Cheltenham Town F.C.

Founded in 1892, Cheltenham Town F.C. are an English football team currently playing in Football League Two. The team play their home games at Whaddon Road (capacity: 7407), Cheltenham, and traditionally play in red and white stripes.

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 F.A 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.

Current Squad

• 1. Shane Higgs
• 2. Brian Wilson
• 3. Jamie Victory
• 4. Shane Duff
• 5. John Brough
• 6. Michael Taylor
• 7. Martin Devaney
• 8. John Finnegan
• 9. Steve Guinan
• 10. Damien Spencer
• 11. Grant McCann
• 12. Scott Brown
• 14. David Bird
• 15. Jeremy Gill
• 16. Graham Fyfe
• 17. Kayode Odejayi
• 18. Ashley Vincent
• 19. Luke Corbett
• 20. Andy Gallinagh
• 21. Chris Murphy
• 22. John Melligan
• 23. Gavin Caines

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 Division Three; FA Trophy semi-finalists
• 2001-02 – Promoted to Division Two after play-offs
• 2003 – Relegated to Division Three
• 2004-05 – Football League Division Three renamed "League Two"

• Best League position: 21st in Division 2 (then level 3), 2003-04
• Best FA Cup performance: 5th round, 2001-02
• Best FA Trophy performance: winners, 1997-98
• Best Football League Cup performance: 2nd round, 2002-03
• Best Football League Trophy performance: 2nd round (4 times) in 1999-00, 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2004-05

Source: Football Club History Database

Honours

• FA Trophy winners 1998
• Football Conference champions 1999; runners up 1998
• Southern League champions 1985; runners up 1956, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997
• Southern League Midland Division champions 1983
• Southern League Division 1 North runners up 1977

External Links

• Official Website
• Cheltenham Town news from BBC online