This article is part of the ‘League Preview’ series, in which every day we take a detailed look at one of Aldershot Town’s 23 prospective opponents for the upcoming National League season.
Today’s focus is the first of six new additions to the division, last season’s National League South play-off final winners, Boreham Wood FC.
Founded in 1948, ‘the Wood’ competed the entirety of the 20th century at step three or lower. However, since their promotion from the Isthmian League Premier in 2010, the club haven’t looked back, entering their 16th successive season as part of the National League 72.
After a heartbreaking goalless draw at home to Ebbsfleet United on the final day of the season saw the side relegated by a mere point in 2023/24, the club experienced quick vindication, bouncing back at the first time of asking last term. An incredibly dramatic play-off run, including a normal-time victory over Dorking despite having trailed 3-1 as late as the 83rd minute, culminated in a 1-0 victory against Maidstone United, Charles Clayden scoring the only goal in front of a sold out home crowd.
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Where is Borehamwood?
Often mistaken as a London club, the town of Borehamwood is technically situated in the county of Hertfordshire, straddling the border of the capital’s greater metropolitan area. Outside of football, the ~35,000 populous town may be best known for being an iconic hub of TV and film production, namely within its world famous Elstree Studios. Approximately 55 miles from the EBB Stadium, the 1h 14m journey will mark Aldershot’s 5th closest away journey of the upcoming league season.
The Wood are one of three professional teams in Hertfordshire, alongside Stevenage and nearby Championship side Watford. However, with just 6.5 miles separating them, their closest rivals are 2024/25 National League champions, Barnet FC, whose simultaneous promotion means the two clubs remain exactly one division apart.
The club’s locality dictates a catchment area split both inside and outside of the capital, serving as the local professional team for large parts of the London Boroughs of Enfield and Barnet, as well as the towns of Potters Bar (22,000 pop.), Hatfield (37,000) and most notably St. Albans (82,000).
Boreham Wood play their home matches at Meadow Park. The 4,500 capacity ground has been the club’s home for over 60 years and counting, and is also a regular home destination of both Arsenal Women and Arsenal U21.
Boreham Wood finished 2024/25 with an average league attendance of 848, the 2nd lowest among teams in this season’s competition. However, their previous campaign at step one saw this figure rise to 1,216, which may prove a more realistic reflection of expected gates this term.
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Recent history and club highlights
Barring what was perhaps a surprising relegation 15 months ago, the past decade has inarguably represented the most successful period in the club’s history, reaching England’s fifth tier for the very first time before enjoying nine uninterrupted campaigns at step one, including three top-six finishes.
2024/25 – National League South (5th, Promoted via play-offs)
2023/24 – National League (21st, relegated)
2022/23 – National League (6th)
2021/22 – National League (9th)
2020/21 – National League (14th)
2019/20 – National League (5th)
2018/19 – National League (20th)
2017/18 – National League (4th)
2016/17 – National League (11th)
2015/16 – National League (19th)
Their 4th place berth in 2018 represented the club’s finest ever league finish. Though sadly, this campaign may be a bittersweet memory for supporters, as the resulting play-offs saw the club miss a golden opportunity to become a Football league club for the first time.
A Wembley final versus Tranmere Rovers began in dream circumstance, as Rovers left-back Liam Ridehalgh’s 54th-second red card saw the Wood play with a man advantage for well over 90-minutes. However, the Merseyside club would impossibly prevail 2-1, with Luke Garrard’s side on the wrong end of a modern footballing miracle.
Their most recent attempt at 4th-tier status ended in similarly cruel fashion, as 97th and 120th minute goals saw Notts County advance in a 3-2 semi-final thriller at Meadow Lane.
Outside of league action, Boreham Wood achieved national recognition in 2022, earning a shock 1-0 win away to AFC Bournemouth in the fourth round of the FA Cup, earning a televised glamour tie against Everton in the March, holding the Merseysiders to a goalless first-half before eventually losing 2-0 at Goodison Park.
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Pre-season, incoming transfers and other news
At time of writing, Boreham Wood have made 4 first team signings.
| Player | Pos. | Age | Arriving from… | Highest level played |
| Aaron Henry | CDM | 21 | Charlton Athletic | League One (Charlton) |
| Joe Newton | LB | 24 | Solihull Moors | National League (Solihull) |
| Junior Dixon | CF | 20 | Birmingham U21 | NL South (Boreham Wood) |
| Jeff King | RB | 29 | York City | Championship (Bolton) |
An injection of promising youth makes the side certainly one to keep an eye on in the early stages of the campaign. The most exciting addition may perhaps be the permanent signing of loanee Junior Dixon, the 20-year-old scored seven goals in 1,300 minutes for the Wood last campaign, previously turning heads as a clinical goalscorer in the U18 Premier League with Crystal Palace.
Boreham Wood’s current pre-season schedule, which includes home ties against the elite development squads of both North London giants, is as follows:
Boreham Wood 0-3 Luton Town (05/07)
Boreham Wood 0-2 Watford (08/07)
Boreham Wood 2-2 Arsenal U21 (12/07)
Billericay Town 3-1 Boreham Wood (15/07)
Boreham Wood vs Tottenham Hotspur U21 (19/07)
Maidenhead United vs Boreham Wood (22/07)
Ebbsfleet United vs Boreham Wood (26/07)
Wingate & Finchley vs Boreham Wood (29/07)
Dagenham & Redbridge vs Boreham Wood (02/08)
After preparations finish with a defensive test against Andy Carroll’s Dagenham & Redbridge, the Wood will commence their campaign at home to Rochdale on the 9th of August.
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When will Aldershot and Boreham Wood play each other?
Following the release of the National League fixture list, two midweek meetings are in the side’s sights. Tommy Widdrington’s men are due to make the short trip to Meadow Park on Tuesday 4th November, while Aldershot are scheduled to host the tie on Tuesday 24th March.
In terms of the current iteration of Aldershot Town, no side in this season’s Enterprise National League met the Shots earlier than Boreham Wood, with the pair first meeting in the Isthmian League Division One as early as 1994/95.
The pair shared spoils that campaign, with the Shots winning 3-1 at home, and Boreham Wood returning the favour 2-0 later that term. The Hertfordshire side would go on to win the league that year, with the two sides having to wait until the turn of the millenium to share a division once more.
The fixture was first contested as a fifth-tier affair in October 2015, where a solitary Charlie Walker goal secured all three points for a travelling Aldershot, this marked the beginning of nine successive seasons of National League cohabitation between the two, with the season gone by being the only anomaly in that regard in over a decade.
Games played: 27
Aldershot wins: 15
Boreham Wood wins: 8
Draws: 4
Aggregate score: 41-30
Record Shots victory: 5-2 (Isthmian League, 99/00)
Record Boreham Wood victory: 3-0 (National League, 23/24)
Despite their relatively close locality, the two surprisingly first met in cup competition as recently as February of this year, as Boreham Wood proved the third of six opponents that Aldershot Town would defeat on their way to becoming 2024/25 Isuzu FA Trophy champions.
Second half goals from Jack Barham and Kai Corbett made all the difference as the Shots progressed to the Quarter Final stage in front of over 1,600 supporters at the EBB Stadium.
