Page 15 - Raynes Park Vale v Welling Town (FA Vase)

HISTORY OF THE FA VASE they embarked on a spectacular Vase receives the FA Vase itself and, as of 2010,
journey that took them all the way from prize money of £20,000, in addition to
n 1974 The FA Council had decided to the First Round to The Final. A goal that accumulated for winning earlier
Iabolish the official distinction between down after 14 minutes at Wembley, the rounds.
amateur and professional footballers and Dorset side fought back to win 5-3.
this meant the end of The Amateur Cup When The Vase Final returned to Wem-
and Amateur Internationals involving bley, a record 36,232 fans saw Truro City
England. beat AFC Totton 3-1. Whitley Bay, the
Two-hundred and twenty clubs entered 2002 winners, achieved a sensational
The Vase in its first season but they did hat-trick of Final victories from 2009 to
not include those clubs which had domi- 2011.
nated in The Amateur Cup. Enfield, Hen- Originally, if the final finished with the
don, Dagenham, Skelmersdale United scores level after extra time, the teams
and others at their level were immediate- would play again in a replay at a later
ly allocated to The FA Trophy. date; more recently the final has always Warrington Rylands are the cur-
For the first time in history, small clubs been decided on the day, with a penalty rent holders of the FA Vase beating
– even village clubs – had the chance of shootout as required. The winning club Binfield 3-2 at Wembley
playing in a national final at Wembley.
The first Vase Finalists were Hoddes- worth at the old Wembley. Tamworth Previous Winners of the FA Vase
don Town from the Spartan League and won the replay 3-0 at Peterborough
Epsom & Ewell from the Surrey Senior and Ian Moores, a former Division
League. The Hertfordshire side edged One player with Tottenham Hotspur, SEASON WINNERS RES RUNNERS-UP VENUE
home 2-1 before a crowd of 9,000. scored one of the goals. 1974–75 Hoddesdon Town 2–1 Epsom & Ewell Wembley
The 2013-14 Vase competition was the
Les Ferdinand led the attack 1975–76 Billericay Town 1–0 Stamford Wembley
40th in history. Wembley has hosted 34
Even a competition as democratic as Finals, Villa Park and St Andrews two 1976–77 Billericay Town 1–1 Sheffield Wembley
The Vase had its elite clubs in the early each, Upton Park and White Hart Lane 1976–77 * Billericay Town 2–1 Sheffield City Grnd
years. Billericay Town, initially of the one each. Thirty-two different clubs 1977–78 Blue Star 2–1 Barton Rovers Wembley
Essex Senior League, won it three times have got their hands on The Vase, do-
in four seasons. Halesowen Town, then nated by former FA Councillor Frank 1978–79 Billericay Town 4–1 Almondsbury G Wembley
in the West Midlands Regional League, Adams. Whitley Bay lead the way with 1979–80 Stamford 2–0 Guisborough T Wembley
appeared in three Finals and were suc- four wins. 1980–81 Whickham 3–2 Willenhall Town Wembley
cessful in two of them. They even beat a Aficionados of The Vase competition 1981–82 Forest Green Rovers 3–0 Wembley
Southall side that had a young Les Ferdi- tend to rate the 1992 Final between Rainworth Miners
nand leading the attack. Wimborne Town and Guiseley as the 1982–83 VS Rugby 1–0 Halesowen Town Wembley
Until the new Wembley opened in 2007 best so far. Wessex League Wimborne 1983–84 Stansted 3–2 Stamford Wembley
the record attendance for a Vase Final had a modest record in the competi- 1984–85 Halesowen Town 3–1 Fleetwood Town Wembley
was the 26,489 who saw the drawn 1989 tion before then, having never ven-
Final between Sudbury Town and Tam- tured beyond the Third Round, but 1985–86 Halesowen Town 3–0 Southall Wembley