HOOPS BUOYED IN PURSUIT OF THE GOLD-EN VASE SHOT!
POSITIVE Corinthian manager Michael Golding says the news that the FA are determined to finish the FA Vase is ‘brilliant’ for everyone at the club.
The Kent side reached the semi-finals with a dramatic 4-3 victory against Leighton Town back in March, but have had to sit tight ever since.
Right from the get-go, the FA indicated they wanted to conclude the FA Cup, Trophy and Vase – and that was reaffirmed to the clubs at the end of last week.
The plan is for the Vase final to be at Wembley on a date to be confirmed – and it’s hoped that some spectators will be able to witness it.
Boss Golding, 32, said: “It’s brilliant news for myself, the players and the club. The players have done ever so well to give themselves that opportunity to potentially play at Wembley.
“To have it taken away (by the coronavirus pandemic) was devastating, but understandable. Now they’ve got a spring in the step – it’s what they needed at this time.
“For most of the players, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Whoever the two teams in the final are, I hope they are able to have partners, parents and friends there.”
If they are to reach the Arch, the Southern Counties East League outfit – who were challenging for the Premier Division title before the season was declared null and void – will have to overcome a major obstacle in the form of Northern League side Hebburn Town.
There is also the possibility the semi-final could be played as a one-off tie on a neutral venue rather than over two legs as normal.
“Hebburn were clear favourites, but I would have backed ourselves over two legs,” said Golding, who has been at Corinthian for ten years with the last five as manager.
“Potentially with it now being a one-leg semi-final, it probably tips it in their favour, but we will give it a shot. We have probably been underdogs in most of our games so far.
“They are a massive club and we are relatively small but punching above our weight in our league. Our boys have a habit of winning games and it’s been an accumulation of three, four, five years’ work to get to this point. We won’t go there to make up the numbers.”
Bubbles
Corinthian are back in training as they prepare for what could be a momentous season, but Golding, a head of PE in his day job, insists it will be a gradual process.
“We are still very much social distancing,” he explained. “We are working in groups of five.
“We have four or five coaches on site which means we can get all the players in. They are working in their bubbles.
“We took the view that the boys have done their 5k runs and own bits and they wanted to get back together.
“We’ve made sure it’s a safe and secure environment to come back to and we’re not working overly hard, it’s getting touches of the ball and things like that.
“It’s getting that group mentality back together for when we get the go-ahead. We are chomping at the bit to get back into proper competition.”
The other Vase semi-final sees another Northern League side, Consett, take on Western League Bitton.
Consett chairman Frank Bell said on Monday: “We are in the hands of the government over when it is safe to play in front of a crowd again, and the FA over when the games can be scheduled, but we are just glad our dream of playing at Wembley is still alive after the unprecedented events of the last few months.
“Our first team will begin socially-distanced training soon, and whenever the FA give us the green light to play again, I’m sure Terry (Mitchell – manager) and his staff will have the lads ready for the biggest game in the club’s history.”