St Albans City F.C.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| St Albans | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | St Albans City Football Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | The Saints, The Friars | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1908 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | Clarence Park St Albans |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Capacity | 4,500 (900 seated) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman | John Gibson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manager | Colin Lippiat | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Conference National | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005-06 | Conference South, 2nd (Play-off winners) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
St Albans City F.C. (nicknamed The Saints) is a football club based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. It was founded in 1908 and plays its home matches at Clarence Park, about 800 yards from the city centre. The club is in the Conference National having been promoted at the end of the 2005-06 season by beating Histon 2-0 in the Conference South play-off final at Stevenage Borough's Broadhall Way ground.
City's most famous match was on November 22, 1922 in a first round FA Cup match. Having been held by Dulwich Hamlet to a 1-1 draw at Clarence Park on November 18, the replay drew a gate of 4,060.
City's New Zealand-born goalkeeper W. Tennant did not appear, his place taken by Alf Fearn who was usually a half-back with the reserves. Dulwich put eight goals past him, the winning goal coming in near darkness at the end of extra time. What put the game in the record books was that City scored seven times, with all seven goals being scored by Wilfred Minter. His feat remains the highest tally by a player on the losing side of an FA Cup tie.
Contents |
[edit] Promotion to the Conference
On 7 May 2006, St Albans City beat Histon 2-0, in the 2005/2006 Conference South Play Off Final at Stevenage's Broadhall Way ground. Goals from Lee Clarke & Paul Hakim meant that St Albans were promoted to the Conference National for the first time.
Following the team's promotion, Clarence Park was redecorated & improved slightly, a noticeable difference being the acquisition of a new club sponsor, as well as new advertising boards. Although it is still early days, there have been rumours of St Albans possibly moving to a larger venue. However, nothing so far has been confirmed or denied.
The Saints' first three games in the Conference were a mixed affair, with the team winning, drawing & losing their first three games respectively. Since then St Albans has had a bad run of games and are hovering around the relegation zone. So far it is too early to tell where St Albans will finish in the Conference, especially as it continues to be a part-time team whilst going up against full-time opponents. However, Colin Lippiatt remains positive about his team's chances. Recently knocked out in the FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round by Yeading, the team are now concentrating on staying in the Conference for another season.
[edit] 2007 & Beyond
St Albans will start the second half of the season just one place off the relegation zone. Transfer-wise, The Saints allowed defender Dave Theobald to return to Conference North outfit Kettering Town but have re-signed defender Djoumin Sangare on loan from Grays Athletic until the end of the season. Lippiat also signed Chris Watters & Leon Archer from neighbours Boreham Wood for an undisclosed fee on two year contracts.
In January 2007, director (and chief football writer for the Mail on Sunday) Ian Ridley left the club amid disagreement over policy. Ridley argued that the club needed to bring in older, more experienced players (citing Steve Claridge) to bolster the campaign to stay in the Conference; the remainder of the board wanted to maintain a strong reliance of "young, hungry" players. [1]
[edit] Current Squad
|
|
[edit] External links
| Conference National 2006/07 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
