Bishop's Stortford F.C.

Football club infobox
clubname = Bishop's Stortford


fullname = Bishop's Stortford Football Club
nickname = The Bishops,
The Blues
founded = 1874
ground = Woodside Park,
Bishop's Stortford
capacity = 4,000 |(all seated)
chairman = flagicon|England Luigi Del Basso
manager = flagicon|England Martin Hayes
league = Conference South
season = 2007-08
position = Conference South, 10th
pattern_la1=_whiteshoulders|pattern_b1=_thinwhitesides|pattern_ra1=_whiteshoulders
leftarm1=0000ff|body1=0000ff|rightarm1=0000ff|shorts1=0000ff|socks1=000055
pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=_italiangreenwhitevertical|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=ffff00|body2=ffff00|rightarm2=ffff00|shorts2=ffff00|socks2=ffff00

Bishop's Stortford F.C. is a football club based in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England, currently members of the Conference South (since 2004).

They were established in 1874 and were the last winners of the FA Amateur Cup in 1974. In 1981 they were the first team outside the top level of non-league football to win the FA Trophy. They managed to reach the 3rd Round of the FA Cup in the 1982-83 season. In 1999 the club played Chertsey Town in what was the last Association Football League match to be played in the 20th Century in England.

The club gained promotion from the Isthmian League First Division in 2002. The club finished high enough in the Premier Division to become founder members of the new Conference South in 2004. In 2006-07 season the club missed out on promotion to the Conference National when they lost in the play-offs.

Management & players

The club has been managed by Martin Hayes, a former Arsenal player, since 1999. Paul Joynes is the Assistant Manager and his playing record includes stints with Purfleet, Tilbury, Billericay Town, Concorde Rangers, Aveley and Romford. His managerial career includes winning the Essex Senior Trophy and the Eastern Division in 1999/2000. He led Romford to a shared 3rd place finish in the Essex Senior League as a player-manager in 2002 and was most recently first team manager at Tilbury from 2003 to 2005.

Former Wycombe Wanderers striker and FA Cup legend Roy Essandoh is one of the more well known members of the current squad.

Current squad

Woodside Park

Bishop's Stortford F.C play their home games at the 5200 capacity Woodside Park which was opened with a game against Norwich City in 1999. The grandstand is covered and all-seated with the addition of press facilities and directors box. There is a paddock at either end of the stand with refreshment and toilet facilities. Both terraces behind the goals are seating only and are covered. On the far side, there is a smaller seated stand with a capacity of 1200. The cast of the In the Night Garden are often seen in attendance at Woodside Park, as well as the Ghost of Christmas Past. (What is this all about?)

Scotland under 21s also play their home games at Woodside Park, usually on Friday nights. (This is ceratinly not Bishop's Stortford. This is more likely to mean Kelso FC who play at Woodside Park: incidentally the matches would not be every Friday night.)

Honours

*FA Amateur Cup
**Winners 1974
*FA Trophy
**Winners 1981
*Stansted & District League
**Champions 1910/11, 1912/13, 1919/20
*Saffron Waldon & District League
**Champions 1911/12, 1912/13, 1913/14
*East Herts League
**Division One Champions 1919/1920
*Spartan League
**Division Two (East) Champions 1931/32
*Delphian League
**Champions 1954/55
*Athenian League
**Premier Division Champions 1969/70
**Division One Champions 1965/66

External links

* [http://www.bsfc.co.uk/ Official site]