Stevenage FC, previously known as Stevenage Borough before 2010,  were some people’s pick to be in the lower echelons of the 3rd tier this season before a ball had been kicked. However, Alex Revell’s side have got off to a storming start this season and sit comfortably in 4th position, 2 points off leaders Cardiff with 2 games in hand. Here is the story of how the fortunes of this football club have taken a drastic change within recent years.

 

A Season Like No Other

Heading into the 2019/20 season, Stevenage were beginning their 6th consecutive season in the 4th tier under Head Coach Dino Maamria. However after no wins in their first 13 games in all competitions, he was sacked and replaced with former England Women’s manager Paul Sampson. Very minimal improvement was seen and a 5-1 home defeat to Crewe Alexandra just before Christmas saw his reign cut short.

Former Manager, Graham Westley was reappointed before current manager Alex Revell took his job in February 2020. By the 7th of March, Stevenage had played 36 games, winning just 3 and drawing 13 leaving them 10 points off safety, in a season where Boro were meant to only have 10 games left to salvage their season.

Many within the town of Stevenage were preparing for life in non-league as relegation looked inevitable. However, the outbreak of Covid-19 put a halt on league football throughout the entire nation causing the league to be temporarily suspended. It took until the 15th May for all clubs within the league to come to an agreement where the season would end with immediate effect and the league being decided on a points-per-game basis.

This decision was of no help to Stevenage who were mathematically relegated into the Vanarama National League – or so it seemed.

Bury FC’s expulsion from the EFL in August 2019 had led to the restructuring of League Two for the 19/20 season. This meant that the usual 2 teams that would normally be relegated into the 5th tier had been cut to just 1. Along with Bury’s mismanagement at the top of the club, Macclesfield FC were also experiencing similar problems, albeit on a slightly smaller scale.

Throughout the season problems were mounting for Macclesfield who failed to fulfil 2 fixtures and failed to pay player wages. Points deductions were put in place and taken away as the season progressed with nobody being sure what the end outcome would be.

In August 2020, 5 months since either club had played a game of football, a verdict was finally reached. Macclesfield were deducted a further 4 points taking the total up to 17 points. This decision ultimately led to them sliding down to the bottom of the league table meaning that they were relegated and Stevenage FC miraculously avoiding relegation out of the Football League. The lifeline of all lifelines.

 

The Resurgence

Whilst things improved under Alex Revell in the 20/21 and the start of the 21/22 season, Boro were still struggling to put wins on the board and that continued when Paul Tisdale was hired in November 2021 as a replacement to Revell but failed to turn the fortunes around and was sacked in March. At this point, Boro were facing another relegation battle to retain their Football League status.

Step forward Steve Evans – a man with a wealth of EFL experience and a knack for grinding results out. Winning 4 of their last 7 games meant Boro’s survival was confirmed for another year. Evans had built the foundations of a strong League 2 side over the summer that followed but many couldn’t have predicted the outcome of the 22/23 season.

A window that consisted of signing current club captain Carl Piergianni, Alex Gilbey, Jordan Roberts and many more had the desired effect as Boro were a staple in the top 7 for the entire season. Playing a gritty style of football with quality in both boxes, this team was starting to symbolise a typical Steve Evans side.

Along with the superb league form, a third round tie in the FA cup against Premier League giants Aston Villa beckoned for the Hertfordshire outfit. 1-0 down in the 87th minute it looked like Boro were just going to come up short at Villa Park. However a Jamie Reid penalty and a Dean Campbell strike from a corner in the 90th minute gave Stevenage a victory that would be the talk of the town for years to come.

It wasn’t just a cup upset that Boro managed to produce that season as on the 29th April 2023, they did the unthinkable as they secured promotion into League One for the first time since 2014. At 66/1 to be promoted at the start of the season, this was the story of the season as Stevenage accumulated 85 points and finished 2nd, 6 points off the champions Leyton Orient.

The previous 2 seasons in League One have provided Stevenage with experience and understanding of the division which has allowed them to flourish this season. After Evans was taken by Rotherham United in April 2024, Revell was given a second stint at the helm of the club where it seems this decision is reaping its rewards.

This Season

Another mid-table season seemed to be the consensus amongst many Stevenage fans in particular but the club are doing their best to put that assumption to the sword. 8 wins, 2 draws and 2 defeats has given Alex Revell’s men the perfect platform to cement a surprising promotion push.

Deploying a 4-2-3-1 formation, many mistaken Stevenage for still being a stereotypical Evans side. Whilst some of these elements still exist, the technical ability on show can somewhat shock the stereotypical football fan. The midfield 3 of White and Houghton behind Dan Kemp embodies the style that Revell is trying to apply.

Their home record is amongst the best in the league – unbeaten in all 6 league games and drawing just 1 has teams fearing the fortress that the Lamex Stadium has become. With only 2 goals conceded in these 6 games, the defence has been the heartbeat of the run that Stevenage have been on with fan favourite, Carl Piergianni, still proving to be a colossus figure to get past.

 

 

With 2 home games in the next 3, Boro will look to continue their exceptional home form in a mission to return to the summit of the division – hard to believe for some given the position the club was in just 5 years ago. A truly remarkable turnaround.