Former City midfielder Ted Biship might have spent a lot of time on the sidelines, but when he did play he always looked a cut above.
He left for Colchester United on a free transfer, and it seemed as though they had grabbed a real snip. On his day, the cultured right boot of Bishop could unlock defences and score goals alike. While he spent a lot of time on the sidelines, it seemed he did not have idle hands, either.
Instead, during COVID, he taught himself to cut hair, and now he’s doing half the Colchester squad, starting with another ex-Imp who had ability to play higher, Jack Payne.
“I’ve been cutting Jack Payne’s hair for over a year now,” said Bishop. “I think in that time he’s had one haircut from a different barber because I couldn’t do it (that time).
“I’m lining up Kane’s (Vincent-Young) beard and it’s all experience, it’s something I may want to go into in the future,” Bishop told BBC Essex Sport.
“The lads have let me trial on them and they’re very happy with what they’re getting, so I think it works all round. It’s quite therapeutic.
“I do my dad now, I quite enjoy it. No (they don’t pay me) but only because there’s a chance I could still mess them up – they take a chance on me while giving me the experience, so I think it’s a fair deal at the moment.”
Bishop came through Ipswich Town’s academy and broke into the first team as a teenager, earning early acclaim for his balance in possession and progressive running from midfield. A series of injuries checked his momentum, yet he rebuilt minutes and consistency before moving to City in July 2021 to refresh his career.
At the time, he was meant to replace Jorge Grant as the creative force in our midfield, with Michael Appleton and Jimmy Walker both expressing surprise that he was only in League One.
He made an immediate impression at Sincil Bank, scoring a fine long-range goal on his first start in the EFL Cup and settling into a role that blended control and incision between the lines.
Over three seasons, he became a semi-regular contributor, posting double-figure goals for the Imps from midfield and featuring across league and cup as managers used him centrally and slightly advanced.