The group have been making the 1500 mile day trips to Bishop’s Stortford since 2011 – catching the first flight from Milan in the morning before returning from Stansted Airport in the evening
A group of footballing friends from Italy make a 1500 mile annual holiday trip to visit a Hertfordshire market town for the day – just to taste traditional English beer.
The group have been making the 1500 mile day trips to Bishop’s Stortford since 2011. They get the first flight from Milan in the morning and fly back from nearby Stansted Airport in the evening. The players, from amateur club Xadet 2002, have become so popular in the town they even had a pint with the local mayor.
Team captain Stefano Tonoletti, known to all as Tono, said: ‘It all started in 2011 when I took my first trip to London and fell in love with ale beer. I immediately wanted to go back, but with no vacation days and little time available, I had to think of a smarter solution.
“That’s when Bishop’s Stortford came into play – it was just eight minutes from Stansted, making it the perfect spot for a quick day trip, especially with Ryanair tickets costing less than 20 euros at the time. I created a word document listing all the pubs I could find in the area, along with their locations.
“Looking back, that first visit was a real adventure. I downloaded a local map with all the destinations and, amazingly, everything went smoothly. That’s how the madness began. To be fair, convincing the other guys at first wasn’t easy – they were a bit sceptical, thinking it was a waste of time. But after the first round of beers they quickly realised the idea had serious potential!”
Team-mate Gianluca Rodighiero added: “We immediately fell in love with the town for its cosy and quiet atmosphere, the unique architecture of the houses and, most importantly, the incredible pubs and real English ales that are so difficult to find in Italy. Since that first visit, our group has always chosen to spend the day in Bishop’s Stortford before flying back to Milan the same evening and it has become a cherished tradition for all of us.”
Most of the friends, who are aged 30 to 44, are mechanical, electromechanical or IT engineers, with a few who are entrepreneurs, technicians and sales professionals. They made their most recent visit on January 15th – and it was a ‘truly unforgettable’ experience, said Gianluca, who is an SEO and analytics consultant.
He said: ‘We had the immense honour of being welcomed by the mayor, who was incredibly kind and friendly. He took the time to present us with an overview of all the local activities and shared fascinating insights about the rich history of Bishop’s Stortford.
“Later in the afternoon, to our great delight, he joined our group for a drink and we had the opportunity to enjoy a beer together. It was a truly special moment that added a personal and memorable touch to our visit.”
Gianluca said: The whole point of our visit is simply to enjoy a fun day in Bishop’s Stortford. We go pub-hopping, play board games or pool and just have a great time together. Our next goal is to challenge a local team to a football match and, of course, share a great ‘third half’ together!’
