Recreation Ground (Aldershot)
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The Recreation Ground is the home of League Two club Aldershot Town. The ground was previously used by the now defunct Aldershot F.C.. For sponsorship reasons the ground is now referred to as The EBB Stadium at the Recreation Ground[1]
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[edit] Current Capacity
The capacity of the ground was reduced at the end of the 2007-2008 season to 7,100.[2] This includes a total away allocation of 1,100 of which around 200 is seated.[3]The capacity was previously set at 7,500, however promotion to the Football League meant changes were introduced which resulted in the capacity being reduced.[4]
[edit] History of the Recreation Ground
[edit] The Aldershot F.C. Era
Aldershot F.C. adopted the "Rec" as their home ground upon formation in December 1926. The Recreation Ground was owned by the local council and situated on Aldershot High Street. The first stand, the south stand, was opened at the beginning of the 1929-1930 season and still remains today. A crowd of 3,522 witnessed the shots record a 2-1. victory over Norwich City on the day of it's opening.[5]
[edit] The Aldershot Town F.C. Era
[edit] Club Attendances since 1992
Average Attendances since 1992. [6][7]
[edit] Record attendances
The following table summarises the Top 8 attendances at the recreation ground for Aldershot Town FC (since Reformation in 1992).[8]
| Attendance | Verses | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 7500 | Brighton & Hove Albion | FA Cup |
| 6870 | Woking | FA Cup |
| 6617 | Carlisle | Conference National Play-Off Semi Final |
| 6379 | Hereford | Conference National Play-Off Semi Final |
| 5980 | Weymouth | Conference National |
| 5961 | Farnborough Town | Hampshire Senior Cup |
| 5791 | Burton Albion | Conference National |
| 5524 | Woking | FA Trophy |
| 5518 | Farnborough Town | Isthmian League Premier Division |
[edit] Description of the Ground
[edit] The North Stand
This is the main stand of the Recreation Ground running along one side of the pitch.[9]It houses players changing rooms and the clubs directors box and media center. Adjoined to the North stand is the club offices which were used by both Aldershot F.C. and Aldershot Town F.C. directors. There is also a conference room and bar adjacent to the offices and behind the North stand which was built in the early 2000s. Originally it was used as bar for supporters on matchdays until the club acquired the Black Bull Inn during the 2007-2008 season. As a result it is mainly used for corporate hospitality.[10]
The stand itself features a combination of Terracing and Seating:
- To the East of the stand is a large terraced area.
- To the West of the Stand is a large terraced area with a disabled bay.
- In the centre of the stand is a large seated area, directors area and media center. Originally this was terraced before gradually seating replaced the terracing. However one small area to the West of the central area is still terraced and has yet to face conversion to seating.[11][12]
[edit] The East Bank
The East Bank is the largest stand of the Recreation Ground capable of holding several thousand fans. The design of the stand is unusual as it is not like most stands that have a flat roof, instead the stand roof is a Barrel shaped roof towards the rear, with a flat roof covering the lower parts of the East Bank. This is so because the East Bank originally had just the barrel shaped roof and it wasn't until later that a front flat roof was put on to cover the lower half of the East Bank.[13]
[edit] The South Stand
The south stand is the only all seated stand at the ground. It accommodates both Home and Away fans.
[edit] The High Street End
Currently not in use for the 2008-2009 season due to Football league requirement that all standing areas be terraced.
[edit] Transport to the Ground
[edit] By Rail
The nearest train station is Aldershot. The station is less than a 5 minute walk from the ground.[14] It is served by mainline train on the London Waterloo to Alton line. This line includes Clapham Junction and Woking mainline stations on all services to Aldershot.[15]
[edit] By Road
The ground is easily accessible from the M3 and M25. Travelling supporters can exit from M3 Junction 4; or from M25 Junction 10. For more information visit this site: [1] [16]
[edit] Other Clubs that Use or Have Played at the Recreation Ground
- Reading Reserves - for the 2007-2008 season only. [17]
- Chelsea Reserves From 2004/2005 - 2006/2007 season
- England U17s[18]
- Army F.C.[19]
- Aldershot Town Reserves
- Also Hosts Aldershot and District League Cup Competition Final
[edit] Trivia
Aldershot Town and the Recreation Ground hold the following attendance records in certain leagues or cup competitions.[20]
| League or Cup Competition | Attendance | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| Isthmian League Division 1 | 4289 | Berkhamsted Town |
| Isthmian League Division 2 | 3301 | Newbury Town |
| Isthmian League Division 3 | 2873 | Collier Row |
| FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round | 2003 | Rothwell Town |
| FA Vase Preliminary Round | 1701 | Gosport Borough |
| FA Vase 5th Round | 3420 | Wimborne Town |
| FA Vase 6th Round | 4439 | Atherton Laburnum Rovers |
[edit] References
- ^ "Statement From Aldershot Town Football Club". Retrieved on 2008-07-26.
- ^ "Information For Supporters At The EBB Stadium". Retrieved on 2008-08-26.
- ^ "The EBB Stadium at The Recreation Ground". Retrieved on 2008-07-26.
- ^ "Aldershot Town". Retrieved on 2007-06-26.
- ^ "Aldershot F.C. History 1920s". Retrieved on 2008-07-27.
- ^ "Past seasons". Retrieved on 2008-07-27.
- ^ "Archive Index". Retrieved on 2008-07-28.
- ^ "ShotsWeb: Shots Stats" (2007-12-04). Retrieved on 2007-12-27.
- ^ "North (Main) Stand".
- ^ "Chief Execuetive Speaks".
- ^ "Shotstalk".
- ^ "The EBB Stadium at The Recreation Ground_Admission Prices (non-all ticket games)".
- ^ "Football Ground Guide: Aldershot Town". Retrieved on 2007-12-27.
- ^ "Directions to the Rec". Retrieved on 2008-07-26.
- ^ "Station Facilities: Aldershot (AHT)". Retrieved on 2008-07-26.
- ^ "Directions to the Rec". Retrieved on 2008-07-28.
- ^ "Reading F.C. Home Fixtures to played at the Recreation Ground". Retrieved on 2008-08-26.
- ^ "International football at the Rec". Retrieved on 2008-08-26.
- ^ "Army at the Rec". Retrieved on 2008-07-26.
- ^ "ShotsWeb: Shots Stats". Retrieved on 2008-08-26.
[edit] External links
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Football League Two venues, 2008–09
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