Herd: Relegation is unthinkable

Aldershot captain Ben Herd insists it would be "unthinkable" for the club to suffer relegation from the Football League .

The Shots slipped back into the drop zone in League Two following Saturday's 1-0 home defeat to fellow strugglers AFC Wimbledon, although just one point separates six teams at the foot of a congested survival battle. Seven games remain for the Hampshire club to safeguard their Football League status and right-back Herd is well aware of how much is at stake for him and his side. He said: "It has to mean everything to us to stay in the Football League, and it does. This club has come a long way in a short amount of time since reforming in 1992 and it would be unthinkable to go down. "We want to preserve the Football League status of the football club, as players you are just custodians until you leave. The football club will go on long after all the players have left. "It would be unthinkable and I wouldn't want to be associated with relegating a club out of the League, especially this club who have come so far. It's a personal responsibility, I think. You have to step up and it has to mean absolutely everything to you. Put your life on hold until the end of the season and make sure this club stays in the Football League." Over the past three seasons 48 points have been enough to ensure safety in League Two and although this year is unlike any other in recent times, Herd still believes 50 is the ideal target to reach, with Aldershot currently on 40. He added: "It's a strange scenario. I've been playing in this league a long time now and I can't remember it being this tight with this many teams involved. History will tell you, there's usually one team at least who have been cut adrift, if not two. "Points-wise they say the magic 50 is always a guarantee; this year I think because of the amount of teams down there jostling away they're going to be robbing points off each other. Forty eight or 49 points would probably see you well this year." Meanwhile, Aldershot's EBB Stadium will on Wednesday host the Inter Services Tournament for both men and women as a British Army representative team comes up against the Royal Air Force, with the Royal Navy also involved in the historic three-team competition.