Your team A-Z

By Gareth Stephens, BSFC Programme Editor
and Tim Lamb from BS Supporters Club

That was then

The Club was formed on 28th January 1874, fittingly for a team called ‘Bishop’s’ it was a man of the cloth – The Reverend R. J. Tomes, who got both goals in the first ever game against the Non-Conformist Grammar School.. After several years of playing just friendly matches the club became one of the founder members of the Hertfordshire Football Association in 1885 and played in the first ever County Senior Cup Competition that same season, beating Aspley 2-1 away from home in their first match.

The Club progressed into league football in the 1890s by joining a succession of local competitions and in 1929 that the next milestone was reached when the Club was accepted into the Spartan League.

A good start was made with the Ministry of Health being well beaten by five goals to nil! Three years later, at the end of the 1931-32 season, the Division 2 (East) championship was won and with it promotion to Division 1 of the Spartan League. A year later Stortford won the Herts Senior Cup for the first time.

The 1950s saw steady progress in the Club's fortunes with the League Championship being won in season 1954-55. Until this time progress in the FA Amateur Cup had been nothing but a dream but in season 1962-63 Stortford found themselves only two games away from Wembley.

In a tense quarterfinal, in front of 9,000 people, Stortford were defeated 1-0 by the Isthmian League Champions Wimbledon at Plough Lane and Wimbledon went on to win the Cup.

The Athenian League title was captured in the 1969-70 season. Then, a long-term ambition was realised when an application to join the Isthmian League was accepted for the 1971-72 season. The early 1970s was also another very successful period in the Club's history, 3rd place in the League was achieved in season 1973-74, Stortford's best ever position, whilst six Cup Final victories were achieved in the space of four seasons.

Reaching Wembley

The undoubted pinnacle of these highlights came fittingly in the Club's centenary season when the FA Amateur Cup was won at Wembley Stadium by beating Ilford 4-1 in front of over 30,000 spectators. This in fact was the last FA Amateur Cup Final ever held.

The 1980-81 season was another memorable one in the Bishop's history. The Club won the Isthmian League Division 1 title and the "double" came in May 1981 in the Final of the FA Trophy when Terry Sullivan scored a late goal to leave lsthmian League Premier Division side Sutton United defeated 1-0.

This victory came after a record breaking run of 13 games that had begun in the Preliminary Round in the September of the previous year. In achieving this success, Stortford became the first ever Club to capture both the FA Amateur Cup and the FA Trophy.

After reaching the quarter final of the FA Trophy again in 1982 and setting the record for consecutive unbeaten matches in that Competition (17), Bishops turned their attention to the FA Cup.

Though they had reached the Competition proper 5 times before, it was in the 1982-83 season that they really made an impact. After disposing of local rivals Harlow Town, 3rd Division Reading were beaten at Elm Park in the 1st Round and then Slough Town were defeated in the 2nd Round. The 3rd Round saw the Bishops drawn away at Middlesbrough, then managed by Malcolm Allison.

In the tie at Teesside, Stortford fought back from a two goal half-time deficit to earn a well merited replay. The following Tuesday over 6,000 people packed into the Rhodes Avenue ground for the replay. Lyndon Lynch gave Stortford the lead on the stroke of half time but Middlesbrough's superior fitness told in the end and they fought back and eventually won through with two late goals. Stortford again faced League opposition in 1985 going out after a replay to Colchester United.

1980s

Towards the end of the 1980s two former favourite players of the Rhodes Avenue crowds returned as managers. Firstly, former England international John Radford, who had played in the FA Trophy winning side, became manager in 1987. He took the Club to success in the Herts Senior Cup in his first season and continued the following season, 1988-89, by winning the AC Delco Cup (Isthmian League Cup).

Terry Moore, a record holder in his days as Stortford's goalkeeper when he collected both FA Amateur and FA Trophy cup winners medals - the only player to do so for the same Club, then became manager and he led the Bishops to victories in the Clubcall Cup and Loctite Cup in season 1990-91.

In more recent times, the Club was relegated to Division 1 at the conclusion of the 1991-92 term, but with ex-Arsenal star John Radford now as the Blues manager Stortford regained Premiership status by winning the Division 1 Championship in season 1993-94.

On the move

After 18 months during which home league matches were played at Boreham Wood, St.Albans City, Hitchin Town, Dagenham & Redbridge and Ware, the Club were once again relegated to Division One at the end of the 1998/99 season. But a new and eagerly awaited chapter in the Club’s history began on Saturday 17th July 1999 when the new Woodside Park Stadium finally opened with a pre-season friendly against Norwich City.

On Friday 3rd September a crowd of 2,444 saw the official opening of the stadium performed by George Graham followed by a match against a strong Tottenham Hotspur side including Hans Segers, David Ginola, Chris Armstrong, Ruel Fox, Jose Dominguez, Mauricio Tarico, Steffen Freund, Stephen Clemence and Justin Edinburgh.

Blues made the record books on Thursday 30th December 1999 when Bishop’s Stortford won 5-3 at Chertsey in a Ryman League match, which was the last Association Football League match played in England in the 20th Century.

The 2006/2007 season saw continued success with the Bishops finishing 5th in the Conference South and securing a play off place for possible promotion to the main Conference league.

A hard fought first leg at Woodside Park against the eventual play off winners Salisbury ended in a draw and at the away fixture the Bishops were on top for much of the game until a lucky 2nd goal for Salisbury in extra time saw the dream fade away.

Manager – Whoops-a daisy Martin Hayes(y), stylish player and quietly determined manager for The Blues since his appointment in November 1999 has managed to retain much of the young but effective squad from this campaign. Martin has played at the highest level, winning a League Cup Final and a League Championship medal with Arsenal in 1989 and notching up over 100 appearances for the Gunners before moving north of the border and a spell with Scottish giants Glasgow Celtic.

‘Name’ players

Wycombe Wanderers & FA Cup legend Roy Essandoh is the one people outside of our circle will have heard of. He’s still knocking in the goals for Stortford, the rest of the squad are a mixture of youngsters released from Pro Clubs and a few cunning bargains from the Conference and lower leagues. One of them even played for Inter Milan! Several could ‘make it’ if they ever got spotted, though most clubs at our level could claim that too.

The Ground – Woodside Park is a modern stadium with an excellent pitch and some very good facilities for almost 3,500. Aside from Bishop’s Stortford matches it is also home to West Ham United’s reserve team and has also staged high-profile Women’s FA Cup games. It has also been selected for the England’s Under 17’s Ladies match against Denmark.