Recreation Ground (Aldershot)

Aldershot F.C. adopted the "Rec" as their home ground upon formation in December 1926. The Recreation Ground was owned by the local council and situated on Aldershot High Street. The first stand, the south stand, was opened at the beginning of the 1929–30 season and still remains today. A crowd of 3,522 witnessed the shots record a 2–1 victory over Norwich City on the day of its opening.[5] The club's last game there was in the Football League Fourth Division against Lincoln City on 14 March 1992 – 11 days before their demise. However, one more competitive game did follow for the club - against Cardiff City, also in the league, at Ninian Park.[6]

After the demise of Aldershot F.C., the Recreation Ground remained without any tenants. Aldershot Town were formed soon after and consequently chose to adopt the Recreation Ground as their home.

In March 2018, Aldershot Town presented proposals for the redevelopment of the EBB Stadium to Rushmoor Borough Council which would see the potential development of a new stadium, containing both seating and standing areas, that will give the club a 'long-term home from which to build our ambitions on the pitch'.[7]

Average attendances since 1992.[8][9]

The following table summarises the top 10 attendances at the recreation ground for Aldershot Town, since reformation in 1992).[10]

This is the main stand of the Recreation Ground running along one side of the pitch.[11] It houses players changing rooms and the club's directors box and media center. Adjoined to the North stand is the club offices which were used by both Aldershot F.C. and Aldershot Town F.C. directors. There is also a conference room and bar adjacent to the offices and behind the North stand which was built in the early 2000s. Originally it was used as a bar for supporters on matchdays until the club acquired the Black Bull Inn during the 2007–2008 season. As a result, it is mainly used for corporate hospitality.[12]

The stand itself features a combination of terracing and seating:

• To the east of the stand is a large terraced area.
• To the west of the stand is a large terraced area with a disabled bay.
• In the centre of the stand is a large seated area, directors' area and media centre. Originally this was terraced before gradually seating replaced the terracing. However one small area to the west of the central area is still terraced and has yet to face conversion to seating.[13][14]

East Bank is the largest stand of the Recreation Ground capable of holding several thousand fans. The design of the stand is unusual as it is not like most stands that have a flat roof, instead the stand roof is a barrel-shaped roof towards the rear, with a flat roof covering the lower parts of the East Bank. This is so because the East Bank originally had just the barrel shaped roof and it was not until later that a front flat roof was put on to cover the lower half of the East Bank.[15]

South Stand viewed from the East Bank

The South Stand is the only all-seated stand at the ground, accommodating both home and away fans. The stand is the oldest at the ground, having been opened in the late 1920s shortly after Aldershot F.C. was formed. It has remained fairly untouched over the past 70 years, although an increase in ground safety regulations (especially after the Taylor report) has meant that some minor work has been carried out in order for the stand to remain in use.

Either side of the stand are open terraces. Of which one is used by home fans - the south west terrace (known amongst fans as "The Slab") - and the other used by away fans.

Due to Football League regulations the High Street end is no longer accessible for supporters on match days. However, provision can be made for expanded capacity, as it was for the League Cup tie with Manchester United on 25 October 2011, where an extra 200 fans were allowed access, hence bringing capacity up to 7,300.