Stansted have returned to the Essex Senior League this season following a brief “exile” in the Spartan South Midlands League. The Airportmen previously had an unbroken 51 year membership of the ESL, but when all four clubs relegated from the Isthmian League North at the end of the 2022-23 season were placed in the Essex Senior League, Stansted and their near neighbours Sawbridgeworth Town were moved sideways to the SSML.

Tomorrow’s game will be the 32nd between the teams but the first since April 2023.

Brief History:

Formed in 1902, Stansted joined the East Herts League in the 1930s, and were champions in 1935. In 1984 they won the Essex Senior League Cup, beating Brentwood 1-0 in the Final. They also won the Eastern Floodlit Cup and the East Anglian Cup that season, but most significantly, they beat Stamford 3-2 at Wembley Stadium to lift the FA Vase.

Having been founder members of the Essex Senior League in 1971, they were league champions in 2010, but were unable to accept promotion to the Isthmian League because their Hargrave Park ground is three sided due to the adjoining cricket pitch. The following season they were runners-up and would have been champions again if they had not had 3 points deducted. They were runners-up once more in 2018-19.

Previous Meetings:

Romford and Stansted have met 31 times in all competitions since 1992, with Boro winning 19 and losing just 6. The first game between the clubs was in October 1992, and a crowd of 239 at Hornchurch Stadium witnessed a 2-2 draw in which Boro’s goals were scored by Steve Game and Jeff Mundy.

In Romford’s ESL Championship season of 2008-09, Boro won 2-1 at Hargrave Park in a game that featured an al fresco half-time team talk by Boro manager Paul Martin when the key to the dressing room door temporarily went missing! Stansted have had the upper hand in the games between the sides since then, winning three and drawing once.

The most recent meetings between the teams were during the 2022-23 season. At Stansted the home side were 3-1 winners after Eman Robe had put Boro ahead. Boro were reduced to ten men just after half-time when Tom Anderson was sent off, and Stansted won the game with two goals in the last ten minutes. In the return at Mayesbrook Park, Boro trailed to an early own goal before Hassan Nalbant equalised (pictured by Alan Blackholly). Stansted went back in front but it was two each at half-time when Charlie Morris scored. That was the end of the scoring until the 89th minute when the visitors netted again to win it 3-2.

Last Season:

Stansted’s sojourn in the Spartan South Midlands League saw them finish the season in 14th place with 40 points from 36 games. In the FA Cup they followed a 2-1 win over Stotfold with a 5-0 defeat at Brightlingsea Regent, while in the FA Vase they fell at the first hurdle, beaten 3-2 at home by Hadleigh United.

This Season:

With 9 points from 10 games, Stansted are currently 15th in the table. They began the season with a 5-0 defeat at Hullbridge Sports and picked up their first win in their sixth outing when they won 3-1 at Benfleet, since when their only other victory came in a 5-1 success at home to FC Clacton.

In the FA Cup, Stansted were beaten in an Extra-Preliminary Round replay by Biggleswade, but in the FA Vase beat Burnham Ramblers and will now face Clapton CFC in the next round.

Last Saturday, Stansted were beaten 1-0 at Athletic Newham having been beaten 4-0 at Saffron Walden Town in the Peter Butcher Memorial Trophy in their previous game. Stansted were due to face May & Baker in the Essex Senior Cup in midweek, but that game had to be postponed due to a waterlogged pitch at Hargrave Park.

Home Ground and How to Get There:

Stansted play their home games at Hargrave Park, Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex CM24 8BX.

By road:

From the M11 junction 8 (Bishops Stortford) take the A120 to Hertford. At the 2nd roundabout take the B1383 to Stansted Mountfitchet. When reaching the main junction at Stansted go straight through past the Esso garage and after 200 hundred yards the ground entrance is on the left. There is limited space at the ground so the club suggest parking in the surrounding roads.

Public Transport:

The nearest Railway station is Stansted Mountfitchet which is about a 10 minute walk from the ground. The 301 Bus service runs through Stansted from Monday to Saturday to Bishops Stortford and Saffron Walden up until about 7pm.

Tomorrow’s Essex Senior League fixtures:

Barking v Little Oakley
FC Clacton v Buckhurst Hill
Frenford v Stanway Rovers
Ilford v Halstead Town
Sawbridgeworth Town v Athletic Newham
Stansted v Romford
Takeley v Hullbridge Sports
West Essex v Benfleet
White Ensign v Saffron Walden Town
Woodford Town v Great Wakering Rovers