Bishop's Stortford F.C.
| File:Bishop's Stortford FC.svg | ||||
| Full name | Bishop's Stortford Football Club | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Bishops, The Blues | |||
| Founded | 1874 | |||
| Ground | ProKit UK Stadium Bishop's Stortford Hertfordshire | |||
| Capacity | 4,525 (525 seated) | |||
| Chairman | vacant | |||
| Manager | Rod Stringer | |||
| League | National League South | |||
| 2015-16 | National League South, 11th | |||
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Bishop's Stortford Football Club is an English football club based in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire. The club participates in the National League South, the sixth tier of English football. The team play at the ProKit UK Stadium.
History
The club was established in 1874. They joined the Stansted & District League, winning it in 1910–11 and 1912–13, and also entered a team in the Saffron Walden & District League during the same era, winning it in 1911–12, 1912–13 and 1913–14.
After World War I the club won both the Stansted & District League and the East Hertfordshire League in 1919–20. In 1921 they joined the North-Eastern Division of the Hertfordshire County League. In 1923 the league was reduced to a single division, and it disbanded entirely in 1925, making a brief comeback in 1926–27, when Stortford were one of only six clubs to play in it. They later switched to the Spartan League, winning Division Two (East) in 1931–32.
In 1951 the club joined the Delphian League, winning it in 1954–55. After the league disbanded in 1963 they joined Division Two of the Athenian League, winning Division One in 1965–66 and the Premier Division in 1969–70. In the 1970–71 season they reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time, losing 6–1 at Reading. In 1971 the club switched to the Isthmian League, and in 1973 they reached the second round of the FA Cup, losing 3–1 at Peterborough United after a replay. They also reached the semi-finals of the FA Amateur Cup, losing 1–0 to Slough Town. However, the following season they won the last ever edition of the cup, beating Ilford 4–1 at Wembley. In 1974–75 they reached the FA Cup first round again, but lost 2–0 at Leatherhead in a replay. The following season they reached the second round again, losing 2–0 at Aldershot.
In 1977–78 the club finished bottom of the Isthmian League Premier Division, and were relegated to Division One. They returned as Division One champions in 1980–81, a season in which they won the FA Trophy with a 1–0 win over Sutton United at Wembley. In 1982–83 the club beat Football League opposition in the FA Cup for the first time, winning 2–1 at Reading in the first round. After beating Slough Town 4–1 in the second round, they held Second Division Middlesbrough to a 2–2 draw at Ayresome Park, before losing 2–1 at home. The club reached the first round again in 1984–85, 1985–86 and 1986–87, but failed to progress on each occasion.
In 1991–92 they finished bottom of the Premier Division, and were relegated back to Division One. They returned as champions in 1993–94, but were relegated again in 1998–99. After a second-place finish in 2001–02 the club returned to the Premier Division, and after finishing eleventh in 2003–04, were placed in the newly formed Conference South, where they remained until 2011 when they were transferred to the Conference North after Rushden & Diamonds were expelled from the Football Conference.[1]
Bishop`s Stortford announced former Braintree Town boss Rod Stringer as their new manager on 13 December 2011, following the departure of previous boss Ian Walker by mutual consent with the club third from bottom in the Conference North table. The team's performances improved immediately and the team moved up the table to finish tenth.[2]
Stadium
The club currently play at the 4,525-capacity ProKit UK Stadium, on the eastern edge of the town. The ground was opened in 1999 with a match against Norwich City. There are seated stands on either side of the pitch, with covered, standing only terracing at each end.
Previously the club played at Rhodes Avenue, also known as the George Wilson Stadium.
Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Coaching staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager |  Rodney Stringer
|
| Assistant Manager/Coach | Nick Haycock
|
| Assistant Coach | Tony Fenn
|
| Physio | Colin Taylor
|
Honours
- FA Amateur Cup
- Winners 1974
- FA Trophy
- Winners 1981
- Stansted & District League
- Champions 1910–11, 1912–13, 1919–20
- Saffron Walden & District League
- Champions 1911–12, 1912–13, 1913–14
- East Herts League
- Division One Champions 1919–20
- 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
- Isthmian League
- Division One champions 1980–81, 1993–94
- Herts Senior Cup
- Winners 1932–33, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1963–64, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1975–76, 1986–87, 2005–06, 2009–10, 2011–12
- Runners-up 1954–55, 1976–77, 1988–89
References
- ^ "Rushden expelled from Conference". BBC News.
- ^ "Rod Stringer In Charge At Bishop`s Stortford". 13 December 2011.
External links
51°52′21.381″N 0°11′31.2498″E / 51.87260583°N 0.192013833°E