Recreation Ground: Aldershot Town
Known as the EBB Stadium at the Recreation Ground at the time of writing, which is owning to sponsorship, the Recreation Ground was just that when Aldershot Football Club chose to play their games there upon the club’s formation in 1926. It is informally known as ‘the Rec’ and boasts a capacity of 7,100. That isn’t what its capacity has always been, though, with the record attendance at the ground being 19,138 for an FA Cup replay against Carlisle United on the 28th of January in 1970. As well as Aldershot and then Aldershot Town, the ground has also been used as the home stadium for Chelsea’s Reserves on occasion.
You might well wonder what the difference is between Aldershot and Aldershot Town. The answer is that Aldershot became the first Football League team to fold during the season since Accrington Stanley had in 1962, folding in 1992 and leaving the town of Aldershot without a football team. Later that year, Aldershot Town was formed in order to fill the vacuum, taking over as the residents at the Recreation Ground. It means that they are essentially two different clubs, with the history of Aldershot and Aldershot Town being separate from each other. In spite of only having been formed in 1992, though, there’s plenty to say about Aldershot Town.
Stats
| Recreation Ground Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Opened | 1926 |
| Capacity | 7100 |
| Average Attendance | 2282 |
| Record Attendance | 19138 (Aldershot v Carlisle United (28/01/1970)) |
| Pitch Size | 107 x 69 (7383) |
| Nickname | The Rec |
| Owner | Rushmoor Borough Council |
| Sponsor | EBB |
| Clubs Hosted | Aldershot, Aldershot Town, Chelsea Reserves |
| First Fixture | Aldershot v Norwich City |
Recreation Ground Photos
Basher Eyre / Rigorous pre match warm up at The Recreation Ground
Recreation Ground Seating Plan and Where to Sit
Since the end of the 2007-2008 season, the capacity of Aldershot Town’s Recreation Ground has been 7,100. That allows for 1,580 people in the South Side Stand, 4,180 on the East Bank, 1,740 in the North Stand and 200 people were allowed in the High Street End before Football League rules meant that that was no loner allowed. There is a mixture of seated and terraced sections, with 1,100 tickets being allocated to the away supporters.
Getting To Recreation Ground
Train – You can get to Aldershot by train in less than 50 minutes from London Waterloo. There are also connections to the town from the likes of Ascot, Guilford and Woking. Once there, the Recreation Ground is five minutes away on foot.
Bus – Aldershot Bus Station is adjacent to the train station, with services running from most local towns. You can get a bus to the stadium itself from there.
Car – How you’ll drive to the home of Aldershot Town will depend entirely on where you’re heading there from. From the North, for example, you’ll want to get off the M25 onto the M3 before leaving at junction 4 and following the A331 then the A323. From the South, you’ll exit the M3 at junction 5 then follow the A287 onto the A325 and the A323. There are plenty of options for getting there from the West and the East, too.
By Air – The closest airport is Heathrow, but if it is cheaper to fly into the likes of Gatwick or Standsted then it will be easy enough to get to the town from there.
Taxi – Given the fact that it is only a five minute walk from Aldershot Train Station to the Recreation Ground, you’re unlikely to persuade a driver to take you there. If you do, expect to pay about £5 or so.
Parking Near Recreation Ground
There is a multi-story car park in Aldershot Town Centre, which is the best place to park as it is just minutes from the ground on foot.
Useful Resources
- Parking - Just Park
Pubs and Bars Near Recreation Ground
Crimea Inn
The Golden Lion
The White Lion
Recreation Ground History
When Aldershot Football Club was formed in 1926, the team needed somewhere to play its matches. As a result, they began playing at the location recreation ground, which was owned by the council. The first stand wasn’t opened until three years later, with a crowd of 3,522 seeing the club defeat Norwich City 2-1 on the opening day of the season at the newly created Recreation Ground. Aldershot’s final game, a Fourth Division match against Lincoln City, was also hosted by the stadium on the 14th of March 1992. Once Aldershot’s demise was confirmed, Aldershot Town was formed and started playing their games there.
In addition to hosting Aldershot and Aldershot Town’s games, the Recreation Ground has also been used by numerous other teams over the years. During the 2007-2008 campaign, for example, Reading Reserves used the ground for the year. Chelsea Reserves also used it several times, whilst the Army’s Football Club and the England Under-17s have both played matches there. It has been used as the venue for the Aldershot and District League Cup Competition’s final. It is a basic stadium that has had very few changes carried out to it since it opened, other than necessary modernisations that couldn’t be avoided.
Future Developments
As you might imagine, the fact that the ground is seen as so basic means that Aldershot Town have looked to improve it at times. In 2018, for example, the club put forward proposals to Rushmoor Borough Council for the redevelopment of the Recreation Ground, involving the development of a new stadium that would see both seating and standing areas and would be the ‘long-term home’ for the club.