Aldershot Town will begin their 2025/26 Enterprise National League campaign with a trip to Greater-Manchester-based Altrincham FC on Saturday, with both sides praying to start the term off with three points.
Having existed exclusively outside of England’s top-four tiers, ‘the Robins’ have been a regular staple of non-league football since 1891, most notably winning the league title in the first two editions of the Alliance Premier League following its change to nationwide status in 1979.
Promoted from the National League North in 2019-20, Alty will be entering their sixth successive season at step-one, having finished the previous campaign in 9th place, with a final tally of 64 points proving just four shy of a play-off berth.
RECENT FORM
While league form is of course yet to manifest, the Robins’ pre-season schedule, which included an impressive draw against League One Port Vale, resulted as follows…
- 02/08/25 – Altrincham 1-3 Nottingham Forest U21 (Elliot Osborne)
- 22/07/25 – Altrincham 1-1 Port Vale (Keaton Ward)
- 19/07/25 – Darlington 3-1 Altrincham (James Gale)
- 15/07/25 – Altrincham 1-2 Radcliffe (James Gale)
- 11/07/25 – Warrington 0-3 Altrincham (Joseph Nuttall*, Ollie Crankshaw, Kahrel Reddin)
*player is no longer at the club
Results-wise, preparations were largely disappointing, however, goals from new recruitments James Gale and Keaton Ward showed promise for the season to come.
Where play-off contention was once very much on the cards, having finished last campaign with a somewhat disappointing four points from their final five games, including a shock 6-1 loss to eventual drop-zoners Dagenham & Redbridge, Alty will be looking to put last season’s finishing form behind them as they strive for a maiden Football League promotion.
IN THE DUGOUT
Not to be confused with his Wrexham-based namesake, Phil Parkinson has been in charge of the Robins since April 2017, making him by some distance the longest-serving manager in this season’s National League.
He joined the Robins after an impressive spell at Nantwich Town, transforming them from relegation candidates to promotion hopefuls, while also taking the club to their first ever FA Trophy semi-final.
His tenure at Moss Lane has also been an incredibly successful one, winning the Northern Premier League title during his first season in charge, before achieving national league status two-years later, beating Chester, York City and Boston on the way to play-off promotion.
Now indisputably a legendary figure at Moss Lane, Parkinson has successfully moulded his Robins into a genuine fifth-tier threat, having not only flirted with play-off contention last campaign, but reaching the play-off semi-finals in 2023/24 courtesy of a fourth place finish.
HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD AND LAST TIME OUT
The sides first met in the FA Trophy in February 1999, as a travelling Altrincham side emerged 2-1 victors at the Recreation Ground to progress to the competition’s 5th round.
They would finally meet in league competition for the first time in 2005/06, and have since contested 20 domestic fixtures in as many years, the overall head-to-head of which is as follows.
Games played: 21
Aldershot wins: 9
Altrincham wins: 8
Draws: 4
Aggregate score: 24-26
Record Shots victory: 3-1 (2014)
Record Altrincham victory: 5-1 (2006)
While honours are largely even historically, this fixture proved incredibly fruitful for the Shots last campaign, as successive victories saw them claim six points from their northern rivals for a third time (Also 2020/21 & 2007/08).
Interestingly enough, the score has been 2-1 in both home and away matches each time a league double has occurred, and this was exactly the case last term each time this league double has occurred, as a brace from James Henry secured the points in North Hampshire in November before Cameron Hargreaves and Maxwell Mullins combined for a dramatic late-victory on the road in March.
FORMER SHOTS
Ethan Ross – Normally the Robins’ first-choice keeper, Enfield-born Ethan Ross missed a significant portion of the tail end of last season with an ACL injury, and currently undergoing rehabilitation. Despite this, the 28-year-old has recently signed a new contract with the Robins, which will also see him enacting as a player-coach.
Ross played just nine times for the Aldershot during a short loan from Stockport in Spring 2022. He played a significant role in ensuring the team’s National League survival that year, as stand-out performances in wins against Yeovil Town and Notts County helped the Shots achieve mathematical safety.
TICKET INFO
Tickets for the Shots’ Enterprise National League opener – an away trip to Altrincham at the J. Davidson Stadium on Saturday, 9th August (3pm KO) – are now on sale and can be bought online through our hosts by clicking HERE
Please ensure when purchasing your ticket(s) you have selected both the relevant age category as well as listed as “Away”.
Ticket prices are as follows:
• ADULT – £20.00
• CONCESSION (Over 65’s/Full-time Students 18+/NHS workers) – £15.00
• 18-21 – £12.00
• 12-17 – £9.00
• 5-11 – £4.00
• UNDER 5 – £1.00
Payment is by cash and/or card. Please note away fans will be unable to purchase alcohol at the J. Davidson Stadium. The designated public house for away supporters is The King George on Moss Lane, approximately 350-yards from the stadium.
IF YOU CAN’T MAKE IT
Live updates will be available from our social media platforms X (@OfficialShots), Instagram (@aldershottownfcofficial), and Facebook. After the game, highlights will be available on our YouTube channel.
The game can be streamed by overseas viewers via DAZN’s National League TV coverage. Click HERE to purchase a match pass.
There will be live commentary of the game provided by BBC Radio Surrey – listen online HERE
