Biggest Game In City`s History is Behind Closed Doors

Unfortunate timing spoils Citizens big day.

Spare a thought for Pitching In Southern Football League Division One Central club Welwyn Garden City, who must play the biggest game in their history on Saturday against Vanarama National League side Aldershot Town behind closed doors.

Hertfordshire has been placed in Tier 3 as from a minute past midnight on Saturday which is desperately disappointing news for the Citizens, who were hoping to attract a maximum-allowed crowd of 400 for the tie.

City have never played a team from the top of the non-League Pyramid, although they did play Histon in 2005/06 in the FA Cup when the Stutes were members of the Conference South.

This is only the third season Nick Ironton`s side have competed in the Trophy after winning promotion from the Spartan South Midlands League in 2017/18.

They will not lack for experience of the level or the Trophy from the manager, who was an outstanding England semi-professional international midfielder in his day and enjoyed a glittering career as a player.

He won two Conference titles and lifted the Trophy with Enfield before clinching a third Conference crown with Barnet.

Aldershot Town were formed in 1992 as a Phoenix club after the original well-established Football League club folded.

They had to start in Division Three of the Isthmian League and won back-to-back promotions to Division One where they got `stuck` for four seasons before winning the title and a place in the Premier Division in 1998.

Just ten years later, the Shots returned to the professional ranks, spending five seasons in League Two and just missing out on promotion to League One with a play-off defeat to Rotherham United in 2010.

But they were relegated back to the Conference/National League in 2013 and have struggled to find consistency in reasons seasons, finishing 21st and 18th in the last two campaigns.

They have reached two Trophy semi-finals in 2004, when they lost on aggregate to Hednesford Town, and in 2008 when they were beaten by Ebbsfleet United.

However, overall, their Trophy record isn`t great – something for City to cling to.

This season sees the Shots, managed by Danny Searle, in 17th place in the National League table.

They do possess some dangerous players though, such as striker Mo Bettamer, (right) who was a prolific scorer in the Isthmian League with Staines Town and also played under Searle at Braintree Town.

They also boast former Scotland international Ross McCormack in their squad.

The 34-year-old has a very established career at Championship level, scoring lots of goals in a number of productive seasons for Cardiff City, Leeds United, Fulham and Aston Villa and has been signed for a combined fee of nearly £25 million during his career.

Another forward, Harrison Panayiotou, is a St Kitts & Nevis international, whilst their most recent signing is former Peterborough United and Bradford City midfielder Jermaine Anderson.

Welwyn Garden City Web Site