09 Aug 2025
Saints are among the bookies’ favourites for promotion this season and Ian Rogers, chairman of supporters group Saints City Trust, is of course hoping they’re right.
“I note the bookies make us one of the favourites – that’s alongside, unsurprisingly, Dartford and Billericay Town – but we need to get off to a good winning start and I am not taking anything for granted.
“The team seems to be shaping up well with options on the bench and a style of play that will be well suited to this league.
“Looking at the new signings, Jamal Fyfield is one that stands out as the type of player you need at this level – he’s an experienced pro who has played at a higher level, and Leroy Sery is a lively player who will cause any defence problems.
“Zane Banton is the one player I and every supporter wanted to keep this season – he always gives 100 per cent in every game and is a very popular player on the terraces, which is also true of Jack James. Kieran Gauthier has come through the academy and shows promise.”
Touching on the club’s decision to increase the price of adult season tickets to £315 (adult matchday tickets are unchanged at £18), he said: “The season ticket policy has been unpopular with supporters and with away support from a lot of teams at this level being lower than previous seasons it will be interesting to see how attendances at Clarence Park stack up.”
However, he added: “I have every confidence in our management team and personally I’m looking forward to a successful season, and perhaps a decent FA Cup run.”
This Saturday (August 9), Saints begin their 2025-26 campaign – their first in the Isthmian league for more than 20 years – with a home match at Clarence Park against Chatham Town, another team the bookies predict could be in the ‘chasing pack’ for promotion.
As per the trend of recent years, those attending the game will include lots of younger supporters and families – something the club has worked hard to encourage and which is welcomed by long-time St Albans City fan Ted Wrangles, who’s soon to celebrate his 84th birthday.
He said: “Seeing teenagers and families at the ground creates a great atmosphere, which hopefully encourages the players. Here’s hoping we can achieve immediate promotion!”
Most tickets can be bought online at a discount price, but the walk-up cost is £1 for juniors (aged 5-11 years), £6 for youths (12-17), £9 for 18- to 23-year-olds and the concession price is £12.50.
There’ll be no local derby match with arch-rival Hemel Hempstead this season, but St Albans City will face fellow Hertfordshire teams Cheshunt and Potters Bar, who visit Clarence Park on August 25 and October 14 respectively.
For those interested in supporting Saints on the road, and who like to be by seaside when they take in games, St Albans will play on or near the south coast quite often in 2025-26, including matches against Folkestone Invicta, Ramsgate, Whitehawk (Brighton) and Canvey Island.
The fixtures list also puts Saints up again the ‘Cray twins’ – that’s Cray Wanderers and Cray Valley Paper Mills, not the East End gangsters – and Hashtag United, the Essex club founded in 2016 by Youtuber Spencer Carmichael-Brown.
Saints City Trust is run independently of St Albans City FC and organises minibus transport to games when required, although most of City’s opponents this season are relatively easy to reach by train.
For more details about Saints City Trust, go to https://www.saintscitytrust.org.uk.
