Successive promotions saw Aldershot Town start 1994/5 season in Isthmian League Division One. Promotion had been achieved through third place the previous season, though the strong Newbury Town and Chertsey Town showings, indicative of the financial muscle wealthy benefactors could be prepared to plough into clubs, made it clear these two would again be competitive, alongside the likes of Basingstoke Town (relegated from the Premier) and Billericay Town.
New signings were Paul Chambers from Basingstoke for a club record £5,000, Andy Russell £1,500 from Kingstonian, with Stuart Mitchell (Marlow) and Jason Chewins (Wealdstone) on free transfers and David Bass on loan from Reading. Outgoing included Steve Harris to Basingstoke for £2,000.
The season started with a home match against Billericay, 2,010 saw Shots get off to a winning start courtesy of a Dave Osgood goal. A 3-0 win at Berkhamsted and 2-2 draw at Maidenhead followed before Aldershot Town FC's first ever FA Cup match came around. Accustomed to entering the competition at the First Round stage in November whilst a League club the Preliminary Round tie was on 28th August at Salisbury based Bemerton Heath Harlequins of the Wessex League. In picturesque surroundings Shots scored four unanswered goals (Osgood pen, Butler 2, Humphrey) in front of Bemerton's record attendance (1,118) to progress to the first qualifying round. ATFC's first ever FA Cup line up was Phil Burns, Dave Osgood, Jason Chewins, Paul Chambers, Andy Russell, Keith Baker, Tony Calvert, Adam King, John Humphrey, Danny Holmes and Mark Butler.
The FA Cup run swiftly ended with a 2-1 defeat at Buckingham Town, so attention switched to Shots debut FA Trophy tie, an all-ticket Sunday encounter at AFC Newport (the reformed Newport County). Shots won 3-1 before 2,138 to set up a derby at Basingstoke.
Mark Butler scored the only goal of the game to ensure progress. David Bass was injured at Whytleleafe and returned to Reading, and John Humphrey also suffered yet another injury set-back. There was a change in goal, with Mark Watson brought in from Camberley Town replacing Phil Burns. League results had been steady, 19 points from the first 9 matches, until a run of defeats starting in October, at Chertsey, Wembley and home to Heybridge Swifts.
Hapless strugglers Wivenhoe Town were beaten thanks to Mark Butler and an own goal, but the crowd was just 1,469. A 7-0 win over lowly Dorking raised spirits before the FA Trophy resumed. Rothwell Town held Shots to a 1-1 draw, but before the replay Kingstonian advised the FA they had failed to cancel the registration of Shots' debutant Solomon Eriemo. Consequently Aldershot were expelled from the competition.
December began with a visit to full-time Newbury Town, Shots losing one-nil. A 3-0 home win over Uxbridge was followed by a run of results that saw Shots fall well off the promotion pace; a Boxing Day draw at Basingstoke, 2-2 with Staines on New Year's Eve then defeats home to Worthing (1-4) and at Barking. Over the Christmas period Colchester United manager George Burley resigned to take up the Ipswich Town job. As a two-time player of the year with Colchester United, Shots boss Steve Wignall made 291 league appearances. On 12th January 1995 he made the step up into Football League management with Colchester.
Also moving on was Keith Baker, after the Barking game which was his 137th match, Keith returned to Farnborough Town. Coach Paul Shrubb took temporary charge of the First Team and oversaw a 2-0 home win over Berkhamsted Town, Shots' goals came from Danny Holmes and Nathan Fealey.
Steve Wigley was selected as Steve Wignall's successor, taking charge on 27th January 1995. Aldershot were in ninth place with 36 points, though this was only four behind third placed Worthing. Boreham Wood were running away with the title, 12 points clear of Chertsey, but the whole top half could still harbour promotion hopes. Progress had been made in the minor cups, the Hampshire Senior Cup had seen a trip to Guernsey based Sylvans Sports, whilst creditable home wins had been achieved in the Diadora League Cup over Basingstoke, Staines and Premier League Walton & Hersham, every single home cup match attracting four-figure crowds.
Steve Wigley's first game in charge kept the same starting eleven Paul Shrubb had selected for the win over Berkhamsted. In a disappointing performance Shots lost 3-1 in front of 1,877 at The Rec, Mark Butler scoring a consolation goal. This was followed by a two-nil loss at Ruislip Manor, which turned out to be the final Shots appearances for two players who'd been with Aldershot Town (almost) since the beginning; Steve Stairs, moved to Basingstoke after 75 goals in 127 games and Tony Calvert to Sandhurst Town after 125 games and 21 goals; neither Dave Hooker nor Nathan Fealey played for Shots again either.
Shots were falling off the pace in ninth place when second placed Chertsey Town visited on 25th February. Debuting were Wigley's first signings - striker Roy Young, signed from Poole Town for £2,000, and midfielder Asa Head from Ash United. In a stirring second-half come back Shots won 3-2. This was followed by a win at Wivenhoe - the first away league win since 8th October - and home draw with Whyteleafe, and the signing of talented midfielder Jimmy Sugrue, from Kingstonian. Sugrue scored on his debut, a 2-0 win at Abingdon, Young scoring the second, but just one point out of travels to Heybridge and Leyton kept Shots down in eighth.
The traditional Hampshire Senior Cup exit to Farnborough - 2-1 at neutral Basingstoke - allowed Shots to 'concentrate on the league'. April commenced in style, home wins over Wembley, runaway leaders Boreham Wood and Ruislip Manor hauled Shots up to within three points of the promotion places. So in the next fixture it was bitterly disappointing for Shots to find themselves three goals down at half-time to Tooting & Mitcham. Butler, Andy Nunn and Dave Osgood scored in the second-half, but so did the visitors. A 4-1 drubbing followed at Worthing and Shots were left to prepare for next season.
That was how it seemed even after a Roy Young goal had sunk Basingstoke on Easter Monday. But Shots embarked on a run of four away wins; 6-1 at Dorking, 4-1 at Bognor Regis, 1-0 in an all-ticket game at Tooting & Mitcham and 1-0 at Billericay, ending the host's promotion hopes. The final match of the season saw Shots needing to beat Newbury Town with Basingstoke at least holding Chertsey to a draw for a third consecutive promotion. Newbury had been sixth in the table in December, but the withdrawal of their financial backer had seen the club in freefall, they needed to perform as well as Berkhamsted to stay up.
In front of a big 2,920 crowd at The Rec., Aldershot lined-up: Mark Watson, Simon Turner, Jason Chewins, Paul Chambers, Solomon Eriemo, Stuart Udal, Danny Holmes, Jimmy Sugrue, Roy Young (Mark Anderson)(Dave Osgood), Andy Nunn and Mark Butler. Early goals from Paul Chambers and Mark Butler ensured Shots would keep their side of the bargain. Chambers was sent off for elbowing in the second half but Butler netted his 33rd goal of the season to wrap the game up. Unfortunately Chertsey beat Basingstoke 2-1 to hold onto the third promotion place on goal difference. Newbury were relegated and folded shortly afterwards.
Stuart Udal took nearly half the votes to win Player of the Season and he also started the most matches (53). Mark Butler (50+3), Danny Holmes (52+2), Paul Chambers (48), Dave Osgood (43+4), Jason Chewins (43+4) and Mark Watson (41) were near permanent fixtures in the side. Steve Stairs scored second most goals (14), followed by Osgood (13). Roy Young bagged 10 in his 18 games, whilst the injury-prone John Humphrey also made double-figures (11 in 26+1).
Attendances were solid, slightly down on the previous season an average of 1,852 was exceptional considering the inconsistency in form. The high against Basingstoke was 703 more than the second largest (2,217 versus Staines on New Years Eve) whilst the lowest - 1,469 against Wivenhoe on a November Tuesday was just four less than Aldershot F.C.'s final home fixture.
Boreham Wood won the title with a massive 98 points, 22 more than runners-up Worthing. Wokingham Town finished bottom in the Isthmian Premier which was won by Enfield, however Slough Town were promoted to the Conference instead. Elsewhere Blackburn Rovers won the Premier League on the final day of the season, Middlesbrough won the First Division with runners-up Reading losing out to Bolton in the play-off final. Joe Royle's "dogs of war" battled their way to an FA Cup Final win over Manchester United, thanks to a Paul Rideout goal.
With grateful thanks to Martin Gooday for generously giving his permission to reproduce this series.
