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Aylesbury United Review of the Decade

The 2000s (Part 1)

For the most part, the 00s has been a decade of struggle for Aylesbury United, but there have also been a number of definite highlight over the course of the ten years which are worth a look back at and remind us why we continue to fight so hard for our club's survival.

The decade got off to the worst possible start with relegation in the year 2000 after Gary Phillips' second coming as manager produced some improved performances, but he couldn't prevent the slide into Ryman Division One.

It was a strange end to the season, as on May Day Bank Holiday the Ducks had beaten a strong Reading side 2-0 to lift the Berks & Bucks Cup courtesy of an own goal and a Cliff Hercules effort all within the first seven minutes.

But it was joy to despair four days later when, despite a fantastic 4-1 win over Gravesend & Northfleet, results elsewhere meant an end to United's eleven-year Isthmian Premier status.

Phillips remained in charge over the summer, but early results weren't good enough and the legendary Hercules was appointed as his replacement in October. His impact was slow but sure, and eventually Aylesbury were able to stop looking over their shoulders with the threat of a second relegation eliminated.

The 2001/02 season was a much more memorable affair, as Hercules lead the club to promotion as the 3rd placed Division One side as well as an FA Cup 1st Round appearance at Football League side Port Vale.

After a shock opening day defeat at Staines Town, the Ducks then went on a 16-match unbeaten run as they looked set to steamroller the opposition. With the likes of Marshall, Clark, Clarke, Stanbridge and Maynard pulling the strings, Aylesbury were a joy to watch at times.

The Cup run included a record 10-1 thrashing of Brentwood, and culminated in a superb 5-0 sinking of Yeading on their own turf to set up the trip to the potteries. Aylesbury were a credit to themselves as they packed the Vale Park away end with well over 1000 fans, whilst on the pitch the 3-0 scoreline was widely recognised as flattering to the home side who escaped a strong penalty shout and Scott Honeyball's famous 'goal' being harshly ruled out.

United pushed on from that and continued to go strongly in the league, with an 8-0 win over Whyteleafe a particular noteworthy result.

Unfortunately, end of season nerves began to kick in and the team's form stuttered towards the end, but a 3-0 win at Ford United finally confirmed the club's return to the higher level and signalled party time for the supporters.

Hercules felt he'd done enough and made way for former Hampton & Richmond boss Steve Cordery to take over the hotseat in the summer of 2002, with Craig Maskell coming in as his player/assistant manager.

He assembled a strong squad despite his budget limitations, and with the cultured Maskell up front, Cordery achieved his brief of avoiding relegation with a relieving 2-1 win at Boreham Wood in April, with impressive wins over champions-elect Aldershot Town and a double over Chesham United along the way.

It was Aylesbury's exploits in the FA Trophy which Cordery will always be remembered for though, with the Ducks reaching the semi-finals for only the second time in history. The Ducks battled through six rounds, including a truly epic penalty shootout win at Windsor & Eton, before cruelly being robbed of a Cup Final at Villa Park by a last minute penalty conceded at Burscough in the semi-final second leg.

2003/04 was memorable for all the wrong reasons unfortunately. Cordery had departed to take over his hometown club of Staines Town, and the club had appointed former player Chris Boothe, a man of no managerial experience, as his replacement.

It was little surprise that Boothe struggled, and with only 2 wins in his 13 games in charge he was soon being hounded by supporters and the board acted by bringing in highly rated Bedford manager Kevin Wilson.

On paper it looked like a good appointment, and performances were encouraging as was the signing of hotshot striker Darren Lynch. But Wilson's relationship with the board quickly soured and a bizarre set of circumstances over the festive period led to Wilson resigning, later to take over at Kettering Town, and the entire playing staff 'going on strike.'

In a fine show of solidarity, lifelong fan and reserve team coach Simon Lacey stepped forward to hastily gather together what players he could to ensure the club could fulfil their Boxing Day fixture at St. Albans, and he remained in caretaker charge for the next few games. Former Northampton coach Paul Curtis was then brought in as manager and although he had four months of the season remaining, the club weren't to win a game again and finished bottom by some margin - but with the reorganisation of the national game in effect weren't relegated but moved to the Southern League Premier Division (although technically now at a lower level with the inauguration of Conference North and South).

The board kept faith with Curtis over the summer and he finally got his first win at the club in August over Hitchin Town, but results were still not good enough and he eventually made way for his assistant Danny Nicholls to take over the helm.

Nicholls was hugely popular with the supporters and enjoyed a strong second half of the season with a fantastic 2-0 win at Conference side Forest Green Rovers in the FA Trophy, and a narrow defeat by Wycombe Wanderers in the Berks & Bucks Cup Final the cup highlights, whilst in the league a disappointing final month meant the playoffs were just missed out on, as the decade reached its half way point.

Part 2 will feature in the Romulus matchday programme, on the 16th January, and will be reproduced here in the days following that match.

Luke Brown - December 2009