Aldershot Town F.C.

In March 1992, the town of Aldershot was without a football club after Aldershot F.C. became the first Football League team to fold during the football season since Accrington Stanley in 1962. Aldershot Town was born later the same year, and began life competing in the Isthmian League Division Three. Despite Aldershot Town playing five divisions lower than the Football League, the attendance for their first competitive fixture was higher than the old team's last home tie. Ten successive victories were recorded under the guidance of former player Steve Wignall and Aldershot won the championship by an 18-point margin.

A further promotion and an FA Vase quarter-final placing was achieved in the 1993–94 season. When Steve Wignall departed to take charge of Colchester United midway through the 1994–95 season, former Nottingham Forest winger Steve Wigley took over. The club finished the 1994–95 season with a run of six successive victories, but missed out on promotion by goal difference. After narrowly missing out during the next two seasons Wigley left in July 1997 to become Youth Development Officer at Nottingham Forest. 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 Recreation Ground – a league record. The success under Borg continued with an Isthmian League Cup, two Hampshire Senior Cups and a runners-up spot in the Isthmian League Premier Division.

The club's reserves were reinstated in 2000–01 and entered the Suburban League. The FA Cup in 2000–01 saw Aldershot take on league opposition at The Recreation Ground for the first time since reforming, when Brighton & Hove Albion visited for a 1st Round tie in November and a record attendance of 7,500 saw the league team win. In the following season's FA Cup the Shots held Bristol Rovers to a home draw in the First Round, but again missed out on the Second Round after losing the replay in Bristol.

George Borg resigned as manager in November 2001 after pressure from supporters and was replaced by Terry Brown. He won his first game in charge beating Newport IOW 1–0 in the Hampshire Senior Cup Semi-final Second Leg, taking The Shots on to win the final against Havant & Waterlooville. In Brown's first full season in charge he overhauled the squad, and by mid-November the Shots were top of the table, a position they did not relinquish for the remainder of the season, winning promotion to the Football Conference. The club also retained the Hampshire Senior Cup with a 2–1 win over Bashley.

Terry Brown took over as manager in March 2002.

A crowd of 3,680 saw Aldershot's first game in the Conference, a 2–1 win over Accrington Stanley. The club went on to stay in the play-off positions in the league table for all but 3 days of the season. 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. The club reached their first FA Trophy semi-final, 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 2004 Conference play-off 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.

In May 2004 the club officers made the decision to convert Aldershot Town to full-time professional status from the following July. 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 improved their form and reached the play-offs after beating Scarborough in the last game of the season. The Shots won the first leg against Carlisle United 1–0 at home, but lost the away leg 2–1, giving a 2–2 aggregate score. Extra time could not separate the sides and the tie went to penalties, with Carlisle winning the shootout.

The next two seasons were less successful for the Shots. 2005–06 saw Aldershot's team suffer numerous injuries, and they struggled to 13th in the table. The team made it to the 2nd round of the FA Cup, losing 1–0 at home to Scunthorpe United. 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 Premier, 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 Third round of the FA Cup for the first time, losing 4–2 at Bloomfield Road to Blackpool

In May 2007 Gary Waddock was appointed the new manager, with Martin Kuhl reverting to his coaching position. The Shots started the season strongly, losing few games before the turn of the year. Jonny Dixon was sold to Brighton and Hove Albion in the January Transfer window for a then club record of £56,000.[2] The Shots finished top of the Conference Premier with a record 101 points, and were promoted to the Football League, for the first time since the club was reformed[3] ending the season on an 18-match undefeated run.

The Shots also made it to the Conference League Cup Final after a 4–3 penalty shoot out victory over near neighbours Woking in the semi-final. The final, played at the Recreation Ground on 3 April, was against Rushden & Diamonds. With the scores 1–1 at full-time, then 3–3 after extra time, Aldershot won 4–3 on penalties.[4]

Sixteen years after the demise of Aldershot F.C., the town of Aldershot had a Football League team again. The club retained many of the 2007–08 promotion winning team, and added several signings, both permanent and on loan. Gary Waddock and Martin Kuhl also committed their futures to the club by signing new three-year contracts.[5] Joel Grant was sold to Crewe Alexandra for £130,000, a club record.[6] On the opening day of the 2008–09 season, Aldershot Town won their first league game on their return to the Football League at Accrington Stanley 1–0.[7] This was followed four days later by the club's first ever Football League Cup game, against Coventry City at the Ricoh Arena, which the Shots lost 3–1. The Shots finished fifteenth in League Two in their first season in the Football League.

Two months into the 2009–10 season, manager Gary Waddock and assistant Martin Kuhl accepted offers to join Wycombe Wanderers. Jason Dodd was appointed as Caretaker Manager, assisted by Paul Williams[8] before Kevin Dillon, the former first-team coach of Reading, was appointed as Waddock's permanent successor in November 2009.[9] Two days later Dillon appointed Gary Owers as his assistant manager.[10] Under the new management team Aldershot finished the season in sixth place,[11] qualifying them for the play-offs,[12] where they lost 3–0 on aggregate to Rotherham United.[13]

In January 2011 Kevin Dillon and assistant Gary Owers had left the club by mutual agreement, with the club lying 20th in League Two, after winning just 6 out of 22 league games.[14] Dillon was replaced by Newport County manager Dean Holdsworth.[15] Holdsworth succeeded in removing the threat of relegation, eventually guiding the club to 14th position in a run which included only 4 defeats in the second half of the season. Aldershot finished 11th in the 2011–12 season. A good run in the League Cup saw Aldershot take on Manchester United at home, which ended in a 3–0 victory for Manchester United. Holdsworth was sacked by Aldershot on 20 February 2013 with the team in 20th place in League Two.[16]

In the summer 2012, a major shareholder suffered a major stroke, debilitating him and creating a financial insecurity that would prove dangerous come the following year. In May 2013, Aldershot Town announced that they were in financial difficulties,[17] with players' wages going unpaid.[18] The Chief Executive, Andrew Mills, announced his resignation saying that there was no evidence that the major shareholder Kris Machala had the ability to fund the club.[19] Director Tony Knights admitted that the club has been "haemorrhaging money".[18] On 2 May 2013, just five days after their relegation from the Football League, Aldershot Town officially entered administration.[1] The club fell with debts of over £1 million.[20]

On 1 August 2013, Aldershot Town confirmed the takeover of the club by a consortium led by former chairman Shahid Azeem. In conjunction, the club announced the agreement of a lucrative deal with Chelsea to host a significant number of matches played by the Chelsea Academy and Reserves over the next two years.[21]

Aldershot were relegated from the National League in 2019 after finishing 21st. However, they were reprieved from relegation after Gateshead were administratively relegated. [22]

As of 8 January 2021

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  ENG Mitch Walker 2 DF  ENG George Fowler 3 DF  ENG Alex Finney 4 DF  NIR Jamie Sendles-White 6 DF  ENG Kodi Lyons-Foster 7 MF  ENG James Rowe 8 MF  ENG Josh Rees 9 MF  LBY Mohamed Bettamer 10 FW  WAL Chike Kandi 11 FW  SKN Harry Panayiotou 12 MF  ENG Alfy Whittingham 13 GK  ENG Ryan Hall 14 FW  ENG Joel Nouble 15 MF  ENG Jermaine Anderson

No. Pos. Nation Player 16 DF  ENG Dinesh Gillela (on loan from AFC Bournemouth) 18 MF  ENG Reece Wylie 20 MF  ENG Toby Edser 21 MF  ENG Ben Shroll 23 DF  FRA Killian Colombie 25 DF  IRL Shadrach Ogie (on loan from Leyton Orient) 26 DF  ENG Lewis Kinsella 27 MF  ENG Craig Tanner 29 DF  ENG Joe Rabbetts 30 FW  ENG Ricky Miller 35 GK  ENG Brad James (on loan from Middlesbrough) 36 FW  CMR Mike Fondop 44 FW  SCO Ross McCormack

For all Aldershot Town F.C. players with a Wikipedia article see Category:Aldershot Town F.C. 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 match, 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. Former goalkeeper Nikki Bull made his 300th appearance for the Shots in November 2008 and eventually made 313 appearances before moving to Brentford in July 2009. Five others have played more than 200 times for the club, including Stuart Udal, whose brother Shaun was an England international cricketer. Winger Jimmy Sugrue has also reached the landmark. More recently, three members of the 2007–08 title winning squad, namely Anthony Charles, Anthony Straker and Danny Hylton reached the landmark.

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.

# Player Career Appearances 1 Jason Chewins 1994–2004 489 2 Nikki Bull 2002–2009 313 3 Mark Butler 1992–1998 303 4 Anthony Straker 2007–2012 & 2016–2017 266 5 Stuart Udal 1992–1997 236 6 Anthony Charles 2002–2003 & 2006–2011 229 7 Danny Hylton 2005–2013 226 8 Jimmy Sugrue 1994–1996, 1996–2000 & 2001–2002 200 9 Danny Holmes 1993–1998 194 10 Ben Herd 2009–2013 191

• Up to and including, Tranmere Rovers (a), 6 May 2017

# Player Career Goals 1 Mark Butler 1992–1998 155 2 Gary Abbott 1998–2001 120 3 Steve Stairs 1992–1995 75 Roy Young 1994–1999 75 5 John Grant 2006–2010 57 6 Stafford Browne 2000–2002 & 2002–2003 53 Danny Hylton 2005–2013 53 8 Tim Sills 2003–2006 & 2010–2011 52 9 Roscoe D'Sane 2002–2005 48 10 Kirk Hudson 2005–2010 45

• Up to and including, Hereford United (h), 26 April 2014.

Record Purchase

• Marvin Morgan from Woking for an undisclosed fee (but a club record) in May 2008. The previous highest fee paid for a player was the £20,000 paid to Woking for Grant Payne in November 1999.

Record Sale

• Joel Grant to Crewe Alexandra for £130,000 in June 2008.
• Note that Idris Kanu was sold to Peterborough United for an undisclosed but potentially club record fee in August 2017.
  • Also note that Bernard Mensah was sold to Bristol Rovers for an undisclosed but potentially club record fee in January 2018. This deal was rumoured to be in the range of £100,000 and £150,000.

• FA Cup
  • Fourth Round, 2012–13
• Football League Cup
  • Fourth round, 2011–12
• Football League Trophy
  • Second round, 2009–10 & 2010–11
• FA Trophy
  • Semi-finalists, 2003–04 & 2007–08
• Conference League Cup
  • Winners, 2007–08
• FA Vase
  • Quarter-finalists, 1993–94
• Isthmian League Cup
  • Winners, 1998–99
• Hampshire Senior Cup
  • Winners, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2001–02, 2002–03 & 2006–07

Errea were the kit supplier for the 2011–12 season. Adidas has been the kit supplier from the 2013–14 season.

Ribero Home Kit 1992–93 Seasons	Fiva Home Kit 1993–95 Seasons	Fiva Home Kit 1995–97 Seasons	ICIS Home Kit 1998–2000 Seasons	ICIS Home Kit 2000–02 Seasons
ICIS Home Kit 2002–04 Seasons	Errea Home Kit 2004–06 Seasons	Errea Home Kit 2006–07 Season	Errea Home Kit 2007–08 Season	Carbrini Home Kit 2008–10 Seasons

Further details and images of previous kits can be found at the Historical Football Kit website.[28]

Aldershot Town and Woking have met competitively on 30 occasions. Aldershot Town have won 17 times, Woking 7 times and there has been 6 drawn matches.