HISTORY IS ASSURED FOR VASE LAST FOUR
THE last eight clubs in this season’s FA Vase are now just two wins from Wembley and of the octet of clubs remaining only North Shields and Southall FC have ever made that journey in the competition before.
North Shields went on to lift the FA Vase the only other time the Robins appeared in the quarter-finals, defeating Glossop North End 2-1 after extra time in 2015. Along with Whitchurch Alport and Wythenshawe Town, the Northern League club began this season’s campaign in the earliest first qualifying round.
North Shields make the longest round trip of the quarter-finalists, travelling more than 340 miles each way to take on Southern Combination League pacesetters Littlehampton Town. The Marigolds are appearing in the last eight for only the second time having reached the semi-final as long as 31 years ago.
Southall FC have progressed through the last four rounds of this season’s competition courtesy of penalty shoot-outs and the Combined Counties League side are featuring in the last eight of the competition for the third time, last doing so five years ago. Way back in 1986, they went all the way to the final, losing 3-0 to Halesowen Town.
Their opponents are
Hamworthy United from the Western League, who have reached the quarter finals for the first time in what is the club’s 23rd Vase campaign – the most campaigns of the four clubs making their debuts at this stage of the competition.
Two of those four face each other to guarantee a first-time semi-finalist. United Counties League North side Loughborough Students host Wythenshawe Town, from North West Counties League, with both clubs competing in the Vase for the 14th time. Wythenshawe are the top scorers of the remaining eight clubs in this season’s competition.
Also guaranteeing a first time semi-finalist is the tie between Whitchurch Alport, of the Midland Football League, and Newport Pagnell Town, the second representative of the United Counties League, although from the South Division.
The Swans are making their second appearance in the last eight having got this far just five years ago, whilst Alport had never even ventured beyond the first round in their five previous Vase campaigns to date.
Whatever happens at the weekend, FA Vase history is guaranteed.