Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District

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- Michael Allsopp Davis Avenue, Deal

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Wembley this year, in the FA Vase.

Canterbury City FC will take on Cray Valley Paper Mills FC in the semi-finals of this national competitio­n.

Wouldn’t it be great for another Kent side to lift that trophy, something not achieved since Deal Town won in the year 2000?

The first leg is at the Badgers Sports Ground, home of the Millers, on March 17, with the return fixture at Salters Lane, Faversham, on March 23, before a Wembley final on May 19.

The last Kent side to get to the final was Tunbridge Wells, who were the losing finalists back in 2013, so to have a third club in this prestigiou­s final within 20 years is a remarkable achievemen­t.

Of course, the dream would be for Canterbury City FC to reach the final and win that trophy.

They have thoroughly achieved and deserve the acclamatio­n of the borough, which has for so long fallen out of love with football.

The focus on cricket, hockey and rugby, where long-standing tenancy and investment, both private and public, has sustained these sports and has clearly allowed them to thrive.

Canterbury City FC, not long ago reformed, lost its former home at Kingsmead many years ago for whatever reasons, maybe lack of support, a lack of success but clearly a lack of interest.

But, in this day, in 2019, they are wanting your support, your following, your belief.

Currently sharing Salters Lane, the home of Faversham Town FC, the Canterbury side are a possible two games away from an historic trip to Wembley.

Even if they don’t reach that pinnacle then what they have achieved surely deserves them help from the city council to support the effort to “bring them home”.

I do hope that many will go to watch them in this quest, not only from Canterbury, but from all those towns around. Canterbury is focal point for shopping, for dining out, for theatre and culture, for education, for having a great night out.

So to all those who verge on Canterbury I appeal to all you sports fans and mostly you football fans, go and watch and wish and support Canterbury City. They need you, they want you, they deserve you.

But of course, they must overcome their league counterpar­ts, Cray Valley PM FC.

If you do venture to watch these finals do make sure you take your own supply of refreshmen­ts. These clubs might promote a nice snack bar, which can cope with a queue of 30 fans, but swell that to many hundreds more...hmmmm! Enjoy your day!

As a Deal Town fan it’s got to be “come on City!”, but I expect the Millers to get to Wembley.

However, we can all dream and most of all be part of it by going along to watch it all unfold.

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