey sent Carlisle into the final - and after beating Stevenage Borough, back into the Football League.
[edit] Current squad
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[edit] Season-by-season record
| Season | Division | Position | Significant Events |
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| 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 |
| 1999-00 | Isthmian League Premier Division | 2 | Runners-up. FA Cup 2nd Round, FA Trophy 4th Round |
| 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 |
| 2002-03 | Isthmian League Premier Division | 1 | Champions. Promoted to Conference, FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round |
| 2003-04 | Conference | 5 | FA Cup Second Round, FA Trophy Semi-finals |
| 2004-05 | Conference National | 4 | FA Cup Second Round |
| 2005-06 | Conference National | 13 | FA Cup Second Round |
Source: Aldershot Town at the Football Club History Database
[edit] Managers
- Steve Wignall (1992-1995)
- Paul Shrubb (caretaker, 1995)
- Steve Wigley (1995-1997)
- George Borg (1997-2002)
- Stuart Cash (caretaker, 2002)
- Terry Brown (2002-2007)
- Martin Kuhl (caretaker, 2007-)
[edit] Staff
- Chairman: John McGinty
- Caretaker Manager: Martin Kuhl
- Goalkeeping Coach: Paul Priddy
- Physio:Sue Bowen
[edit] External links
- Official club web site
- Unofficial club web site
- Up The Shots!
- Stray Shots
- Red & Blue Army Ultras Group
| Conference National 2006/07 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Aldershot Town • Altrincham • Burton Albion • Cambridge United • Crawley Town • Dagenham & Redbridge • Exeter City • Forest Green Rovers • Gravesend & Northfleet • Grays Athletic • Halifax Town • Kidderminster Harriers • Morecambe • Northwich Victoria • Oxford United • Rushden & Diamonds • Southport • Stafford Rangers • St Albans City • Stevenage Borough • Tamworth • Weymouth • Woking • York City edit | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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