Cheltenham Town F.C.

Cheltenham Town F.C.
Full name Cheltenham Town Football Club
Nickname(s) The Robins
Founded 1887 (1887)
Ground Whaddon Road
Ground Capacity 7,066
Chairman Paul Baker
Manager Gary Johnson
League League Two
2016–17 League Two, 21st
Website Club website

Cheltenham Town Football Club /ˈtʃɛltnəm ˈtaʊn/ is a professional association football club based in the town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. The team compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887,[1] the team has played at three different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field, and now Whaddon Road, which is known for commercial reasons as The LCI Rail Stadium.[2] Their nickname is The Robins, and the club is affiliated to the Gloucestershire County FA.

Promoted to The Football League as Conference Premier champions in 1999, Cheltenham have played as high as League One, the third tier of English football, spending a total of four seasons there. Their best FA Cup run saw them reach the last 16 (fifth round) in 2002. The last piece of silverware won by the club was the National League title in 2015–2016. Its league status was lost with relegation in 2015, only for the team to return, as champions, a year later.

History

Formation

Cheltenham has a history of football prior to The Robins. In 1849, the first use of three official referees in a match, two in field and one in tribune, was recorded in the town. However, the modern club was founded in 1887 by Albert Close White, a local teacher.

The club spent its first three decades in local football. Notable players from those days include cricketers Gilbert Jessop and brothers Charles Barnett and Edgar Barnett. In the early 1930s the club turned professional and joined the Birmingham Combination before joining the Southern League in 1935. They won promotion to the Alliance Premier League (now the Conference National) in 1985, but were relegated seven years later. They were promoted back to the Conference in 1997 and two years later gained promotion to the Football League. After two mid-table finishes in Division Three (now League Two) they won via the playoffs and were promoted to Division Two (now League One).

Cotterill era

Cheltenham Town's traditional colours

The appointment of Steve Cotterill as manager during the 1996–97 was the start of a period of success at the club which resulted in Cotterill being their most successful manager. Four months after taking charge he guided the club to runners-up spot in the Southern Football League Premier Division, but they won promotion to the Football Conference as champions Gresley Rovers were unable to meet the required ground capacity for Conference membership.

In 1997–98, Cheltenham finished runners-up in the Conference and were close to champions Halifax Town until the end of April 1998. They secured a place at Wembley in the FA Trophy final, beating Southport 1–0 in front of a crowd of 27,000. In 1998–99 Cheltenham secured the Conference title and entry to the Football League.

After two mid-table finishes in Division Three, Cheltenham finally won promotion to Division Two (via the Division Three playoffs) at the end of the 2001–02 season. Shortly after winning promotion, Cotterill left Cheltenham to join Stoke City as their manager.

Backwards and forwards

Cheltenham replaced Cotterill with first-team coach Graham Allner who had won the Conference championship with Kidderminster Harriers in 1994. Allner and assistant manager Mike Davis, who was originally assistant to Cotterill, were sacked in January 2003, after six months in the job, with Cheltenham near the foot of Division Two. Cheltenham turned to Bobby Gould, one of the most experienced managers in English football whose exploits include an FA Cup victory with Wimbledon in 1988. Cheltenham continued to struggle, and defeat in their final game of the season condemned the club to relegation back to Division Three after just one season.

Gould resigned as Cheltenham Town manager in November 2003 and was replaced by John Ward, who has been an assistant manager with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Aston Villa and Watford, and a manager with Bristol City, Bristol Rovers and York City.

During the 2005–06 season, a new stand for visiting fans was added (The Carlsberg Stand) and a small electronic scoreboard was installed. They finished the season in 5th, earning a place in the play-offs. In the semi-final Cheltenham beat Wycombe Wanderers 2–1 away and drew 0–0 in the second leg at Whaddon Road. In the play-off final, Cheltenham beat Grimsby Town 1–0, securing a place in League One for 2006–07. The match at the Millennium Stadium on 28 May 2006 was attended by 29,196 people, making it the club's largest ever stadium audience. However, despite promotion, the average attendance did not increase as the club had hoped, though it increased to 4,359. The club were knocked out of the various cup competitions in early stages and were finding it difficult to collect funds to invest in additional players.

Cheltenham opened up the 2007–08 season with a 1–0 win against Gillingham, but suffered an early exit to Southend United 4–1 from the League Cup. By the beginning of October, Cheltenham had failed to win at home since the opening day of the season. The club went four games without a win. Following Cheltenham's 3–0 defeat to Port Vale, John Ward announced he had agreed a four-year contract with League One side Carlisle United and would begin his tenure the following day on 3 October 2007. Ward said he could not turn down the possibility of managing a team who could soon be playing in the English Championship. He left the club lying 23rd in the league, above only one team and were expected to struggle to avoid relegation.

Keith Downing was appointed caretaker manager until the position could be filled. Martin Allen was linked with the club. Cheltenham's results after Downing took charge were mixed.

On 25 November 2007, a sell-out Whaddon Road watched a match against Leeds United, which, after riding their luck, the Robins won 1–0 thanks to an 86th-minute winner by in-form striker Steven Gillespie. The result is now one of the most famous in the club's recent history. The reverse fixture was even more impressive as the Robins became the first team to complete a double over Leeds during their first visit to the third tier of English football.[3]

In January 2008, Cheltenham won four games in a row, the first time the club had achieved this since joining the Football League in 1999. During these games they did not concede any goals. They however narrowly lost out on two awards for that month; Manager and Player of the Month—after losing to Millwall in the final game of January.

Cheltenham's survival was secured on the final day of the season as they beat Doncaster Rovers 2–1 at Whaddon Road, denying their opposition automatic promotion.[4]

The Allen years

Early in the 2008–09 season Keith Downing left Cheltenham Town[5] and was replaced—within two days—by Martin Allen, who had been a candidate after Ward's departure a year earlier.[6] Allen's team started poorly with a club-record seven defeats in a row, part of a 15-game run without a victory. The club narrowly avoided administration, and the 10-point penalty that would go with it, before Allen revealed that all the players at the club were up for sale.[7]

The season finished with Cheltenham's relegation back to League Two on the penultimate day of the season after three seasons in League One as they had conceded over 100 goals in all competitions, although they had used 51 players.

As the 2009–10 season started in July, Allen sold a few players and brought in new ones, including Robins legend Julian Alsop and former Tottenham Hotspur winger David Hutton. Although they would be thought of as one of the favourites to make an immediate return to League One after being relegated, most bloggers and league analysts said that a mid-table finish would be the most realistic scenario.[8] Cheltenham won their first match of the season against Grimsby Town 2–1, but fell dramatically down the table soon after. On 20 October, Martin Allen was put on gardening leave amid allegations he racially abused a nightclub bouncer, and assistant manager John Schofield took temporary charge. Allen was formally cleared of misconduct but still left the club by mutual consent in early December. Cheltenham put out an advert for a new manager, which attracted "healthy interest".

A new era

Former Cheltenham captain and Kidderminster boss Mark Yates was appointed manager on 22 December 2009. Neil Howarth, Yates' assistant at Kidderminster who had also played for the Robins in the past, joined the League Two side as first-team coach. Cheltenham continued to struggle through the rest of the season, only managing to avoid relegation on the final day of the season, although they finished four points ahead of the relegated sides. John Schofield, who was in caretaker charge of the club while Allen was on gardening leave, returned to the post of assistant manager until the end of the season.

Yates, ahead of his first full season with Cheltenham, revamped the squad, releasing eight players,[9] including defender Shane Duff, who had just completed his tenth year with the club. The season proved to be successful to begin with, with the Robins remaining close to the play-off positions, but they collapsed in the second half of the season and finished 17th, with only five wins in 26 games in 2011.

Despite some fans calling for Yates to resign, Cheltenham started the 2011/12 season with a side including new signings Darryl Duffy,[10] Luke Summerfield,[11] and highly rated England U-21 goalkeeper Jack Butland.[12] Despite losing in the first round of the League Cup, they reached the Football League Trophy south quarter-finals and were handed a lucrative tie at Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup third round.[13] Yates won the Manager of the Month award for November after three wins from three[14] and then defeated the so-called "Manager of the Month curse" with a 3–0 win over then-leaders Southend United[15] to secure a club record fifth consecutive league win. The Robins ended the season in 6th and defeated Torquay United 2–0 at home and then 1–2 away to secure a 4–1 aggregate victory in the League 2 Play-off Semi-finals. The Play-off Final was contested at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, 27 May 2012. Crewe Alexandra defeated Cheltenham Town 2–0 with goals from Nick Powell and Byron Moore in front of a crowd of 24,029.[16]

2012–13 season

During the off-season, Cheltenham only lost Luke Summerfield from their first choice team, whilst signing ex-Premier League midfielder Darren Carter until January following over a year out of the game with a knee injury. Striker Shaun Harrad was also signed on a season-long loan from Bury, and left back Billy Jones joined the club from Exeter City. Cheltenham made a stuttering start to the 2012/13 season, including back-to-back home defeats to Accrington Stanley and Southend United. Results improved and they climbed to third place by the start of November, as well as progressing to the third round of the FA Cup, where they were drawn at home to Premier League side Everton, losing 1–5, with goals from Fellaini, Baines, Coleman, Osman and Jelavic.[17] On 6 November 2012, manager Mark Yates oversaw his 150th game in charge of the team in a 1–0 win against league leaders Gillingham (under the management of former Robin's boss Martin Allen) Beyond December Cheltenham were still in an automatic promotion spot.

Cheltenham finished fifth, once again qualifying for the end of season play-offs after being pipped to the third promotion spot on the last day of the season by Rotherham United. Cheltenham's final game of the season saw them draw 0–0 at home to Bradford City;[18] a run of 20 home league games without defeat, since back-to-back home defeats by Accrington and Southend turned out to be their only two league home losses all season. The play-offs saw Cheltenham face Northampton Town with Cheltenham losing both home and away games by 1–0.[19]

2013–14 season

After finishing in the play-offs for two consecutive seasons, Cheltenham Town's 2013–14 proved to be difficult. Any hopes of a third consecutive play-off place were ended by March. A lack of form and consistency, along with only 5 home wins all season, made it difficult. The season started well, with the club bringing in some new players, hoping that the club would go a step further towards automatic promotion. The signings of Troy Brown, Matt Richards, Jamie Cureton and former Robins winger Ashley Vincent gave the club a boost. However the loss of Marlon Pack to Bristol City seemed to a big loss. The first home game against Burton Albion was a great game of football, with veteran striker Cureton scoring the opener, only to be stretchered off with a dislocated shoulder. His replacement Byron Harrison made it 2–0, only for the Brewers to make it 2–2.

Harrison continued to score goals, the highlight being a 4–3 victory over League One Crawley Town in the Capital One Cup after being 3–1 down, with Harrison netting the winning goal. The victory in the first round set the Robins up for a second round trip to Premier League side West Ham United, with the club eventually losing 2–1 at Upton Park. Losses to Chesterfield FC and Plymouth Argyle continued a poor start to the league, before getting a first win of the season at Accrington Stanley. The fantastic performance at West Ham was soon forgotten as Cheltenham suffered a 4–1 defeat at Bury FC and then penalty heartbreak at the hands of Plymouth Argyle in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. Two hard fought 2–2 draws followed against Portsmouth FC and Oxford United before another disappointing 4–2 defeat at Torquay United. The end of September saw the return of Cureton who scored a 90th-minute winner against AFC Wimbledon.

October proved to be marginally better for Mark Yates' Robins with two wins, two defeats and one draw but Jamie Cureton won his 250th career goal in the 2–1 win at Dagenham & Redbridge. They won 3–0 at home against Morecambe FC. Two seasons of FA Cup competition for the Robins had been outstanding for the club's coffers but when the Robins rocked up at Tamworth FC on Saturday 9 November, there was certainly anxiety in the air. A poor first half and a Tamworth goal stunned Cheltenham and, despite an improved second half, the Robins could not find a way back into the game.

Despite cup disappointment, the Robins did win 2–1 away at Wycombe Wanderers in the following match but a barren run of three draws finished November in unspectacular fashion. November also saw the departure of first team coach Dave Kevan who only joined the club back in September but the role of assistant manager at Forest Green Rovers turned his head and Kevan promptly left Whaddon Road.

December was largely successful however with wins at Morecambe FC, Fleetwood Town and at home to Exeter City on Boxing Day showing promise once again but Cheltenham were beaten by Mansfield Town to end the year and an 11 league game unbeaten run with fans left unsure of what was to come from their faithful Robins in 2014.

There were no wins in January and just the one (away at Newport County) in February and the prospect of play-offs was becoming unrealistic.

In the January transfer window Keith Lowe and Russell Penn left the club for York City. David Noble, who was becoming an integral part of the club's midfield, saw his loan deal extended despite injury. Other inclusions came in the form of Michael Ihiekwe, Mitch Brundle and Lee Lucas but the impressive Connor Goldson was recalled and Kemar Roofe opted to return to West Bromwich Albion.

Ashley Vincent, who had been largely sidelined for various reasons throughout the season, had returned in dramatic fashion during the Newport win with the winger scoring the winning goal and his return to the team did coincide with an improvement in the team's form. A 'self destruct' style 4–1 loss at home to Chesterfield FC was followed by two hard working draws at Portsmouth FC and Oxford United sandwiched between solid wins at home to Bury FC and Torquay United in March.

A low point for the Robins was a 4–3 defeat to AFC Wimbledon. The Robins had been leading 2–0 comfortably away at the Kingsmeadow Stadium before a six-minute period saw Wimbledon take a 3–2 lead. Jason Taylor's deflected effort made it 3–3, but a late winner from Jack Midson condemned the Robins to an unsettling defeat.

It wouldn't be the last time that Cheltenham threw away a lead before the end of the season but they did pick up an important win away at Hartlepool United to end March on a more positive note.

Defeats to Southend United and Fleetwood Town plus a draw away at Exeter City (which saw the Robins lose a 100% record over the Grecians) prompted some nervy looks amongst supporters as Mark Yates' side drifted ever closer to the relegation dogfight. The manager kept the faith and a confident 2–0 win away at Mansfield Town ended all fears that Cheltenham Town's 15-year stint in the Football League was about to come to an end.

In the end, Cheltenham had done enough but two defeats to end the league season was alarming and certainly signalled a squad makeover was to be expected in the summer with assistant manager Neil Howarth already departing following backroom staff re-modelling. In the end Cheltenham finished 17th with 55 points.

2014–15 season

On 25 November 2014, Mark Yates was sacked by Cheltenham Town after almost five years in charge.[20] Cheltenham subsequently appointed Paul Buckle as team Manager.[21] Buckle was sacked after just 79 days.[22] In March 2015 Gary Johnson was appointed team manager.[23]

In April 2015, a football fan called Clive Gowing joined the board of directors after Bryan Jacob, a lifelong fan, gave the club's supporters trust £222,000 in his will, they will name a stand and supporters' player of the season award after him in his memory.[24] On 25 April 2015, Cheltenham Town lost at Whaddon Road to Shrewsbury Town. The result meant that Cheltenham were relegated from the Football League after sixteen seasons.[25]

2015–16 season

After only one season outside of the Football League, Cheltenham secured an immediate return on 16 April 2016 with a 2–0 home win against F.C. Halifax Town.[26] The team amassed 101 points, scored the most and conceded the least number of goals, and won the most and lost the least number of games, on their way to becoming Champions, finishing 12 points clear of second-placed local rivals Forest Green Rovers. January signing Dan Holman was joint winner of the National League's Golden Boot award, with 30 goals, having netted 16 times in just 18 games for the Robins. Danny Wright, a summer signing, finished the season with 22 league goals and 11 assists, winning the Supporters Player of the Year award.

2016-17 season

For the club's return to the Football League, manager Gary Johnson largely kept faith with the players that had won the previous year's National League championship. The majority of that squad agreed new contracts to stay at the club with left-back George McLennan the only first-team regular to opt to leave. He was replaced by James Jennings, signed from local rivals Forest Green Rovers.

The season proved to be a struggle with a number of players finding the step up to League 2 more difficult than had been hoped. The Whaddon Road pitch also came in for criticism, from both supporters and visiting managers, as it struggled to cope with its high levels of use (Gloucester City were in the final season of a ground-share at Cheltenham during 2016-17).

Gary Johnson took steps to strengthen the squad during the January transfer window with Will Boyle and Carl Winchester both arriving on 18-month deals from Huddersfield Town and Oldham Athletic respectively. Experienced former Cheltenham goalkeeper Scott Brown also returned on a half-season loan from Wycombe Wanderers, and a number of players left on loan.

Results improved somewhat during the spring, although Johnson was absent on sick leave from March onwards while recovering from heart bypass surgery, leaving his assistant Russell Milton in day-to-day control during the run-in. The Robins secured their league status with a 1-0 win over Hartlepool United in the penultimate game of the season. They finished the season in 21st place in League 2, on 50 points.

During the close season a recovered Johnson returned to work and signed a new two-year contract. He oversaw a major clearout of the squad with eleven players released. Striker Billy Waters, who had thrived in an otherwise struggling side scoring 16 goals, also rejected a new contract offer and joined Northampton Town for an undisclosed fee.

Players

As of 12 August 2017.[27]

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
1 England GK Jonathan Flatt (on loan from Wolves)
2 England DF Jamie Grimes
3 Wales DF Jordan Cranston
4 England MF Kyle Storer (vice-captain)
5 Australia DF Aaron Downes (captain)
6 France MF Nigel Atangana
7 England MF Harry Pell
8 Republic of Ireland MF Kevin Dawson
9 England FW Danny Wright
10 England FW Dan Holman
11 Northern Ireland MF Carl Winchester
No. Position Player
14 Finland DF Daniel O'Shaughnessy
15 England DF Will Boyle
16 England MF Adam Page
17 England FW Jerell Sellars
18 England DF Matt Bower
19 England MF Josh Thomas
20 Sudan FW Mohamed Eisa
21 Scotland FW Brian Graham
22 England GK Rhys Lovett
23 Scotland DF Jordon Forster

Management team

Whaddney, Mascot of Cheltenham Town

Honours

The following honours are listed on the official Cheltenham Town FC website:[28]

Other Honours:[29]

Kit sponsors and manufacturers

Year Kit ManufacturerShirt SponsorBack of Shirt SponsorShort Sponsor
1977–1978 National Express
1981–1982 Coffer Sports
1982–1985 Umbro
1984–1986 Whitbread
1986–1988 Henson Duraflex
1988–1989 Gulf Oil
1991–1992 Hero
1992–1993 Technik
1993–1994 Club Sport
1994–1995 Klūb Sport Empress
1995–1996 Matchwinner
1996–1997 UK Endsleigh Insurance
1997–1999 Errea
1999–2004 Towergate Insurance
2004–2008 Bence Building Merchants
2008–2009 Mira Showers
2009–2011 PSU Technology Group
2011–2013 Barr Stadia Gloucestershire Echo
2013–2014 Gloucestershire College
2014–2015 Marchants Coaches
2015–2016 LCI Rail

Rivals

Gloucester City are traditional rivals, although now two leagues apart. Due to Cheltenham's rise up the leagues the last competitive meeting between the two was 1997, but is still keenly discussed by both sets of fans. Between the years of 2010 and 2017, both teams shared the Whaddon Road stadium, however, Gloucester City have since relocated to Evesham United's Jubilee Stadium.[30]

In more recent years, Cheltenham's main rivals have been Forest Green of Nailsworth. They played each other twice in the 2015/16 season, both results ending in draws. The rivalry was primarily due to the close proximity between the clubs, but also down to the fight for the 2015/16 National League, Cheltenham and Forest Green finishing 1st and 2nd respectively.

Records

References

  1. ↑ "Until very recently it was thought that Cheltenham Town Football Club was founded in 1892". Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  2. ↑ "Whaddon Road has officially got a new name!". Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  3. ↑ http://www.cheltenham.vitalfootball.co.uk/matchprere.asp?a=130110
  4. ↑ "Cheltenham 2–1 Doncaster". BBC News. 5 May 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  5. ↑ "Manager Downing leaves Cheltenham". BBC News. 13 September 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  6. ↑ "Allen named new Cheltenham boss". BBC News. 15 September 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  7. ↑ "Cheltenham put squad up for sale". BBC News. 3 March 2009. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  8. ↑ "League Two club-by-club guide". BBC News. 4 August 2009. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  9. ↑ "Cheltenham Town release eight players". BBC News. 11 May 2010. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
  10. ↑ "Cheltenham Town set to sign striker Darryl Duffy". BBC Sport. 21 July 2011. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  11. ↑ "Cheltenham Town complete deal for Luke Summerfield". BBC Sport. 4 August 2011. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  12. ↑ "Birmingham City's Jack Butland joins Cheltenham on loan". BBC Sport. 8 September 2011. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  13. ↑ "Manchester rivals to clash in third round". BBC Sport. 4 December 2011. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  14. ↑ "Yates named Manager of the Month". The Football League. 9 December 2011. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
  15. ↑ "Cheltenham 3–0 Southend". BBC Sport. 10 December 2011. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  16. ↑ "Cheltenham Town 0–2 Crewe Alexandra". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  17. ↑ "Cheltenham 1–5 Everton". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  18. ↑ "Cheltenham 0–0 Bradford". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  19. ↑ "Cheltenham 0–1 Northampton". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  20. ↑ "Mark Yates: Cheltenham Town sack manager". BBC Sport. 25 November 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  21. ↑ Cheltenham appoint Buckle
  22. ↑ Buckle sacked
  23. ↑ Johnson appointed manager
  24. ↑ "Cheltenham Town FC fan elected to club's board". BBC News. 19 April 2015.
  25. ↑ "Cheltenham 0–1 Shrewsbury". BBC Sport. 25 April 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  26. ↑ "Cheltenham Town 2–0 FC Halifax Town". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  27. ↑ "First Team". Cheltenham Town F.C. Archived from the original on 11 March 2009. Retrieved 24 March 2009.
  28. ↑ "Cheltenham Town Association Football Club – Honours". Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  29. ↑ "Cheltenham Town football club honours". Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  30. ↑ Gloucester City groundshare agreed with Evesham United for 2017-18

Sources

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