Phew what a scorcher! Fisher vs Stansfeld match preview

This is it, the hottest ticket in town. Literally. A blistering 28°C blazing sunshine is expected so it’s factor 50 sunscreen and litre bottles of ice cold water at the ready – and that’s just for the fans! – as the battle of the Bermondseys comes to St Paul’s on the hottest day of the year.

Fisher and Stansfeld have got a lot in common. Both clubs are named after people rather than places, have gone through a recent name change and have current and historical links with Bermondsey, in fact both have Bermondsey in the name!

John Stansfeld came to Bermondsey in the late nineteenth century to help the poor and destitute of the docklands area, much like Fisher founder Michael Culliton did, and both clubs were formed as part of an attempt by social reformers to get local underprivileged kids interested in sport and healthy outdoor activity to take their minds off the grinding poverty that surrounded them.

Interestingly enough, even though Stansfeld now play at Chislehurst their club HQ is still on Webb St, just up from the Old Kent Road, so we’re basically talking about an old school Bermondsey derby here. If that isn’t enough to stir the passions…

As the song goes… been around the world and i,i,i  i love The Fish… or something like that.

In terms of form, The Fish worked incredibly hard on saturday and were unlucky to come away with only a point against Erith & Belvedere, but it did see us rightly move up off the bottom of the table. Stansfeld are sitting mid-table after a win at Lewisham over the weekend but it’s still too early in the season for clubs to have properly settled down…

Which makes Monday’s game a bit of a cracker with the pride of Bermondsey at stake if nothing else.

Fisher vs Stansfeld
Monday 28 August 2017
3pm kick-off
SCEFL First Division

Location
St Paul’s Stadium
Salter Road
London SE16 5EF

Map and directions

The stadium is roughly 10 minutes walk from Rotherhithe Station on the London Overground, and 15 minutes walk from Canada Water Station for the Jubilee Line.

The 381 and C10 buses both stop adjacent to the stadium. Nelson Dock Pier is 15 minutes walk away, served by River Bus 4 from Canary Wharf.