Grier's Guide to Brightlingsea Regent
The match: Brightlingsea Regent v Kingstonian, Isthmian Premier. Saturday 8 January, 15:00.
The club: Formed in 2005 by a merger of Brightlingsea United and Regent Park Rangers, they started off in Division 2 of the Essex and Suffolk Border League. Six promotions later they reached the Isthmian Premier in 2017.
The town: Small coastal town in north-east Essex, traditionally dominated by the fishing and shipbuilding industries. It made the news in 1995 because of the 'Battle of Brightlingsea', a ten month-long series of protests over the export of live animals through the town. Most of the protesters were locals and the media and authorities were reportedly surprised by how many of them were female, elderly and middle class - in contrast to their usual stereotypes of animal rights protesters.
The ground: The Taydal Stadium, North Rd, Brightlingsea, Colchester, CO7 0PL. A quirky ground with a welcoming clubhouse and a number of small stands dotted around it.
Directions: By far the most distant ground in the league now that Suffolk has become Southern League territory. By public transport you get a train from Liverpool Street or Stratford to Colchester and then the 62 bus to Brightlingsea. Door-to-door it will take at least three hours. By road could take about two and a half hours, round the M25, along the A12 and then along some tight country roads to reach Brightlingsea. The ground has a small car park or you can park in the streets nearby.
Tickets: £12 adults / £7 senior citizens and students / £5 12-18 year olds / £1 under 12s. You can buy them in advance at https://brightlingsearegentfc.ktckts.com/brand/match-tickets
Our record there: Our first visit in 2017 saw Regent run out 2-0 winners, with the game most notable for being Craig Edwards' last in charge of Ks. We lost by the same scoreline in 2018 when Dean Brennan gave five players debuts in an ill-fated attempt to remould the squad he inherited from Leigh Dynan. But we won on our most recent visit in 2019, thanks to a Dan Bennett brace.
Recent form: They're currently just keeping themselves out of the relegation slots thanks to two wins from their last three, over Leatherhead and Merstham.
Players to watch: They've already used 47 players this season as they've looked for a winning formula. In early November they signed brothers Carlos and Valter Cachicote da Rocha from Basildon United. Carlos is a full Angola international who's also played 18 times for Deportivo La Coruna; Valter is in his second spell at Regent and once scored 40 in a season for Thetford Town.
Crowd: Not the largest fanbase but they punch above their weight noise-wise - the contingent they've brought to our home games have been particularly vocal.
Drinking: The nearest pub to the ground is the Cherry Tree, which has a small beer garden and also does afternoon tea. There's also a cluster of pubs on and around the High Street about a ten minute walk away, of which Google rates The Railway Tavern the highest.
Food: Mac's Plaice fish and chips, just round the corner from the ground, has generally been a hit with Ks fans. Good food, friendly service and a fishy pun name - what more can you want?
