Aldershot Town: Club history
The history of Aldershot Town is actually quite recent with the club only being formed in 1992 – which is new by most football club standards – out of the ashes of Aldershot FC which folded earlier that same year.
On March 25, 1992, Aldershot FC became the first Football League club to go out of business during a season since Accrington Stanley 30 years before. Its record expunged, a phoenix club was formed taking the name Aldershot Town, reviving the suffix that had been dropped in 1932. The new club was placed five divisions lower in Isthmian League Division Three. Despite this the 1,493 who turned out for its first match in the 1992-93 season was greater than the final one ‘enjoyed’ by its predecessors.
The new Shots went on to win the first 10 games and ended the season as champions by an 18-point margin with their strikers, Mark Butler and Steve Stairs, scoring a combined total of 62 goals in all competitions.
The second season in 1993-94 saw a further promotion, via a third place finish, and an FA Vase quarter-final place. However in January 1994 guiding light Steve Wignall was lured away to take charge of Football League club Colchester United and was replaced by Steve Wigley. Despite having made a strong start to that point it drifted away and the Shots finished 4th, missing out on a third successive promotion on goal difference.
Momentum stalled and the next two seasons saw 5th and 7th placed finishes. In the summer of 1997 Wigley left to join the youth set up at Nottingham Forest, where he had been a player. In came George Borg, who older Yeovil fans will recall less than fondly from our battles with Enfield when he was manager there. ‘The Devil’ got them up at the first time of asking, promoted as Champions by 11 points in 1997-98 to the Isthmian Premier.
Although there or there abouts, with 7th, 2nd, 3rd and 4th placed finishes, Borg couldn’t get them out and in November 2002 fan pressure got too much and he resigned. His replacement was Terry Brown, another familiar name to Yeovil fans of a certain vintage. In his first full season, 2002-03, the elusive promotion to the Football Conference was obtained with the Shots comfortably winning the IPL title by 13 points.
It looked might they could pass straight through, staying in the play-off places for the entire first season in the top tier of the Non-League pyramid, but after defeating Hereford United in the two-legged semi-final on penalties the Shots lost to Shrewsbury Town, also via penalties, in the play-off final at Stoke City’s Britannia Stadium.
In response, the club went full-time and was able to attract a number of players including former Glovers’ winger Nick Crittenden who joined in summer 2004 having been released by Yeovil. They made the play-offs again in 2004-05. Critts scored the only goal in the semi-final first leg but a 2-1 defeat at Brunton Park saw the tie go to penalties and it was Carlisle United which progressed, not the Shots.
The next two seasons were a comparative disappointment with 13th and 9th placed finishes. Brown had quit before the 2006-07 season ended, with assistant Martin Kuhl taking over as caretaker. However it was Gary Waddock who was made the permanent appointment in the summer, with Kuhl returning to his coaching role.
In swashbuckling style Aldershot raced to promotion in Waddock’s first season, finishing the campaign with 101 points. After 16 years away, the town of Aldershot had a Football League club to support once again.
A mid-table finish was a respectable start back at League level in the 2008-09 campaign before Waddock and assistant Martin Kuhl departed for Wycombe Wanderers, and ex-Glover (1995-96), Kevin Dillon, arrived in October 2009 and took the Shots to
the play-offs. They ended up on the end of a 3-0 defeat by Rotherham United in the semi-finals.
That was as good as it got. Dillon was dismissed in January 2011 following a dismal run of form and replaced by ex-Wimbledon and Bolton Wanderers striker Dean Holdsworth, who quit his job at Newport County to take over the Shots, then just six points above the League 2 drop zone. He managed to earn them a mid-table finish; and the Shots were 11th the following campaign. However he was sacked mid-February 2013 with the Shots struggling near the foot of the table.
Off the field things were worse, far worse. A financial crisis had been brewing for over a year. Former Rotherham United boss Andy Scott arrived but could not turn things around and they finished 24th, relegated back to the Non-League. Five days after being relegated Aldershot Town entered administration with debts of around £1.4 million.
The majority of the playing staff departed as a consortium led by businessman Shahid Azeem took on ownership. Back in the Conference with a ten-point deduction for the administration and a hastily-assembled squad the Shots did well to avoid back-to-back relegations, eventually finishing the 2013-14 campaign in 19th.
What followed would be a process of rebuilding with the club exiting the Compulsory Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) it had been bought under by the Azeem consortium in July 2014.
Several managers came and went in a couple of fruitless seasons before Gary Waddock returned in the summer of 2016. He got them to a 5th placed finish and making the play-offs where they went out to Tranmere Rovers at the semi-final stage.
Retaining most of the squad for the 2017-18 campaign the Shots finished 5th again, only to again fall at the semi-final stage of the play-offs, this time to Ebbsfleet United.
After back-to-back failures to return to the Football League, the budget was cut and the squad broken up. The youthful side which the Shots put together struggled all season and finished in the division’s drop zone. They survived virtue of Gateshead being demoted for off-field issues. Waddock paid the penalty, sacked at the end of the season.
Since then the Shots have got through four managers, Danny Searle, Mark Molesley, Ross McNeilly, who only got the job permanently in December 2022 after a couple of months as caretaker, and Tommy Widdrington, announced April 2nd. Widdrington’s appointment is controversial, with his former employer King’s Lynn Town taking to social media on Saturday furious that he’d walked out with a year left on his contract after the final whistle of their victory over Chorley, claiming there had been no proper approach for him by the Shots. They’ve spent their time in the lower reaches of the National League, 18th in 2019-20 after PPG calculations, 15th in 2020-21 and 20th in 2021-22. This term the club is in another relegation battle.
Aldershot : We’ve Met Before
Previous Results for Yeovil Town First Team vs Aldershot FC
| 19/11/1955 | Home | FAC1R | D | 1-1 | Elder | ||
| 23/11/1955 | Away | FAC1Rr | D | 1-1 | Reid | ||
| 28/11/1955 | Neutral | FACRr2 | L | 0-3 |
Results Summary For Yeovil Town First Team vs Aldershot FC
| Home | Away | Overall | ||||||||||||
| W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A |
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
Previous Results for Yeovil Town First Team vs Aldershot Town
| 24/09/2019 | Away | NLP | W | 3-1 | 1684 | Hipployte 8, J.Smith 38, Murphy 59 | |
| 26/11/2019 | Home | NLP | D | 2-2 | 2545 | Skendi 36, Murphy 71 | |
| 28/12/2020 | Home | NLP | W | 3-0 | 0 | Duffus 16, 78 Skendi 88 | |
| 11/05/2021 | Away | NLP | L | 0-2 | 0 | ||
| 30/08/2021 | Away | NLP | W | 2-1 | 2073 | Quigley 14,83 | |
| 15/04/2021 | Home | NLP | L | 0-2 | 2528 | ||
| 25/10/2022 | Home | NLP | L | 0-2 | 2396 | ||
| 07/03/2023 | Away | NLP | D | 1-1 | 2896 | Harriott 65 |
Results Summary For Yeovil Town First Team vs Aldershot Town
| Home | Away | Overall | ||||||||||||
| W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A |
| 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 11 |
Aldershot Town : Club Statistics
RECENT RESULTS
| 14/02/2023 | Chesterfield | Home | NLP | D | 1-1 | 1061 | Hutchinson 20 |
| 18/02/2023 | Wrexham | Home | NLP | L | 3-4 | 4568 | Pendlebury 30, Hutchinson 39, Tunnicliffe 89 (og) |
| 21/02/2023 | Dagenham & Redbridge | Away | NLP | L | 1-2 | 1216 | Frost 90+5 |
| 25/02/2023 | Barnet | Away | NLP | L | 1-4 | 1991 | Glover 59 |
| 04/03/2023 | Torquay United | Home | NLP | D | 1-1 | 1914 | Partington 5 |
| 11/03/2023 | FC Halifax Town | Home | FAT6R | L | 0-2 | 2108 | |
| 14/03/2023 | Maidenhead United | Away | NLP | D | 1-1 | 1143 | Hutchinson 6 (pen) |
| 18/03/2023 | Southend United | Away | NLP | W | 2-1 | 5590 | Frost 63, Partington 70 (pen) |
| 25/03/2023 | Gateshead | Home | NLP | L | 2-3 | 1939 | Partington 7, Jordan 90+2 |
| 28/03/2023 | FC Halifax Town | Away | NLP | L | 0-2 | 1472 | |
| 01/04/2023 | Wealdstone | Away | NLP | (postponed – waterlogged pitch) | |||
| 07/04/2023 | Yeovil Town | Home | NLP |
LEAGUE ATTENDANCE STATISTICS
Highest League Attendance: 4,621 v Woking, 26/12/2022
Lowest League Attendance: 1,061 v Chesterfield, 14/02/2023
Average League Attendance: 1,979
CURRENT LEAGUE SEQUENCE STATISTICS
| Games Without A Win: | 2 | Games Without A Home Win: | 4 | |
| Games Without An Away Win: | 1 | Games Without Defeat: | 0 | |
| Games Without A Home Defeat: | 0 | Games Without An Away Defeat: | 0 | |
| Games Without A Draw: | 3 | Games Without A Score Draw: | 3 | |
| Games Without A No-Score Draw: | 29 | Games Without Scoring: | 1 | |
| Games Without Conceding: | 0 | Home Results Sequence: | DLDL | |
| Away Results Sequence: | LLDWL | Overall Results Sequence: | DLLLDDWLL |
Aldershot Town: Club Information
The Recreation Ground (current sponsorship name EBB Stadium), The High Street, Aldershot, Hampshire, GU11 1TW.
(Click for map)
Telephone Number : 01252 320211
Email: admin@theshots.co.uk
Chairman: Shahid Azeem
Club Secretary: Matt Wigman
Media Manager: Samuel Carter
Manager: Tommy Widdrington
Capacity: 7,100 (Away: 1,000 standing, 250 seated)
Seated: 2,000
Covered Terrace: Yes.
Record Attendance : 7,500 v Brighton & Hove Albion, November 2000
Colours: Red and blue
Nickname: The Shots
Programme: £3.00
Ticketing
Tickets for the trip to the Recreation Ground on Good Friday 7th April with a 3.00 p.m. kick-off are on sale via the Shot’s on-line portal.
There is NO purchase at the turnstiles on the day for away fans so you MUST buy in advance. Away fans enter through the Redan Hill turnstiles, 11 and 12.
Prices:
Adult: £18.00
Concession (Senior 65+, Disabled, Military Personnel, Young Person 18-20): £14.00
Under 17: £5.00
Under 11 & Carers: FREE
Early bird “discount” runs out 9.00 a.m. 05/04 – thereafter add £2.00 to all prices… for absolutely no reason other than Aldershot is exploiting and ripping off those making late decisions (the cost of selling a ticket on-line hasn’t changed from the Tuesday).
Prices for standing and seating are the same, though for seating in the South East Stand (make sure you select that, as the remainder of the South Stand is for home fans) the portal expects one to select an actual seat. The club requests that spectators do sit in their designated seats, though how much this is enforced… probably not much, if at all. However something that is potentially relevant is the statement that tickets are “marked up with either a Terrace or Seat area and no deviation from that area specified will be allowed”. The away terrace section at the East end of the stadium is covered; the section of terracing between there and the South East Stand is uncovered.
Don’t recall it before on trips to the Recreation Ground, but there’s now also a bookable parking option at £5.00 if that’s something you require.
Disabled Info: Wheelchair users are advised to contact the ticket office (01252 320211) to reserve a place, one carer is admitted free of charge. Away fans enter the stadium via the gate nearest the bridge on the High Street, close to turnstile 10, and are situated in the front of the South Stand.
Official Away Travel
The Green & White Supporters’ Club is running away travel to Aldershot on 7th April 2023, 3.00 p.m. kick-off.
Details are as follows:
Members: Adult £21; Concession £19
Non-Members: Adult £24; Concession £22
Coach departs Huish Park: 10.30 a.m.
To book, call Paul Hadlow on 07736 044570 (after 6.00 p.m. please) or email him on paulhadlow@outlook.com.
If you are getting in touch by email, please make it clear which match you are booking for and that you give your full name, the names of people that are travelling and a contact telephone number.
You may be asked to pay a £5 deposit to reserve your seat.
Aldershot Town: Directions To The Ground
General
Aldershot is a Hampshire military town with a population of around 40,000 situated six miles south of Junction 4 on the M3. The area is a sprawling mess of towns that pretty much run into one another. It would be entirely fair to say Aldershot is mostly ugly and unpleasant with few if any redeeming features. From Huish Park to The Recreation Ground is 104 miles.
By Road
Although one of our shorter trips likely to be bit of a ‘mare this one, being an Easter weekend. Depending where you are coming from: the A303 will probably be crawling; the M3 busy; the M25 a nightmare.
Dropping off the M3 at Junction 4, take the A331 south. Follow this dual carriageway for around six miles before taking the A323 exit slip road (signposted Aldershot and Woking). At the roundabout, take the third exit towards Aldershot (still the A323). Continue along this road for one mile at which point the stadium is to the right, just past the railway bridge.
Parking
This season the host club has obtained a limited amount of parking. It is about two minutes walk from the ground, though more like ten minutes to get to away turnstiles. The car park opens from 1.30 p.m. and closes at 6.00 p.m. and must be pre-booked not later than 3.00 p.m. on the day before an afternoon fixture. The cost is £5.00. Find the booking form here. Other car parks – council, private commercial and Aldershot Railway Station’s, are all also west of the stadium and between about 10 to 15 minutes walk from the away turnstiles. Where on-street is metered charges are mostly 60p an hour, £5.50 for the day. Rushmoor Borough Council doesn’t appear to believe in waiving charges on public holidays.
By Rail
Aldershot train station is a five-minute walk from the stadium. Leave the station by the main entrance, towards the bus station, and turn right into Windsor Way. Pass Holy Trinity Church on your left and follow the road as it bends left. Turn right at the junction with Victoria Road and the EBB Stadium is in front of you.
To reach the away turnstiles, turn right under the railway bridge and then left up Redan Road.
You might be thinking: YES! an easy one to train from Yeovil Junction (even if there is a change at Woking). Nope. It’s Easter weekend, so of course rail companies mostly cancel their services – who would be wanting to go anywhere over a long weekend? – and engineering works are in progress. “Service Update: This South Western Railway service is likely to be a coach or bus. All or part of this journey will be made by bus.”
For London area Glovers there are trains on Good Friday. Services are from Waterloo and take between 50 and 65 minutes with around five trains a hour. Somewhat counterintuitively it can sometimes be quicker to take a service that requires a change at Woking than a direct option.
By Bus
Aldershot Bus Station is immediately adjacent to the Train Station (directions above), with Stagecoach services running from most local towns to either the Station itself or one of three stops within 2 minutes of the EBB Stadium. For route and timetable information visit www.stagecoachbus.com.
By Taxi
Some Aldershot taxi companies can be found here.
Web Sites
The Shots.co.uk – official club website.
Local Press
Surrey Live – Everywhere has a Live website these days and this is the one for Aldershot, Surrey Live……even though it’s in Hampshire.
Aldershot Town : Food & Drink
General
Like most military towns Aldershot has a lot of pubs (though not nearly as many as it used to, with the general fall in pub numbers nationally amplified by decades of slimming down of the armed forces). Also like in most military towns, the majority of these pubs are pretty depressing if you like Real Ale. As for ‘Craft’ beers, they’ve not reached Aldershot yet. Sadly, one of the best pubs in the area for real ale, the White Lion, was closed on our last visit in August 2021. With the locals still fighting the planning application (so far refused twice) to turn it into flats 20 months on it remains removed from the guide. What was the most convenient pub for the away turnstiles, the Royal Staff in Mount Pleasant Road, is currently boarded up and long-term closed so has also been removed from the guide.
As this fixture is on a Bank Holiday Good Friday pub opening times may vary from their normal ones listed here.
Club Bar
The Shots have segregation for a reason and the Clubhouse at the ground is not open to away supporters. Provision in the away section is limited to a mobile unit selling burgers, hot dogs and chips.
Local Pubs
Crimea Inn: Nearest pub to the football ground, just 120 yards away (although at the wrong end for the away section of the ground). No longer doing food and there’s been substantial changes to opening hours since our last trip. Now doesn’t open weekdays until 2.00 p.m. (though this may not apply on a Bank Holiday Friday with the Shots at home – why would they turn down guaranteed trade?). Saturday and Sunday opens at noon. Closing times are: 11.00 p.m. Monday to Thursday; midnight Friday and Saturday; 10.30 p.m. Sunday. Has three hand pumps but only one or two tend to be active, though an extra beer is usually put on on matchdays. Selection is made from the Punch Taverns beer list so tends to the mainstream. Keg is from the usual multi-national suspects: Carlsberg, Fosters, Stella Artois, John Smith’s Extra Smooth, Guinness, Strongbow etc. Large pub with a big garden, smoking area, pool table, darts and regular live music.
The Crimea Inn, 1 Crimea Road, Aldershot, Hampshire, GU11 1UE. Tel: 01252 343163. Map: Crimea.
Garden Gate: Around a third of a mile from Aldershot Railway Station, but in the opposite direction to the stadium making it two thirds of mile walk to the ground. Has four hand pumps, though all four rarely in use at same time. However, especially given the general paucity of beer choice around Aldershot, it does almost always have something on from Surrey Hills Brewery. Doesn’t do food. Has regular live music events, partially covered smoking patio to the rear, a pub garden and (very limited) parking. Post-match only (unless times altered for the Bank Holiday) as opens at 5.00 p.m. weekdays, 3.00 p.m. weekends, generally closing 10.30 p.m. or 11.00 p.m. unless exercising late night extension when hosting live music.
Garden Gate, 2 Church Lane East, Aldershot, Hampshire, GU11 3BT. Tel: 01252 219717. Map: Garden Gate.
George: Has returned to its original name after a short rebranding as The Goose. A 10-minute walk from The Recreation Ground, one of several town centre pubs within a short distance. Currently owned by Stonegate, which against the rather low bar set by various Pubco chains tends to be less awful than some. Offering what’s now the standard food range to expect in a mass market family dining chain pub between 12.00 noon and 9.00 p.m. Draught offerings are also the sort to be expected: Doom Bar, John Smith’s Smooth, Carlsberg, Guinness, Strongbow – that sort of stuff. Opens from 11.00 a.m. every day except Saturday which is 10.00 a.m. and closing 11.00 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, 1.00 a.m. Thursday, 2.00 a.m. Friday, 3.00 a.m. Saturday and 9.00 p.m. Sunday.
The George, Wellington Street, Aldershot, Hampshire, GU11 1DX. Tel: 01252 330776. Map: The George.
Queen Hotel: A Wetherspoon right in the centre of town, and another in Tim’s fairly recent move into providing accommodation; this one opened in 2014. Unlike most Spoons the Grade II listed status means the drinking area is not entirely open plan and has retained some semblance of distinct rooms. Six beers on cask, with the three off the Spoons list of regulars being Greene King Abbot, Ruddles Best Bitter and Sharp’s Doom Bar; the other three changing. There’s a real cider – usually that’ll be something from Weston’s in Spoons. Has disabled access and a beer garden/patio area (with a covered section for smokers). Wetherspoon pubs vary on their rules concerning children: this one was reported as allowing them only if having a meal but may have relaxed that more recently. Food service 7.00 a.m. – 11.00 p.m. every day. Opening hours: 7.00 a.m. – 12.00 midnight Sunday to Thursday; 7.00 a.m. – 1.00 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
The Queen Hotel, 1 High Street, Aldershot, Hampshire, GU11 1BH. Tel: 01252 361770. Map Queen Hotel.
Victoria:If being a 10-minute walk from the ground is a big selling point for you this is another town centre option. A Greene King pub (under its Meet & Eat brand), if one isn’t too keen on GK beers (and who is?!) it purports to also offer Hogs Back TEA. Has Sports TV and a couple of Pool tables. Serves food – across what hours isn’t clear. Opens at either 10.00 a.m. or 11.00 a.m. (sources conflict), closing 11.00 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 1.00 a.m. Friday and Saturday, midnight Sunday.
The Victoria, 135-139 Victoria Road, Aldershot, Hampshire, GU11 1JW. Tel: 01252 333434. Map: The Victoria.
Likelihood the Natives Will Understand You: The Shots are also a set of supporters fallen on desperately hard times well below their previous station so there’s plenty of opportunity for conversations of mutual gloom and despondency.
Top-Tip: If can, drink somewhere other than Aldershot. It’s not the worst beer town on the NLP circuit but it’s not far off it.
Local Amenities: Nothing.
Other Points Of Interest: None.
[No responsibility is taken for any inaccuracies. This page is entirely the product of bias and prejudice.]