Cheltenham Town F.C.

Encyclopedia : C : CH : CHE : Cheltenham Town F.C.

Founded in 1892, Cheltenham Town Football Club are an English professional football team, newly promoted to League One. The team play their home games at Whaddon Road (capacity: 7407), Cheltenham, in Gloucestershire, and traditionally play in red and white stripes.

Cheltenham joined the Southern League in 1935 and won promotion to the Alliance Premier League (now the Conference National) in 1985, but were relegated seven years later. The appointment of Steve Cotterill as manager during the 1996-97 saw a revolution come to the club. They won promotion to the Conference in his first season as manager and two years later gained promotion to the Football League. After two mid table finishes in Division Three they won the playoffs and were promoted to Division Two.

Cotterill then moved to Stoke City and his successor Graham Allner lasted just seven months at the helm before Cheltenham's dismal Division Two form cost him his job. His successor Bobby Gould was unable to stave off relegation and the following season was replaced by John Ward, who guided Cheltenham to glory in the 2005-06 League Two playoffs.

Contents

1 History
2 Honours
3 Current Squad - 2005/06
4 Sources
5 External links

History

1935-36 - Joined Southern League, Western Section. Also played in Central Section
1955-56 - Southern League runner-up
1963-64 - Promoted to Premier Division
1969 - Relegated to Division One
1976-77 - Southern League Division One North runner-up; promoted to Premier Division
1979-80 - League re-organised to Southern & Midland Divisions (No Premier); placed in Midland Division
1982-83 - Southern League Midland Division Champions; promoted to Premier Division
1984-85 - Souithern League Champions
1985-86 - Joined Alliance Premier League
1986-87 - Alliance Premier League renamed Conference
1992 - Relegated to Southern League Premier Division
1992-93 - Southern League runner-up
1993-94 - Southern League runner-up
1994-95 - Southern League runner-up
1996-97 - Southern League runner-up
1997-98 - Rejoined Conference. Conference runner-up. F.A. Trophy Winners
1998-99 - Conference Champions; Promoted to Football League Third Division; FA Trophy semi-finalists
2001-02 - Promoted to Football League Second Division after play-offs
2003 - Relegated to Division Three
2004-05 - Division 3 became known as League 2
2005-06 - Promoted to League 1 through end-of-season play-offs

Cheltenham Town's most successful manager ever is Steve Cotterill, who joined the club in January 1997. Four months after taking charge he guided the club to runners-up spot in the Dr Martens Premier League, but they won promotion to the Conference because Dr Martens Premier League champions Gresley Rovers were unable to meet the required capacity for Conference membership.

In 1997-98, Cheltenham surprised all the observers by finishing runners-up in the Conference and giving champions Halifax Town a run for their money right up until the end of April. In 1998-99 Cheltenham went one better and secured the Conference championship - their passport to the football league.

After two mid-table finishes in Division Three, Cheltenham Town finally won promotion to Division Two (via the Division Three playoffs) at the end of the 2001-02 season. Shortly after winning promotion, Cheltenham lost manager Steve Cotterill to Stoke City. He remained there for just four months before quitting to become Sunderland's assistant manager, a role which he held for just five months. Cotterill returned to football management in June 2004 with Burnley.

Meanwhile, Cheltenham replaced Cotterill with first-team coach Graham Allner who back in 1994 had won the Conference championship with Kidderminster Harriers. But he was sacked in January 2003, after just six months in the job, with Cheltenham hovering 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. Gould helped improve the side but 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 the experienced 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.

The club finished the 2005/6 season in 5th, earning a place in the play offs. In the Semi-Final Cheltenham beat Wycombe Wanderers 2-1 away before drawing 0-0 in the second leg at Whaddon Road. Cheltenham beat Grimsby Town 1-0 in the play-off final on May 28th, securing a place in League One for 2006/07. 29,196 people attended, making it Cheltenham Town FC's largest stadium audience in their history.

Honours

FA Trophy Winners (1997-98)
Football Conference Champions (1998-99); Runners Up (1997-98)
Division Three Play-off Winners (2001-02, 2005-06)
Southern League Champions (1984-85); Runners Up (1955-56, 1992-93, 1993-94, 1994-95, 1996-97)
Southern League Midland Division Champions (1982-83)
Southern League Division 1 North Runners-Up (1976-77)

Current Squad - 2005/06

1. Shane Higgs
2. Jerry Gill
3. Jamie Victory
4. Shane Duff
5. Gavin Caines
6. Michael Taylor
7. Brian Wilson
8. John Finnigan
9. Steve Guinan
10. Damien Spencer
11. Grant McCann
12. Scott Brown
14. David Bird
15. Michael Townsend
16. Adam Connolly
17. Kayode Odejayi
18. Ashley Vincent
19. Craig Armstrong
20. Andy Gallinagh
22. JJ Melligan
25. Steven Gillespie
30. Sos Yao
33. Mickey Bell

Amongst others: Scott Musgrove, Michael Whittington, Sam Foley, Michael Wylde.

Sources

[Cheltenham Town] at the Football Club History Database

External links

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