Posts tagged ‘Aldershot Town’

Apr 28

The O’s and Shots

In the National League the contrasting seasons of Aldershot Town and Leyton Orient were enormous. Both teams I have always had a soft spot for.

My first ever football match I witnessed live was at The Recreation ground in Aldershot. As I badgered the old man to take me to his club, the one a few miles away in SE7 that he’d got out of the habit of watching, we happened to be at some friends one weekend in Camberley.

The Dad was an avid Aldershot watcher, and asked my Dad and I to accompany him, and I have vivid memories of the day. The opposition has always been a mystery to me, but I’m pretty sure it was Stockport County, themselves promoted yesterday and in a quirk of fate will replace the Shots in the National League.

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Apr 17

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Congratulations to Brighton

Huge heartfelt congratulations to Brighton and my mates who have followed them through their peaks and many, many troughs. 20 years ago Brighton were homeless thanks to the ineptitude and irresponsibility of a club chairman who shamelessly sold their historic Goldstone Ground from under them. They subsequently played 70 miles away at Gillingham’s ground for two years before spending 12 seasons at the Withdean athletics stadium, with portable cabins for changing rooms.

But today at their wonderful Falmer stadium, a legacy to the generous and patient Tony Bloom, the Seagulls returned to the countries top division 34 years after they were last there, and in that time only Steve Gritt and a last-day draw at Hereford stopped them from sinking into the non league, and potentially the abyss.

Brighton have long been ready for the Premier League and they are a proper club, with proper fans and the long friendship with Charlton supporters runs very deep.

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