Grier's Guide to Bishop's Stortford
The game: Bishop's Stortford v Kingstonian, Isthmian League. Saturday 12 November, 15:00.
The town: Commuter town next to Stansted Airport on the Herts/Essex border. In 1825 a number of buildings in the town were set on fire with threatening letters warning that, "Stortford shall be laid in ashes." A man named Thomas Rees was convicted of sending them, though not of the arson itself, and was punished by exile to Australia.
The ground: R&D Advisers UK Stadium, Dunmow Road, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, CM23 5RG. One of the best grounds in the league with a decent main stand, a smaller seated stand on the far side and covered terraces at both ends.
Tickets: £12 adults / £8 concessions / £6 students / £1 U16s / U12s free with an adult..
Directions: Trains go from Liverpool Street or Tottenham Hale. It's a mile and a half's walk or buses 7, 7A, 309 and 509 towards Stansted stop nearby. By car it's right by junction 8 of the M11 - turn left at the junction and then immediately left again. You can park at the ground for £2.
Our record there: Remarkably good considering The Blues are usually one of the stronger teams in the league. A fine 5-2 win in the second game of last season was our third in a row at Stortford. We went second in the league in January 2019 with a fine 3-1 win that proved to be Leigh Dynan's last as manager; we also recorded a 2-1 win in 2020.
Players to watch: Frankie Merrifield leads the line and has nine goals already this season. Ollie Peters just struck a hat-trick to help see them past Harlow in the FA Trophy.
Recent form: Imposing - they're second in the league and unbeaten in their last eight league games. We'll have a tough time continuing our good record there.
Crowd: Hovering around the 400 mark, they're up a bit this season as The Blues enjoy a fine run of form.
Drinking: The Belgian Brewer brew Belgian-style beers just a few minutes walk from the stadium, with a tap room on site. The nearest pub is the Nags Head, halfway between the station and the ground. Run by Herts brewery McMullen, it's in a large art deco building with outdoor seating that does decent value food. There's plenty more choice in the town centre, including The Three Tuns right by the back entrance of the station.
Food: There aren't many food options nearby, so a pub lunch or eating at the ground may be your best bet unless you want to suffer the crowds and inflated prices at Birchanger Green Services, right by the motorway junction.
