Founded in April 1908, the golden period in the history of St Albans City Football Club came during the 1920s but the past ten years have seen some of the most amazing days enjoyed and endured by the Hertfordshire club in the run up to its centenary.
In 1999, under manager Garry Hill, the Saints reached the last four of the FA Trophy but within two years were facing closure after being suspended by the Isthmian League for failing to maintain payments agreed by the previous board of directors to clear a six-figure debt. In February 2002, with the club having already made one visit to the High Court in London, a new buyer came forward and overnight the debt was cleared.

Despite finishing just three points clear of relegation in 2003-04, the Saints secured a place in the Conference South, from the Isthmian League, on the back of remarkable 4-3 and 5-4 Play-Off victories at Heybridge Swifts and Bedford Town respectively. Midway through the following campaign City were rooted to the foot of the table and facing an immediate return to the Isthmian League. Their fortunes changed with the appointment of the experienced Colin Lippiatt, assistant manager to Geoff Chapple during Woking’s numerous successes during the 1980s, who moulded a struggling outfit into an attack-minded one that rose to the safety of 14th place. The 2005-06 Conference South season kicked off with two consecutive defeats before Lippiatt’s side found their rhythm and ultimately pushed Weymouth for the championship right to the final week of the season. City, scorers of 14 goals more than the second highest scoring team in the Division, had to settle for second place but successfully claimed a place in the Nationwide Conference by overcoming Histon in the Play-Off in front of 3,175 spectators at Stevenage. City’s stay in the Conference National proved to be short lived and after just one season the club has returned to Conference South. The 2007-08 campaign saw the Saints on course for a second successive relegation as two managers, Ritchie Hanlon and then Dave Anderson, were dismissed within the first six months of the season. Former Saints boss Steve Castle returned in January but it was only with the return for a second spell of goalkeeper Paul Bastock that City’s fortunes improved dramatically with relegation avoided during the final week of the season. Castle won the Conference South Manager of the Month award for March while Bastock, after his first six games, collected the Conference South Player of the Month award. The 2008-09 season saw the club in calmer waters as they finished in a safe 12th position but had a poor time in all of the cup competitions.

The Early Days
Football had been played at the Saints Clarence Park home for 14 years prior to the formation of the present day club. The original St Albans, which also played home matches at three other venues within the old Roman stronghold, met its demise in 1904 having come into existence back in 1881. After a four year lapse a senior club bearing the name of the city rose again in 1908 and during its formative years competed in the Herts County and Spartan Leagues. A move to the Athenian League in 1920 heralded the start of the Saints halcyon days as that championship was won twice in three years paving the way for election to the Isthmian League. St Albans City won the Isthmian at the first attempt and followed it with two further successes before the decade was out. City remained in the Isthmian League until 2003 but never again did the title return to Clarence Park.
When an extra Division was added in 1973 St Albans, along with Corinthian Casuals, had the dubious honour of being the first club to be relegated within the Isthmian League. When a second relegation followed 12 years later the club turned to its former player John Mitchell, whose semi-final goals took Fulham to the 1975 FA Cup final, to lead it to better days. Mitchell duly obliged with two promotions in three years. During a second spell in charge he took the Saints to the runners up position in 1992-93 only to be denied promotion to the Conference at that time due to a 140-year old oak tree standing within the terrace behind one of the goals. In 1998 the diseased tree was felled.

Cup Success
Along with the Saints five championship successes in eight years during the 1920s the club also enjoyed its greatest days in the Amateur Cup. Three times in that decade St Albans reached the semi-final but progress through to the final proved to be beyond them. The same fate befell the club in 1970 leaving them with the unwanted record of having made more semi-final appearances without going on to play in the final than any other club. City’s unsuccessful semi-final FA Trophy appearance in 1999 suggests that, given time, a new record could be set in that competition.
The 2nd Round or equivalent, of the FA Cup has been reached on five occasions but, to date, just one league scalp has been claimed when Brentford were defeated 5-3 in 1924. The most prestigious cup won by the Saints was the London Senior Cup in 1971while ten other cups have been won a total of 49 times.

Famous Saints
Wilfred Minter, with a staggering return of 356 goals in 362 games, is the Saints all time top goalscorer and can be found in record books as the player to have scored the most goals for the losing side in a FA Cup tie. The Amateur England international struck seven times as City went down 8-7 to Dulwich Hamlet in a 4th Qualifying Round replay on 22 November 1922. Seventy-two years later Steve Clark became the second City player to hit a double hat trick in the FA Cup and his day ended more joyously as the Saints hammered Hillingdon Borough 11-1.
Down the years a number of players have progressed into the Football League from St Albans City, these include, Arthur Grimsdell, captain of the 1921 Tottenham Hotspur FA Cup winning side and full England international; Harold Miller another England international who spent 14 years with Chelsea; Dean Austin whose transfer to Spurs from Southend United earned St Albans over £90,000; and Allan Cockram who played almost 100 games for Brentford.

There is also interesting articles written by Derek Roft on the Herts Memories site.

A History Of Senior Football In St Albans Part 1

A History Of Senior Football In St Albans Part 2

A History Of Senior Football In St Albans Part 3

A History Of Senior Football In St Albans Part 4

A History Of Senior Football In St Albans Part 5

A History Of Senior Football In St Albans Part 6

A History Of Senior Football In St Albans Part 7

A History Of Senior Football In St Albans Part 8

A History Of Senior Football In St Albans Part 9

A History Of Senior Football In St Albans Part 10

A History Of Senior Football In St Albans Part 11

A History Of Senior Football in St Albans Part 12