Page 14 - Raynes Park Vale v Blackfield & Langley (FA Vase)
P. 14

History of the FA Vase                                                                 Originally, if the final finished with the  shootout as required. The winning club

                                                                                          scores level after extra time, the teams  receives the FA Vase itself and, as of 2010,
          n 1974 The FA Council had de-     worth at the old Wemb-                        would play again in a replay at a later  prize money of £20,000, in addition to
          cided to abolish the official dis-  ley. Tamworth won the                       date; more recently the final has always  that accumulated for winning earlier
      Itinction between amateur and  replay  3-0  at  Peterbor-                           been decided on the day, with a penalty  rounds.
      professional footballers and this  ough and Ian Moores,
      meant the end of The Amateur Cup  a former Division One
      and Amateur Internationals involv-    player with Tottenham
      ing England.                          Hotspur, scored one of the goals.
        Two-hundred and twenty clubs entered    The 2013-14 Vase competition was the
      The Vase in its first season but they did  40th in history. Wembley has hosted 34
      not include those clubs which had domi-  Finals, Villa Park and St Andrews two
      nated in The Amateur Cup. Enfield, Hen-  each, Upton Park and White Hart Lane
      don, Dagenham, Skelmersdale United  one  each.  Thirty-two  different  clubs
      and others at their level were immediate-  have got their hands on The Vase, do-
      ly allocated to The FA Trophy.        nated by former FA Councillor Frank
        For the first time in history, small clubs  Adams. Whitley Bay lead the way with
      – even village clubs – had the chance of  four wins.                                South Shields 2017 winners
      playing in a national final at Wembley.    Spectacular Vase journey                                           Previous Winners of the FA Vase
        The first Vase Finalists were Hoddes-   Aficionados of The Vase competition
      don Town from the Spartan League and  tend to rate the 1992 Final between
      Epsom & Ewell from the Surrey Senior  Wimborne Town and Guiseley as the
      League. The Hertfordshire side edged  best so far. Wessex League Wimborne            SEASON          WINNERS           RES     RUNNERS-UP          VENUE
      home 2-1 before a crowd of 9,000.     had a modest record in the competi-
           Les Ferdinand led the attack     tion  before then,  having  never  ven-        1974–75    Hoddesdon Town         2–1   Epsom & Ewell       Wembley
       Even a competition as democratic as  tured beyond the Third Round, but              1975–76    Billericay Town        1–0  Stamford             Wembley
      The Vase had its elite clubs in the early  they embarked on a spectacular Vase       1976–77    Billericay Town        1–1  Sheffield            Wembley
      years. Billericay Town, initially of the  journey that took them all the way         1976–77 * Billericay Town         2–1   Sheffield           City Grnd
      Essex Senior League, won it three times  from the First Round to The Final. A
      in four seasons. Halesowen Town, then  goal down after 14 minutes at Wemb-           1977–78    Blue Star              2–1   Barton Rovers       Wembley
      in the West Midlands Regional League,  ley, the Dorset side fought back to win       1978–79    Billericay Town        4–1   Almondsbury G       Wembley
      appeared in three Finals and were suc-  5-3.                                         1979–80    Stamford               2–0   Guisborough T       Wembley
      cessful in two of them. They even beat a      A record 36,232 fans
      Southall side that had a young Les Ferdi-  When  The  Vase  Final returned to        1980–81    Whickham               3–2  Willenhall Town      Wembley
      nand leading the attack.              Wembley,  a record  36,232 fans  saw           1981–82    Forest Green Rovers    3–0   Rainworth Miners    Wembley
        Until the new Wembley opened in 2007  Truro City beat AFC Totton 3-1. Whit-        1982–83    VS Rugby               1–0   Halesowen Town      Wembley
      the record attendance for a Vase Final  ley Bay, the 2002 winners, achieved a        1983–84    Stansted               3–2   Stamford            Wembley
      was the 26,489 who saw the drawn 1989  sensational hat-trick of Final victories
      Final between Sudbury Town and Tam-   from 2009 to 2011.                             1984–85    Halesowen Town         3–1   Fleetwood Town      Wembley
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