Stevenage F.C.

History

1976–2010

Stevenage Borough was formed in 1976 following the bankruptcy of Stevenage Athletic. Chairman Keith Berners, along with "a number of like-minded volunteers", were tasked with arranging a team to play Hitchin Town Youth at Broadhall Way in November 1976, as a "curtain-raiser" for the new club. However, the Broadhall Way pitch was subsequently dug up for non-footballing purposes after Stevenage Borough Council sold the land to a local businessman, who dug a trench across the full length of the pitch to ensure that no football was played. Consequently, the new club began playing in the Chiltern Youth League on a roped-off pitch at the town's King George V playing fields and subsequently moved up to intermediate status, joining the Wallspan Southern Combination shortly after. Stevenage Borough Council granted consent for the club to incorporate the name "Borough" in their title and to adopt the town's civic emblem as the club badge. In 1980, the council reacquired the lease for Broadhall Way and permitted the football club to become its tenant. With the council as their landlords and a refurbished stadium, Stevenage Borough attained senior status, under the management of Derek Montgomery, and joined the United Counties Football League in the same year. The club's first competitive league match was a 3–1 victory against ON Chenecks on 16 August 1980, played in front of 421 spectators. In their first season as a senior club, the team won the United Counties League Division One championship, scoring 106 goals. The club also won the United Counties League Cup during the same season.

After three successive seasons in the United Counties Premier Division, the club joined Division Two North of the Isthmian League in 1984, and the following season earned promotion to Isthmian League Division One after finishing the season as champions. Two years later, the club was relegated back to Division Two North, having finished second from bottom of the division. Brian Williams was tasked with steadying the club following the relegation; he was appointed as manager in July 1988. He spent two full seasons in charge, guiding Stevenage to two fourth-place finishes. Paul Fairclough was appointed as the club's manager in June 1990 and he would ultimately guide the team to four league titles in eight years. The club secured promotion during the 1990–91 season, Fairclough's first season in charge, winning 34 of their 42 games. The league triumph included winning every home match, scoring 122 goals and amassing 107 points. The following season, Stevenage won the Isthmian League Division One title, remaining unbeaten at home for the second consecutive season, and were promoted to the Isthmian League Premier Division. A third promotion in four years followed at the end of the 1993–94 season, as Stevenage earned promotion to the Football Conference after winning the Isthmian League Premier Division. Two seasons later, Stevenage won the Conference, but were denied promotion to the Football League due to insufficient ground facilities, thereby reprieving Torquay United, who had finished in last place in Division Three. During the same season, the club reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time, losing 2–1 to Hereford United of the Third Division at Edgar Street.

Football League (2010–present)

Stevenage's first Football League fixture was played against Macclesfield Town in August 2010, ending in a 2–2 draw at Broadhall Way. Following four defeats in six matches across December 2010 and January 2011, the club was positioned in 18th, four points above the relegation zone. During a congested period throughout February and March 2011, Stevenage won nine games out of 11 games, propelling the club up the league table and into the play-off positions. Stevenage subsequently reached the League Two play-offs, finishing sixth. They faced Torquay United in the 2011 Football League Two play-off final on 28 May 2011 at Old Trafford. Stevenage won the match 1–0, thereby securing promotion to League One for the first time in the club's history, and achieving back-to-back promotions. During the same season, Stevenage matched their previous best performance in the FA Cup, reaching the fourth round of the competition before losing 2–1 to Reading. In the previous round, Stevenage were drawn against Premier League club Newcastle United, whom they had previously met in the 1997–98 season, losing over two contentious games. Stevenage subsequently defeated Newcastle 3–1 at Broadhall Way, marking the first time the club had ever beaten top-flight opposition.

In their first season in the third tier of English football, Stevenage were positioned in the League One play-off places following a 14-match unbeaten run that lasted for three months. In January 2012, Westley opted to depart Stevenage to take up the vacant managerial position at Preston North End. Former Colorado Rapids manager Gary Smith was appointed as Westley's replacement. A run of four wins in their last five games meant that Stevenage finished in sixth, thus securing the final play-off position, where they lost 1–0 on aggregate to Sheffield United in the semi-final. Stevenage also reached the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time in their history during the season, losing 3–1 to Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur in a replay at White Hart Lane, following a 0–0 draw at Broadhall Way.

The majority of the squad that had helped the club achieve back-to-back promotions into League One departed at the end of the season. New management under Smith, alongside a change in transfer policy, resulted in a complete squad overhaul. Stevenage were positioned within the top six places midway through the 2012–13 season, but a run of 14 losses from 18 matches from December 2012 meant the club were closer to the relegation places three months later. Smith was subsequently sacked in March 2013 and replaced by Westley, returning for his third spell at the club. The team finished in 18th place that season. A further squad overhaul took place ahead of the 2013–14 season and Stevenage were ultimately relegated back to League Two after finishing in last place in the League One standings that season. The team reached the play-off semi-finals in their first season back in League Two, losing to Southend United.

Club identity

Crest

The club has had five crests since its formation in 1976. The first club crest was designed in 1980 by Paul Dixon, coinciding with Stevenage attaining senior status. The club adopted the town's civic emblem as the basis of the crest. When the club were promoted to the Conference National in 1994, the crest was changed to the Stevenage Borough Council 'tick' in recognition of the help the club had received from the council during their progression through the football pyramid. In 1996, shortly after former chairman Victor Green assumed control of the club, a new crest was introduced, modelled on the town's coat of arms. This design incorporated the club's colours of red and white, as well as a hart, which appears on both the Stevenage and Hertfordshire coat of arms. This crest was slightly modified in 2010 to remove the word 'Borough', aligning with the club's name change prior to its entry into the Football League. Ahead of the 2011–12 season, the crest was enclosed within a shield, though this change was reversed two years later. A new crest was unveiled in June 2019, featuring the hart more prominently, being "brought to the forefront of the new design". The club stated that the preceding crest "presented modern-day challenges due to its complex and detailed design"; the new circular design was intended to establish a clearer visual identity across both commercial and social platforms.

Colours

The club has consistently played in red and white colours. Prior to taking on senior status, the team wore red and white striped shirts. This changed between 1980 and 1988, during which period the club adopted plain red shirts paired with white shorts, although an all-red strip was worn during the 1982–83 season. The club reverted to a striped design from 1988, and the strip configuration has varied considerably over the years. To mark the club's 40th anniversary during the 2016–17 season, supporters were consulted about their preferred historical kit. The outcome was a re-creation of the diagonal-striped design worn between 1996 and 1998.

A table of kit suppliers and shirt sponsors appear below:

Stadium

Broadhall Way

The club plays its home matches at Broadhall Way, a ground that previously served as the home of both Stevenage Town and Stevenage Athletic. Following the bankruptcy of Stevenage Athletic, the stadium remained unused for three years. The newly formed Stevenage Borough moved into Broadhall Way in 1980, after the local council had re-purchased the stadium. The club finished the 1995–96 season as champions of the Football Conference, but was denied promotion to the Football League due to insufficient ground capacity and facilities. During the early 2000s, the stadium underwent upgrades, including the construction of a new £600,000 stand featuring an executive suite beneath it. As a result of the club's promotion as league champions during the club's 2009–10 season, Broadhall Way hosted League football for the first time during the 2010–11 season.

The ground's pitch is bordered by four stands: the East Terrace, the North Stand, the West Stand, and the South Stand. The West Stand is an all-seated, covered structure that extends along the full length of the pitch, although it features open corners on either side. It has a capacity of 1,800 spectators. At the rear of the stand are several glass-fronted areas housing various club offices and executive boxes. The club shop is located adjacent to the West Stand, opposite the club's official car park. Directly opposite the West Stand is the East Terrace, a covered standing area designated for approximately 2,700 home supporters. The terrace features a gable with a clock mounted on its roof above the halfway line, and also houses a television gantry on its roof.

The former North Terrace, located behind the goal at the north end of the ground, comprised just seven steps and had a total capacity of approximately 700 spectators. Three-quarters of the terrace was covered, while the remaining quarter was uncovered. The area also provided facilities for disabled supporters. The North Terrace was demolished in January 2018 to make way for a new, modern stand. The development followed years of planning difficulties; as early as January 2013, the club had announced intentions to replace the terrace with a £1.2 million, 1,700-seat stand. However, these plans failed to materialise due to “numerous obstacles put in the way”. In July 2017, the club launched a mini-bond investment scheme, facilitated through the sports investment platform Tifosy, seeking to raise the remaining £500,000 required to complete construction. The target was reached within five weeks, following contributions from over 200 supporters. The new North Stand, a 1,428-seat, all-seater structure, was officially opened in December 2019.

Training facilities

The club opened a £5million training facility at nearby Shephalbury Park in the autumn of 2002. In June 2011, the club announced the acquisition of a 42-acre former sports ground in Bragbury End, with the intention of developing the site into a new, purpose-built training complex. Construction commenced in the summer of 2011, and club staff began using the complex towards the latter stages of the 2012–13 season.

Records and statistics

Stevenage's highest Football League finish is sixth place in League One, achieved in both the 2011–12 and 2025–26 seasons. The club's best run in the FA Cup came in 2011–12, when they reached the fifth round. Stevenage's largest league victory was an 11–1 win over British Timken Athletic in the United Counties League in December 1980, while their heaviest defeat was an 8–0 loss to Charlton Athletic in an EFL Trophy match in October 2018.

The record for the most appearances for the club is held by Ronnie Henry, who made 502 appearances in all competitions across two spells with Stevenage. Martin Gittings is the club's all-time leading goalscorer, having scored 216 goals in all competitions. He remains the only player to have scored more than 100 goals for the club.

Players

As of 8 September 2026

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Player of the Year

As voted for by Supporters Association members and season ticket holders at the club.

Management

Club officials

Directors

Chairman: Phil Wallace

Directors: Stuart Dinsey, Marcus Taverner, Kylie Wallace, Marc Wallace

Management

Manager: Alex Revell

First-team coach: Scott Cuthbert

Goalkeeping coach: Marlon Beresford

Head of sports science: Brandon Bevans

First-team analyst: Cavill Costi, Jake Moss

First-team physio: Matt Rogers

Kit manager: Keith Bell

Managerial history

Competitive games only. Statistics are correct as of match played 22 August 2026

Honours

Source:

League

League Two (level 4)

Runners-up: 2022–23

Play-off winners: 2011

Conference National (level 5)

Champions: 1995–96, 2009–10

Isthmian League

Premier Division champions: 1993–94

Division One champions: 1991–92

Division Two North champions: 1985–86, 1990–91

United Counties League

Division One champions: 1980–81

Cup

FA Trophy

Winners: 2006–07, 2008–09

Runners-up: 2001–02, 2009–10

United Counties League, League Cup

Winners: 1980–81

Herts Senior Cup

Winners: 2008–09