OPPOSITION FOCUS | St Albans City (A)

Our last away day of the season and it could only be this one! A Hertfordshire battle, one that could make some huge changes to the league should it go in our favour! Coming off the back of a solid 2-0 win against local team Chesham Utd, the Tudors will be looking to continue their good fortune while Ian Culverhouse's side will be looking for all three points to get them one step closer to safety - something that hangs critically in the balance.

The Key Info

Founded: 1908

Nickname: The Saints

Manager: Ian Culverhouse

Stadium: Clarence Park

Capacity: 5007

The History

Founded in 1908, St Albans City have a rich history attached to themselves, experiencing

both promotion and relegations throughout their existence in non league football. Their first

experience of club football came at the Herts County League and Spartan League, where

the Saints became champions of both divisions by 1912. The 1920s saw St Albans progress

both on and off the field, with the most notable achievement being the victory over Brentford

in the FA Cup. With the club joining the Isthmian Division during this time period, the Saints

were made to wait until the 1950s which saw them finish runners up. Following the turn of

the new millennium, St Albans became founding members of the Conference South, where

they lasted two seasons before gaining promotion to the Conference Premier. Despite being

relegated after just one season, St Albans saw further relegation to the Southern League

Premier before gaining promotion back to the National League South in the 2013/14 season.

Having narrowly missed out on promotion in the 2022/23 season with a playoff final defeat,

the Saints will look to progress up the table as an established side in the league.

The Manager: Ian Culverhouse

Following the departure of David Noble this season, the Saints announced Ian Culverhouse as their new manager. Following a playing career at clubs including Tottenham, Brighton, Norwich and Swindon, Culverhouse has become a manager who knows the standard of the National League North and South. He has been an assistant to Paul Lambert during his tenure at Aston Villa, giving him experience of the importance of consistency and quality. Following spells at King’s Lynn, Boston United and Kettering, Culverhouse will look to drive the Saints away from the relegation positions. With National League South football slipping further away, Ian will be looking to get all 6 points from their last two games, and hope that other results go their way - a trip to Truro for the last game of the season, quite possibly their toughest fixture all season.

Last 2:

Eastbourne Borough (H)

LOSS | 0-1

Enfield Town (A)

DRAW | 1-1

Next game:

AWAY v Truro City 26/04/25

Star Man: Ken Charles

Ken Charles has been the man to be called upon in many scenarios for the Saints, with the striker already netting 10 goals and showing some excellent form in front of goal.

Charles is a versatile player, who is capable of playing both on the wing and as a striker.

Charles has a wealth of experience at non league, representing many clubs throughout his 5 and a half years of playing in the country. After joining Enfield Town from Colchester U21s, Charles moved to Braintree after a year. His next few seasons saw Charles spend time at Kings Lynn and Cheshunt, before moving to Banbury United at the start of last season. After one season, St Albans acted fast to bring him to Clarence Park, where he has made the

excellent first impression.

The Skipper: Michael Johnson

Michael Johnson has shown an immense sense of loyalty towards St Albans, having taken

the responsibility of the armband, following the departure of Joe Partington to Worthing

earlier this month. The goalkeeper joined the Saints from Dagenham & Redbridge at the

beginning of the 2020/21 season, and will be leading the team from in between the

goalposts.

Last Time Out: Hemel 2-1 St Albans

The reverse fixture of this derby was a rearranged affair after a street power failure caused the game to abandoned around the 70th minute. A bumper crowd to see the first half start slow, going in at half-time at a stalemate 0-0. A superb volley from Brandon Barzey swiftly took the lead and a quick turnaround from Zane Banton stole the equaliser. Things looked as if they heading to a stale 1-1 until Mazeed Ogungbo caught the end of a Brad House delivery and secured the 3 points in the 90+5'.