The Seasiders were formed at the start of the 2000s, a merger of Walton United (who had success on the pitch but a substandard ground) with Felixstowe Port & Town (who had the ground but little form on the pitch). An ideal match to compete in Eastern League football. And after a few years of struggle, fortunes began to turn.

During this time, the club’s unique feature was a planning constraint that required the floodlights to be raised and lowered at the beginning and end of each game ! (Another one for my book of “Problems that Jose Mourinho doesn’t have to deal with”)

Things really turned around when the Seasiders were promoted to the Isthmian League for the first time in their history for the 2018/19 season, finishing comfortably mid-table. And of course, the last two seasons have seen our two clubs both face reciprocal delight and despair. In 2021/22, Felixstowe made the end-of-season playoffs at our expense, whilst last season we turned the tables. Both though ended in semi-final defeats.

Our first encounter with Felixstowe was in an early round of the 2018/19 FA Trophy when two goals from Joao Carlos helped the Blues secure a 3-1 win. Since then there have been eight league meetings between the two clubs, split almost evenly, with four wins for Grays, three for Felixstowe and a single draw. Last season, both sides won their respective home fixtures, but Blues fans will long remember the previous year’s trip to Suffolk when we came away with a 1-0 win despite finishing the game with 9 men.

This season, the Seasiders have been a force to be reckoned with, currently lying second in the league table and unbeaten in eight games, with a good FA Trophy run thrown in for good measure, only losing in the 3rd qualifying round in a seven goal thriller at our near neighbours Billericay Town. Indeed, Felixstowe games have been the ones to watch this year - their fifteen completed games so far this season have produced a total of 72 goals (an average of almost five goals per game) including a recent run of six games where the lowest aggregate score was 4-1. So there should be plenty for your reporter to include in the write-up !

The visitors arrive in a fine vein of form and it will be another challenging test.

Come on You Blues !