Basingstoke Town F.C.

Basingstoke Town
Full name Basingstoke Town Football Club
Nickname(s) The Dragons or The 'Stoke
Founded 1896 (1896)
Ground The Camrose, Basingstoke
Ground Capacity 6,000 (650 seated)
Chairman Rafi Razzak
Manager Terry Brown
League National League South
2015–16 National League South, 22nd (Relegated)

Basingstoke Town Football Club is an English football club based in Basingstoke, Hampshire. The club are currently members of the National League South, the sixth highest tier of the English league system, and play at the Camrose ground. Their motto, 'Vestigia Nulla Retrorsum', means 'No stepping back'.

History

The club was established in 1896 by a merger of Aldworth United and Basingstoke Albion. They won the North Division of the Hampshire League in 1911–12 and 1919–20, but did not win another title until winning Division One in 1967–68, feat they repeated in 1968–69 and 1970–71, a year in which they were unbeaten in the league, and also won the Hampshire Senior Cup. At the end of the season they were promoted to the South Division of the Southern League South.

The club finished eighth in their first season in the Southern League, and they also reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time. A then-record attendance of 3,400 saw them lose 5–1 at home to Northampton Town. In 1984–85 the club won the title, and were promoted to the Premier Division. In 1988 they switched to the Premier Division of the Isthmian League, where they were relegated in their first season. However, they made an immediate return to the Premier Division after finishing as runners-up. In their first season back in the division they won the Hampshire Senior Cup for a second time, and reached the second round of the FA Cup, losing 3–2 at home to Torquay United.

They were relegated to Division One again in 1993–94. In 1996 they won the Hampshire Senior Cup with a 2–0 win over Waterlooville, and retained it the following season with an identical result. That season the club finished second in the league to earn promotion to the Premier Division, and also reached the second round of the FA Cup, beating Wycombe Wanderers 5–4 on penalties in a first round replay, before losing 4–3 on penalties to Northampton Town in another replay. They reached the first round again the following season, but lost 2–1 at home to Bournemouth.

In 2003–04 they finished fourteenth in the Premier Division. Despite losing in the play-offs for a place in the newly established Conference South, the club was placed in the league after Hendon chose not to join. In 2006–07 they reached the second round of the FA Cup again, beating Chesterfield 1–0 away from home, before losing 3–1 in a replay to local rivals Aldershot Town. In 2007–08 they won the Hampshire Senior Cup for a fourth time, beating Farnborough 1–0 in the final.

In 2008, local businessman Rafi Razzak, owner of the Basingstoke-based IT company Centerprise International, took over as Chairman of the club. Former Scotland international Frank Gray was installed as manager but despite an increased budget from the disbanding of the reserve team, progress on the field was difficult to achieve. Chairman Rafi stated his wish for a minimum play-off finish in the Conference South for the 2011–12 season. The club unveiled plans to relocate to a new 5,000 capacity community stadium in December 2011 on land to the west of the Hilton Basingstoke hotel, that would be funded by the development of the club's current Camrose home.[1] with a view to move into their new home in time for the start of the 2014–15 season. Frank Gray was dismissed as manager on 20 February after a poor run of form. Academy Manager Jason Bristow was handed the job of First Team Manager at least until the end of the current season. Bristow's first game in charge was a 3–1 win at the Camrose over Thurrock. Basingstoke finished the 2011–12 season in 5th place, which put them in the play-off semi-finals, but they lost to Dartford over two legs.

In the 2014-15 season Basingstoke matched their highest-ever Conference South finish in 3rd place and played Whitehawk in the play-off semi-finals and drew 1-1 away from home in the first leg, but lost the second leg 1-0 at home.

Stadium

The main stand at the Camrose.

Basingstoke Town play their home games at the Camrose. The stadium was originally named after their late benefactor, Lord Camrose.

The ground did have a capacity of 6,000 however due to Health and safety regulations the current capacity is somewhere in the region of 3,000. Basingstoke boast a 650-seat main stand. The ground's record attendance was set in 1997 for a game against Wycombe Wanderers in the first round of the FA Cup in November 1997. The attendance that night was 5,085.

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
England GK Aaron Howe
England GK Dan Lincoln
England DF Tom Bird
England DF Jack Deaman
England DF Guri Demuria
England DF Jay Gasson
England DF David Ray
England DF Robbie Rice
England DF Nathan Smart
No. Position Player
England MF George Bennett
England MF Simon Dunn
Barbados MF Louie Soares
England FW Liam Enver-Marum
England FW Chris Flood
England FW George Hallahan
England FW Aaron Jarvis
Sierra Leone FW Manny Williams

Club staff

First team

Academy

Honours

League honours

Cup honours

Records

Notable former players and managers

1. Players/managers that have played/managed in the football league or any foreign equivalent to this level (i.e. fully professional league).
2. Players/managers with full international caps.

References

  1. ↑ "New Stadium Plan For Basingstoke Town". 1 December 2011.
  2. 1 2 Basingstoke Town at the Football Club History Database
  3. ↑ "Football Club History Database – Hampshire County Cups". Fchd.info. Retrieved 17 July 2012.

External links

Coordinates: 51°15′08.17″N 1°06′37.11″W / 51.2522694°N 1.1103083°W / 51.2522694; -1.1103083

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