Grier's Guide to Brightlingsea
When: Saturday 2nd November, 3.00pm kick-off
The town: Small coastal town in north-east Essex, traditionally dominated by the fishing and shipbuilding industries. It made the news in 1995 because of the 'Battle of Brightlingsea', a ten month-long series of protests over the export of live animals through the town. Most of the protesters were locals and the media and authorities were reportedly surprised by how many of them were female, elderly and middle class - in contrast to their usual stereotypes of animal rights protesters.
Where: The Taydal Stadium, North Rd, Brightlingsea, Colchester, CO7 0PL. A quirky ground with a welcoming clubhouse and a number of small stands dotted around it.
Directions: The most distant ground in the league now that Suffolk has become Southern League territory, Brightlingsea takes as long to get to by public transport as Macclesfield does. You need to get a train from Liverpool Street to Colchester and then the 62 bus, which takes almost an hour to wind its way to Brightlingsea. By road it will take about two and a half hours, round the M25, along the A12 and then along some tight country roads to reach Brightlingsea.
Our record there: Defeats on our previous two visits, with Regent running out 2-0 winners in Craig Edwards' last game in charge of Ks, as well as in Dean Brennan's second match of his brief spell. Regent have also won on both of their visits to the locale of Kingston, winning 1-0 at Fetcham Grove in swamp-like conditions and then 3-2 at King George's Field in a chaotic start to last year's campaign.
Recent form: Just above the relegation zone at time of writing, having undergone a difficult spell of eight games without a win.
Players to watch: ex-Chelmsford striker Billy Hunt leads the line for Regent and will be a hard man to handle.
Crowd: Not the largest fanbase but they punch above their weight noise-wise and they have been particularly vocal when they've visited us.
Drinking: The long journey and difficult public transport doesn't lend itself to much time in the pub but if you do have the chance, the nearest one to the ground is the Cherry Tree which has both a dart board and a pool table. There's also a cluster of pubs on and around the High Street about a ten minute walk away, of which Google rates The Railway Tavern the highest. Unfortunately the station it was attached to closed in 1964.
Food: Mac's Plaice fish and chips, just round the corner from the ground, was a hit last season with Ks fans and looked popular among the home supporters too. Good food, friendly service and a fishy pun name - what more can you want?
