Academy Update!

A fantastic performance by Bishop’s Stortford FC Youth Team see’s them overcome Hemel Hempstead Town 7-6 on penalties in the 2nd Qualifying round of the FA Youth Cup.
The youth teams cup journey initially saw them travel to Bowers and Pitsea in the Preliminary Round, where they secured a commendable 3-0 win thanks to goals from captain Bailey Carless and substitutes Alfie and George Jessey.
The First Qualifying Round saw us make the short trip to local rivals Takeley. The hosts stormed into a 3-0 lead only for substitute George Jessey to reduce the arrears in the 72nd minute. Stortford were galvanised by the goal and continued to press for another only to be thwarted by some resolute defending from the home team. The clock ticked away and 90 minutes arrived with the Referee indicating there would be an additional 8 minutes added time. That proved sufficient for Stortford to reduce the arrears further through a George Myers goal in the 95th minute and then incredibly for super sub George Jessey to equalise with virtually the last kick of the game in the 98th minute. The FA Youth Cup rules provide for the match to go straight to penalties if the scores are level at full time and Stortford prevailed 5-3 to advance to the next round.
The draw was not kind to Stortford who now faced yet another away trip this time to Conference South Hemel Hempstead. The home team were a big physical side but Stortford’s sheer determination and will to win meant the Tudors were unable to impose themselves on the game and when they did get the odd chance Stortford keeper Toby Jones was able to comfortably deal with the threat. The game was short of any real goalscoring chances and meandered to a 0-0 draw resulting in penalties for the second game in a row for Stortford.
It took 17 spot kicks for the game to be decided however George Myers showed no nerves as he blasted the ball past the helpless Hemel Hempstead keeper to secure victory for the visitors and spark wild celebrations by the team, coaches and supporters.
Bishop’s Stortford now await the draw for the 3rd Qualifying Round of the FA Youth Cup and hope that they get the opportunity to play in front of their own supporters.
The teams league campaign has also started well with 2 victories in the 2 games played so far. A number of League games have had to be postponed due to the Clubs run in the Youth Cup but notwithstanding this they still sit 3rd in the table level on points with the top 2 teams. Stortford play in the National League U19’s Alliance Division A.
They started the season with a 3-1 victory at home to Aveley thanks to goals from Bailey Carless, Freddie Purkiss and Charlie Cook. They followed that up with a 3-2 victory at home to Enfield Town with goals from Charlie Goodacre and a brace from Haydn Kearney.
The draw for the first round of the League Cup provided Stortford with a bye. The second round will be played on the 26th November and Stortford will be hoping for a home game after all the travelling to date in cup fixtures.

Football & Education at BSFC Academy

The success of our Youth Team is built on more than just what happens on the pitch. At BSFC Academy, we provide a comprehensive football and education programme designed to unlock each student’s potential both on and off the field.

This unique combination ensures every student has the chance to pursue their sporting ambitions while achieving recognised qualifications – preparing them for careers in football, higher education, or the wider sports and creative industries.