The Isuzu FA Trophy kicks-off for the Fleet on Saturday 9th December and we will play Bishop’s Stortford of the National League North at the Kuflink Stadium.

Familiar foes down the years in their more typical place as a National South side, it won’t be the first time the Fleet have played the Blues in the FA Trophy.

We first met in our then-record run in the competition in 1988/89, winning through after a replay. We met again in the competition in 1999, where Fleet came through a Round One tie to the tune of 3-1. And our third meeting in the Trophy came in the quarter-finals in 2004/05, a 1-1 draw in Hertfordshire followed by an epic 3-2 win for the lower-division Stortford to take their place in the semis.

This will be the 20th meeting in all between the sides, with the last one the club-record 8-0 victory during our National South promotion campaign in 2017/18.

Stortford, promoted as Isthmian Premier champions last season, are managed and owned by former Chelmsford assistant boss Steve Smith and are currently second from bottom of the National North. They overcame St Albans City in the previous round of the Trophy.

The draw, regionalised between north and south clubs, took place on talkSport2 this afternoon.

Winners in Round Three receive £4,500 and losers £1,250.