THE SHOTS

As a young adult! not far from my old "manor", Hampshire's Aldershot Town FC was my closest Football League club. The club now competes in the National League, the fifth level of the EFL System. My next closest clubs were Portsmouth and Brighton and Hove Albion!

The Shots club was founded in the Spring of 1992, after the closure of the old debt-ridden Fourth Division club, Aldershot. Aldershot Town play at the Recreation Ground, which had also been the home ground of the previous club. 

Initially placed in the Isthmian League, Third Division, Aldershot Town won their new league in 1992–93, their debut  season and won promotion out of the Second Division the following season. They won the First Division title in 1997–98 and the Premier Division in 2002–03. Staring the new season in the Football Conference, where they spent five seasons, losing twice in the play-offs, before winning promotion back into the Football League as Conference National League and Conference League Cup champions under Gary Waddock's stewardship in 2007–08. They spent five seasons in League Two, reaching the play-offs in 2010, though were relegated back into non-League football and entered administration in May 2013. They reached the National League play-offs in 2017 and 2018.

I didn't visit their ground much, although the town was only a short journey but I did play there in a "Schools' County" match against Hampshire Schools. 

The new Aldershot club was formed from the "ashes" of the old Fourth Division club that "folded" a month earlier, ON THIS DAY in 1992. Rising debts had meant that the famous old club had gone bankrupt and had to give up its position in the Football League.  

The Shots restarted life in the Isthmian League, Division Three and began a climb through the Non-League pyramid, eventually winning promotion back to the Football League in 2008. 

Promotion to the Football League: 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. The Shots finished top of the Conference Premier League with a record 101 points, and were promoted to the Football League, for the first time since the club was reformed, ending the season on an 18-match undefeated run.

Aldershot 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 and Diamonds. With the scores 1–1 at full-time, then 3–3 after extra time, Aldershot won 4–3 on penalties.

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, with players' wages going unpaid. 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. Director Tony Knights admitted that the club has been "haemorrhaging money". On 2 May 2013, just five days after their relegation from the Football League, Aldershot Town officially entered administration. The club was with debts of over £1 million.

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 club's academy players and reserves over the next two years.

Aldershot Town were relegated from the National League in 2019 after finishing 21st. However, they were reprieved from relegation after Gateshead were administratively relegated. The 2019-20 National League was suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19, with the Shots finishing in 18th place based on points per game. Aldershot Town finished 15th in the 2020-21 season finishing with 52 points. In the 2021-22 season they finished 20th and in the 2022-23 season they finished 18th.

Courtesy Richard Brand