ALDERSHOT football had a ball at the Recreation Ground on Tuesday evening, as the Shots’ family came together to celebrate the club’s return to the Football League.

That there was a game being played as well was almost a sideshow and it duly failed to live up to the occasion. Still, the 0-0 stalemate left both sides pretty content: a point was enough to secure visitors Weymouth their Blue Square Premier status for next season and also took Aldershot to the outstanding achievement of 100 points for the campaign, still with a game to play, away to Rushden & Diamonds tomorrow (Saturday, 5.15pm).

In a party atmosphere, with close to 6,000 fans squeezed into the Rec, the whole of the East Bank was awash with red and blue — as was Nikki Bull's hair — in keeping with the evening sky as the sun set on Aldershot’s time in non-league football. Now there is a new dawn to look forward to of Football League football after Aldershot’s triumphant march to the Blue Square Premier title — and with it the big prize of promotion to League Two.

Perhaps the loudest cheers were reserved for half-time, when the club paid tribute to the key players — on and off the pitch — who have helped Aldershot football back to where it belongs, in the League, in the 16 years since Aldershot FC’s demise and the re-birth in the form of Aldershot Town FC.

Players from the old Aldershot FC, such as striker David Puckett, players who represented both clubs — Colin Fielder and Koo Dumbuya among them — and key members of the board were individually acclaimed by the crowd. Former managers too were warmly received, from Aldershot Town’s first manager, Steve Wignall to Terry Brown.

The reunion was given the perfect toast, with the famous casket of rum, presented to Aldershot Town by Clapton chairman Mike Fogg after their opening game in Diadora League Division Three in August 1992, was opened by Fogg himself and Aldershot’s chairman, John McGinty.

Lap of honour

Talking of alcohol, a hour or so later, captain Rhys Day duly lifted the Blue Square Premier trophy after the game, to a chorus of cheers and champagne corks popping: Aldershot’s trophy cabinet now has two spanking new additions after victory in the Setanta Shield last month. Not bad for an opening season for Gary Waddock as manager.

Waddock paid tribute to all things Aldershot after the game: “What we’ve achieved is beginning to sink in now, because the trophy is here and we’ve been presented with it.

“We’ve done a lap of honour in front of our fans, which was quite amazing. It’s been just a wonderful, wonderful night.
“Tonight was brilliant. It was fantastic of the club to invite everyone back. Everybody has played a part from the day the club was reformed.

“It’s not just about what has happened here tonight, everybody has played their part in some way. It’s fantastic.”
While Waddock would have loved to have rounded off the home season with a win — there have already been 18 in the league — he was content with a draw, given that it took his side to a magical century of points, which has never been achieved in the Conference.

This was a game that the Shots should have won — John Grant missed a penalty in the first minute of the second half and Weymouth goalkeeper Stephen Henderson made fine saves from Rob Elvins, Louie Soares and substitute Joel Grant — but Waddock was satisfied.
 
“We were in control of the game,” he said. “We created a lot of chances. On another given day we might have put one of those away and obviously we missed the penalty.

“We haven’t had a lot of draws during the season, so we’ve picked up a point, which has taken us to 100. And we’ve been presented with the trophy. And we’ve had 6,000 fans here. So, all in all, that’s not a bad night.”

Waddock paid tribute to his squad unity, which has played such a key role in all its success. With Torquay losing to Cambridge on Tuesday night, Waddock’s men are 14 points clear at the top and their final winning margin will be by at least 11 points.

“This season everybody has seen the way the players work for each other. They do have a fantastic team spirit.

“While every manager will say that his dressing room has a fantastic team spirit, it hasn’t been me and Martin [Kuhl] who have mentioned it, it’s the players who have kept saying it. And I think that tells a lot.

“When you start a season, you want to achieve something and from the start we set our stall out and wanted to gain promotion, which we have done. But I have to say, 100 points in a season is quite remarkable.”

Winding down

All that is left is tomorrow’s trip to Rushden, where Waddock will proudly send out his players in search of ‘another three points’. The manager has said all campaign ‘let’s see what our points total is at the end of the season’ and he is finally about to find out. Whether it’s 100, 101 or 103, it will be a magnificent return.

This was, however, the Shots’ third draw in a row in the league and they have won just once in the last five games. There are signs that the squad is winding down after their stunning exploits, although there was no evidence of that from Lewis Chalmers on Tuesday, who was full of commitment and creativity, after serving a two-match ban.

Waddock recalled Soares and Hudson to the starting line-up and the Shots enjoyed the better of a uninspired first half. The best move saw Ben Harding feed Elvins, who played a slick one-two with John Grant, only to blast his effort straight at Henderson.

Soares, who enjoyed a lively game, ballooned over in all-too-familiar fashion close to half-time, before beating Henderson minutes later, only to see Scott Doe clear his deflected effort off the line.

After the excitement of the half-time interval, the game followed suit, with Doe penalised for a tug on John Grant in the area. But Aldershot’s leading scorer hit the right post with his effort from the spot.

“Bully would have scored it,” chanted the East Bank, but soon their hero was off the pitch, due to a long-term leg injury. Bull left to rapturous applause; the Rec faithful hope they have not seen the last of the talismanic keeper, who is out of contract in the summer.

His replacement, Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz, made a solid save from Michael Malcolm as Weymouth, who were tidy and organised throughout, pushing for an unlikely win. But the Shots came closest when Henderson denied Joel Grant, after fine play by Chalmers.

So, normal service at the Rec — a win — was not served up as a season finale. Frankly, who cares, given that the next league fixture at the Rec will be in the Football League.

As proud captain Day said after the game: “The dream has come true for us all, players and supporters.” Enough said.