Stanway Rovers vs Cray Wanderers – Isthmian Premier – Tuesday 27th October, 7.45 pm
After a spell of cup tie entertainment Cray Wanderers return to league action for the first time since 10th October as the Wands make a first ever visit to the Kingdom Stadium to face Stanway Rovers FC making their Isthmian Premier debut this season. Kick off: 7.45 pm
With Cray advancing in the FA Cup to the 1st Round for the first time and through to the 2nd Round of the FA Trophy in the last week it has been a whirlwind season and certainly one whatever happens for the record books.
However, at the end of the day it is the bread and butter of the league where often at the end of the season teams are judged and Cray will be just looking with a few games in hand on teams around them looking to move up from 18th in the table. Cray have twelve points but have only played nine league matches.
On Saturday in trying conditions at another doughty cup fighter this season, Berkhamsted Cray showed a lot of resolve on a tiring afternoon to summon up the energy for a superb win on the road. After a goalless first seventy five minutes the deadlock was broken when from a right wing corner to the far post Rob Strachan headed in his third goal of the season.
Berkhamsted looked to have taken the game to penalties with an 84th minute leveller but Cray out of nowhere won the game with a first ever Wands goal for Alfie Payne and one to remember as his shot towards goal from just inside his own half lifted over the keeper, bounced and into the net.
Cray now head to a double header of games against Essex opposition with Saturday’s trip to Brentwood Town following a visit to the outskirts of Colchester to face Brad Wellmen’s Stanway Rovers side themselves on a high after a big win on Saturday.
Stanway Rovers who earned promotion via the Isthmian North playoffs last season on Saturday won their first ever home league game in the Isthmian Premier with a 3-0 win vs Cheshunt. This snapped a run of five straight defeats in league and cup. Stanway took the lead in the first half through Matthias Fanimo and wrapped the game up with two goals in the last six minutes both scored by Stephen Toussaint moving Rovers up to 21st with seven points.
At home so far Stanway lost their other games to Ramsgate (1-3), Carshalton Athletic (1-2), Aveley (0-2), Enfield Town (1-2) and Three Bridges (1-3). Away from home Rovers won at Brentwood Town (3-2) and drew at Cheshunt with defeats at Welling United, St. Albans City, AFC Whyteleafe, Wingate & Finchley and Ramsgate. Toussaint is the leading scorer with five goals. In the FA Cup Stanway were beaten at Needham Market in the 1st QR after a replay and in the FA Trophy lost at home to Faversham Town in the 3QR.
Stanway Rovers were formed in 1956 and spent formative years in local Colchester & East Essex leagues twice winning the Premier Division in 1967-68 and 1973-74. After moving to the Essex and Suffolk Border League they won the second division title and first division championship in 1986-87. In 1991-92 after finishing runners up in the Premier Division were promoted to the Eastern Counties League winning the Division One title in 2005-06 and twice were Eastern Counties League Cup winners in 2008-09 beating Leiston and included now Bromley striker Michael Cheek in their side and 2011-12 beating Norwich United. Following the 2017-18 season Stanway Rovers were transferred to the Essex Senior League winning domestic cups and in 2024-25 were Essex Senior League champions making the climb to the Isthmian North. In their first ever season Stanway finished in a highly respectable fourth place earning a playoff place where they won 2-1 at Waltham Abbey in the Semi-Final and kept their nerve to beat Redbridge on penalties after a 0-0 draw in front of a record crowd of just over 1, 043 to reach the Isthmian Premier. So it has been a pretty rapid climb for a relatively young club playing at Step 3 when at Step 5 just two seasons ago.
With it being a trip just off the A12 this will be a new ground to tick off for the third game in a row for many Wands fans in what has been a season of firsts before we reach November.
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DIRECTIONS TO STANWAY ROVERS FC
The Kingdom Stadium
50 New Farm Road
Stanway
Colchester
Essex CO3 0PG
Ticketing No advanced purchasing system so entry is by cash or card on the turnstile
£12.00 Adult
£7.00 Concession. Proof of eligibility/identification may be required.
£5.00 Young Adult under 18 & over 16
£2.00 over 5 – under 17
Free – Under 5’s
Please note: All supporters age 16 or under must be accompanied by a paying adult..
Getting to Stanway Rovers
By Car
Directions from Cray Wanderers FC – From A20 reach the M25. After 3.2 miles continue onto A282 for 1.8 miles then use the right 2 lanes to turn slightly right to remain on A282 (Toll Road) for 2.7 miles. Then continue on to M25 (signs for M11/M1/Stansted Airport) for 8.9 miles. Take the A12 E Exit towards Chelmsford for 0.8 miles. Merge onto Colchester Road/A12 and continue to follow the A12 for 34.9 miles. At junction 26, take the A1124 exit to Halstead/Stanway for 0.2 mile.
At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto Essex Yeomanry Way/A1124 for 0.4 miles. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto London Road/A1124 for 0.2 miles. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Villa Road then turn left onto Chapel Road for 0.2 mile and turn left onto New Farm Road for 0.2 mile and then a left to the ground.
By Train / Bus
Colchester North is the main station. Local buses include X2, 52 and 371 all take you close to the ground but are quite long journeys by bus (around 35.40 minutes). The ground is around 2.6 miles on foot so really not advisable at night to walk it. The X2 from Colchester Station is recommended.
Trains from London Liverpool Street go to Colchester North Station at 00, 02, 14, 30, 32 and 42 with returns at 00, 12, 33, 43 past the hour. The last train back to Liverpool Street at 23.02.
Parking Information
Free parking for around 100 cars, with three disabled spaces and two EV chargers (official supporters guide).
Official Parking
Free on-site parking (~100 cars). Three disabled spaces and two EV chargers.
Important Parking Advice
Use official or recommended parking where possible. Always check signs and do not block residents’ driveways.
Pubs and Bars
The Hawthorn Bar is the on-site clubhouse. Named pubs outside the ground are not listed on Wikipedia or the club guide.
The Hawthorn Bar
Location:Hawthorns, Stanway
Distance:At the ground
On-site clubhouse bar
In Stanway itself you will find the Swan Inn which includes the Hungry Horse restaurant, 285 London Road. Also The Princess Charlotte (named after the current Princess Charlotte of Wales) also on London Road is highly acclaimed and The Live and Let Live, 12 Millers Lane, Colchester.
If you happen to find yourself in Colchester (please bear in mind it is around five miles to Stanway) two pubs popular for away supporters when Colchester United play are the Dog and Pheasant (24 Nayland Road, Colchester CO4 5EG) and The Bricklayers (27 Bergholt Road, Colchester CO4 5AA)
Stanway is a civil parish in the City of Colchester with Anglo-Saxon heritage and lying on what was the Roman Road, now the A12 and around 3 miles out of Colchester City Centre. Colchester Zoo was formerly Stanway Hall Zoo and two members of Blur, Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon attended Stanway School.
Also Stanway is home to the grave of the mysterious Druid of Colchester, an unknown person buried with surgical tools which was discovered during an archaeological dig. The parish church is St Albright’s.
