The Shots kick off the 24/25 season at home as Forest Green Rovers visit the EBB Stadium.
The visitors will be playing in the Vanarama National League for the first time since 2017 when they beat Tranmere Rovers 3-1 at Wembley to gain promotion to the Football League for the first time in their history via the playoffs.
This will be the fourth season in a row that the Shots have started a new season at the EBB Stadium and will be hoping for a similar start to last season when the 23/24 campaign got underway with a 5-1 victory over Oxford City.
This weekend’s opponents will be hoping for an immediate return to the Football League, having been playing League One football just two seasons ago before suffering back-to-back relegations back to the Vanarama National League.
LAST TIME OUT
With Forest Green’s promotion out of the Vanarama National League in 2017, it’s been almost eight years since the two sides last met in November 2016.
Christian Doidge, now back with Rovers, gave his side the lead in the 17th minute and though Jake Gallagher thought he had scored a hard-earned 88th minute equaliser for the Shots, Doidge popped up with his second goal in the 91st minute to secure a vital three points for Forest Green as they chased promotion.
SINCE WE MET
A considerable amount of time since the two sides last met requires a longer-term look at Forest Green’s fortunes since then. They of course went on to seal promotion to the Football League via the playoffs during the 16/17 season and managed to secure safety by just one point the following season before pushing on.
They finished in the playoffs in 18/19 but ironically lost to Tranmere Rovers in the semi-final and two seasons later they were again denied in the playoff semi-finals – this time by a 119th minute Newport County winner.
The next season, Forest Green didn’t need to worry about the playoffs as they won League Two and would play League One football for the first time in their history. Their stay in the third tier would only last a season, however, as they finished bottom of the table before a second successive relegation led to this weekend.
IN THE DUGOUT
Steve Cotterill is the man in charge of this weekend’s visitors. The 60-year-old has had a long and successful career in management since his first job at Sligo Rovers in Ireland in 1996.
His most successful spell was arguably his fist in England when he took over at hometown club Cheltenham Town in 1997 and went on to win three promotions in five years.
In a managerial career that has spanned almost 30 years, Cotterill has also occupied the dugouts of Stoke City, Burnley, Notts County, Portsmouth, Nottingham Forest, Bristol City, Birmingham City and Shrewsbury Town before he joined Forest Green in January 2024.
TICKET INFO
You can buy your tickets for this weekend’s game online by clicking HERE
Tickets are priced as follows:
- ADULT – £21
- SENIOR (Over 66) – £17
- MILITARY PERSONNEL – £17
- DISABLED – £17
- YOUNG PERSON (18-20) – £17
- JUNIOR (17 and under) – £5
- UNDER 11 – FREE
Please note that prices for the first three home games of the 24/25 season will not be increasing in price on a matchday.
You can also purchase your tickets for the game from the Club Shop in person from Mon-Fri 11-2 or from 12pm on the day of the game, or by calling 01252 320211.
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 will be available for broadcast via National League TV to those not in the UK.
There will be live commentary of the game provided by BBC Radio Surrey – available via 104.0 FM (East Surrey and North East Sussex, 104.6 FM (West Surrey and North East Hampshire) and DAB Digital or listen online HERE
