Club Overview
Bishop’s Stortford Football Club, known as The Blues or The Bishops, is one of Hertfordshire’s oldest senior clubs. Formed in 1874, the club has won major non-league honours including the FA Amateur Cup and FA Trophy, and famously reached the FA Cup third round in 1982–83. In 2026/27 Bishop’s Stortford compete in the Southern League Premier Division Central at Step 3.
Quick Facts
- Founded: 28 January 1874
- Nickname: The Blues / The Bishops
- Location: Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire
- 2026/27 league: Southern League Premier Division Central (Step 3)
- Home ground: The Grundon Community Stadium, Woodside Park
- Address: Dunmow Road, Bishop’s Stortford, CM23 5RG
- Club colours: Blue is the traditional identity reflected in the club nickname
Stadium Guide
Bishop’s Stortford play at the Grundon Community Stadium at Woodside Park, Dunmow Road. The ground opened in July 1999 after the club left its long-time Rhodes Avenue home at the end of 1997. During the move and construction delays, the first team ground-shared at several venues, including Boreham Wood, St Albans City, Hitchin Town, Dagenham & Redbridge and Ware.
The stadium’s official opening took place on 3 September 1999, when 2,444 spectators attended a match against a Tottenham Hotspur side. Woodside Park has hosted league fixtures, cup ties and community football. The club’s official website is the best source for current ticket prices, access information, parking, facilities and matchday regulations; check these details before travelling.
Club History
1874–1929: early football in Hertfordshire. Bishop’s Stortford FC was formed at the Chequers Hotel on 28 January 1874. The club’s first recorded match followed shortly afterwards, a 2–1 win against East of England Non-Conformist Grammar School, now Bishop’s Stortford College. For much of its early existence it played friendly matches before joining the Hertfordshire FA as a founder member in 1885. It entered the FA Cup in 1924–25 and joined the Spartan League in 1929.
1930s–1960s: climbing the leagues. The club won the Spartan League Division Two (East) title in 1931–32 and the Herts Senior Cup in 1932–33. After the Second World War, Stortford resumed in the Spartan League and later became part of the Delphian League, which they won in 1954–55. The mid-1960s brought progress in the Athenian League: Division One champions in 1965–66, runners-up in the Premier Division in 1966–67, and Premier Division champions in 1969–70.
1973–1983: Wembley success and the FA Cup run. The club’s centenary season of 1973–74 became a landmark. Bishop’s Stortford won the final FA Amateur Cup, beating Ilford 4–1 at Wembley in front of more than 30,000 spectators. They became FA Trophy winners in 1980–81, completing a rare double as the club also won the Isthmian League Division One title. In the 1982–83 FA Cup, Stortford beat Reading in the first round and Slough Town in the second to reach the third round. They drew 2–2 away to Middlesbrough before losing the replay 2–1 at Rhodes Avenue.
1980s–2000s: promotion and a new home. Stortford won the Isthmian League Division One title again in 1993–94. After leaving Rhodes Avenue in 1997, the club endured a difficult period of ground-sharing before Woodside Park opened in 1999. Promotion back to the Isthmian Premier followed in 2001–02. In 2003–04, the club earned a place in the newly formed Conference South and reached the FA Cup First Round Proper, losing 6–0 at Mansfield Town.
Recent decades. The club experienced relegation from the Conference set-up in 2016–17, then moved between the Southern and Isthmian leagues. Bishop’s Stortford won the Isthmian Premier League title in 2022–23, earning promotion back to Step 2. Following a return to the Southern League, they compete in the Premier Division Central in 2026–27. The club’s history continues to be defined by its strong cup tradition and its place in the local football community.
Honours
- FA Amateur Cup: winners, 1973–74 — the final edition of the competition
- FA Trophy: winners, 1980–81
- Isthmian League Premier Division: champions, 2022–23
- Isthmian League Division One: champions, 1980–81 and 1993–94
- Athenian League Premier Division: champions, 1969–70
- Athenian League Division One: champions, 1965–66
- Delphian League: champions, 1954–55
- Spartan League Division Two (East): champions, 1931–32
- Isthmian League Cup: winners, 1988–89
- Herts Senior Cup: multiple-time winners, including 1973–74, 1986–87 and 2005–06
Club Records and Milestones
- FA Cup best run: third round, 1982–83, when Stortford took Middlesbrough to a replay.
- FA Amateur Cup milestone: the 1973–74 victory made Bishop’s Stortford the winners of the competition’s final edition.
- FA Trophy milestone: winners in 1980–81, following a run that began in the preliminary round in September.
- Record competitive away win listed by the club: 9–1 at Tring in the Herts Charity Cup semi-final in January 2003.
- Memorable venue milestone: the new Woodside Park stadium opened with a 2–2 pre-season draw against Norwich City in July 1999.
Attendance and player appearance records have varied across published club archive pages, so this profile focuses on milestones that can be attributed to the club’s history and honours records.
Famous Players & Club Figures
Terry Sullivan scored the late goal that secured the 1981 FA Trophy final win over Sutton United. John Radford, the former England international and Arsenal forward, later returned to manage the club and helped secure promotion back to the Isthmian Premier in 1993–94. Steve Morison was among the club’s leading scorers in the mid-2000s before going on to play in the Premier League with Norwich City. These names are part of a much longer line of players and managers associated with the Blues.
Rivalries and Regional Context
Bishop’s Stortford sit near the Hertfordshire–Essex border and have competed across leagues that bring them into contact with clubs from both counties and the wider south-east. The club’s own history records an FA Cup tie with local rivals Harlow Town in the 1982–83 run. Fixture lists and cup draws shape many of the club’s modern regional contests, so we avoid overstating a single permanent rivalry without further club confirmation.
Matchday Guide
Check the official club website for the latest fixture confirmation, kick-off time, ticket prices, ground regulations and supporter information. The ground is at Woodside Park on Dunmow Road, CM23 5RG. Visitors should confirm travel and parking arrangements in advance, particularly for cup fixtures or matches with changed kick-off times.
NonLeagueReview
NonLeagueReview covers non-league football through ground reviews, matchday stories, club histories, attendances, interviews and news from across the pyramid. Bishop’s Stortford’s FA Amateur Cup and FA Trophy wins, along with their celebrated 1982–83 FA Cup run, make the club a key part of non-league football history.