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The Aldershot Connection

Sixteen years after folding mid-season, Aldershot have returned to the Football League. In their previous incarnation only one of their players won international recognition - and he was from Northern Ireland (well, his father was at least!)...

Founded: 1926 (folded March 1992); new club founded 1992.
Previous Names: 1926, Aldershot Town; 1932, Aldershot; 1992, Aldershot Town (new club).
Grounds: (old club) 1926, Recreation Ground; (new club) 1992, Recreation Ground.

League History:
(Original Club)
Southern League (Eastern Section) 1927/28-1931/32; Football League Division Three (South) (III) 1932/33-1957/58; Division Four (IV) 1958/59-1972/73; Division Three (III) 1973/74-1975/76; Division Four (IV) 1976/77-1986/87; Division Three (III) 1987/88-1988/89; Division Four (IV) 1989/90-1991/92 (folded mid-season, ‘91/92 record expunged).
(New Club)
Isthmian League Division Three 1992/93; Division Two 1993/94; Division One 1994/95-1997/98; Premier Division 1998/99-2002/03; Football Conference 2004/05-2007/08; Football League Two (IV) 2008/09-date.

Club Honours:
(Original Club)
Southern League Champions
1929/30 (following 3-2 play-off win over Eastern Section Champions Bath City).
Football League Best Season: 8th Division Three (III)
1973/74.
Football League Division Four Fourth Place (promoted)
1972/73; Play-Off Winners (promoted) 1986/87.
(New Club)
Football Conference National Champions
2007/08.
Isthmian League Premier Division Champions
2002/03.
Isthmian League Division One Champions
1997/98.
Isthmian League Division Two Third Place (promoted)
1993/94.
Isthmian League Division Three Champions
1992/93.
Football Conference League Cup Winners
2007/08.

Capped by the Irish FA while with Aldershot:
Players........ Shots ... -League- Caps
............. -Career- ..St(Sb)/Gl w/AFC Tot
Peter Scott*. 1978-1982 114 (7)/ 2 .. 1 (10)
* Scott was the only Aldershot player ever to win Full caps.

Other Players to have been capped by IFA and played for Aldershot:
Ian Stewart.. 1988-1991. 94 (7)/ 0 .. 0 (31)**
Bill Gowdy... 1938....... 3 (0)/ 0 .. 0 ( 4)
Jimmy Hopkins 1929....... ? (?)/ ? .. 0 ( 1) (non-league)

**Totals exclude 6(5)/1 expunged for 1991/92 season.

Billy Cook (5/0, 1939/40 and 2/0, 1942/43) and ‘Boy’ Martin (1/0, 1942/43) both played as guests for Aldershot in War-Time football.

Maurice Harkin (9 Under-21 Caps) and Mark Graham (1 B Cap) played for the “new” Aldershot Town in non-League football.

Bill McCracken was manager of Aldershot from 1937-1949.

Links:
Official Site
Aldershot FC (1926-1992)

Comments

Joey Vimsante said…
National League Cup Expansion
I think that the English non-league trophy called the National League Cup should be expanded to include guest sides from the Scottish and Welsh leagues.
I do not support merging the Scottish Welsh, and English leagues. But I do support Pan-Great Britain Cups on top of domestic and European football.
The Scottish were allowed Irish, Welsh, and English sides in the Scottish Challenge Cup, so UEFA would be OK with this.
My idea would be to invite the first teams of all Welsh Cymru Premier sides, and the first teams of some lower tier Southern Scottish sides, and the B teams of Glasgow Celtic, Glasgow Rangers, Aberdeen, Hibs, Hearts, and Dundee United, as guest sides in the National League Cup.
This would be transformational for Welsh clubs in terms of attendances, finances and match quality. It would help them develop for UEFA football.
It would not be transformational for English and Scottish clubs but it would be fun.
The teams could be added with little increase in games for each club.
Diolch.
jcd said…
There have been a few GB/UK-wide inter-club competitions over the years, but none have stuck. The Texaco Cup in the 1970s and until recently the Scottish League Challenge Cup was open to various teams from across the home nations. Would be great to have something back