Bishop's Stortford

Bishop's Stortford Football Club is a football club based in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England. They are currently members of the Isthmian League Premier Division and play at Woodside Park. The club was established at the Chequers Hotel on 28 January 1874. Initially playing in crimson and green, their first match was played two weeks later, losing 2–1 to East of England Non Conformist Grammar School. In 1885 they were founders of the Hertfordshire County Football Association, and subsequently started playing in local leagues in the 1890s. 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 Bishop's Stortford 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. In 1929 they joined the new Division Two East of the Spartan League, which they went on to win in 1931–32, earning promotion to Division One. Following World War II, the league resumed in 1945, with Bishop's Stortford in the Eastern Division. Despite finishing in last place in 1945–46, they were placed in the Premier Division the following season. However, after finishing bottom of the Premier Division in 1948–49, they were relegated to Division One. In 1951 the club were founder members of the Delphian League, which they won 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 Bishop's Stortford 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 Bishop's Stortford 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, becoming the first club to win both the FA Amateur Cup and the FA Trophy. 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. They reached the first round again in 1984–85, 1985–86 and 1986–87, but failed to progress on each occasion, with the club losing to Brentford, Peterborough United and Colchester United respectively. Bishop's Stortford finished bottom of the Premier Division in 1991–92, 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. The 2003–04 season also saw them reach the FA Cup first round again, eventually losing 6–0 at Mansfield Town. In 2006–07 another first round appearance resulted in a 5–3 defeat to King's Lynn. Rushden & Diamonds' expulsion from the Football Conference led to the club being transferred to the Conference North in 2011. In 2012–13 they reached the FA Cup first round for the twelfth time, losing 2–1 at home to Hasting United. At the end of the season they were transferred back to the Conference South, and the following season saw another FA Cup first round appearance, a 2–1 defeat at home to Northampton Town. Stortford were relegated to the Premier Division of the Southern League at the end of the 2016–17 season after finishing second-from-bottom of the renamed National League South. The club were transferred to the Premier Division of the Isthmian League a year for the 2018–19 season.