JAMIE FULFILS HIS WEMBLEY DREAM
CLUTCHING the FA Vase, Ascot United manager Jamie Tompkins wore a smile as wide as the Wembley arch.
His post-match interview with talkSPORT had been gatecrashed by a group of his heroic players before he stopped with The NLP to reflect on an historic day for the Yellamen.
“It’s a really proud moment,” Tompkins told The NLP. “These moments are what your dream of as a young boy, being a football, a coach or manager and leading your team out. To see that team lift the trophy at the end, unbelievable, what a feeling.
“We’ve covered a lot of miles this year. We’ve been all over the country. Up to Manchester, the Isle of Wight, Devon. These trips bring the players closer together, they bond a lot more and the end result is working a lot harder for each other.
“And that’s what football is about, right? Doing the basics really well, work hard and the quality will takeover.”
Winning big competitions like this often see the last few miles as the hardest. It was an even contest, holders Newport Pagnell Town going within inches through Jake Watkinson, Ascot sub Marcus Mealing going even closer after his introduction by hitting the woodwork.
But it’s also easy to forget victory is the culmination of months of hard work, from the first pre-season training session way back in June.
“We love it – we wouldn’t do it if we didn’t love it,” Tompkins said. “I get a lot of motivation from our players who are fantastic and really respond to that. Not only have they been great players, they’ve been great people as well.
“It’s such an enjoyable place to be. We give up so much time. Every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday – minimum – we come together. We see each other more than our own families sometimes so it’s got to be enjoyable. It’s really nice to see it’s all worth it.”
Tompkins makes a special point of highlighting the work of his management team. Yes, his name is above the door, but without Dan Masters, Dean Greenwood, Steve Quelch, Chad Smith, Stuart Britton, Tompkins says, they wouldn’t have been successful. But was the actual game enjoyable?
“No, you can never enjoy a game of football – only when you win,” Tompkins smiled. “It’s about winning with some top staff, great friends. You can enjoy it when it’s over and the final whistle goes. But it’s 95 minutes of pain inside. It’s all worth it when you get those wins.”
While the players jet off to Marbella, Tompkins, 31, will soon begin planning for next season’s Step 4 challenge.
“They’re going to enjoy themselves out there – they’ve won the league, they’ve won promotion, they’ve won the FA Vase,” Tompkins said. “They can absolutely go and enjoy themselves now and make the most of it, these moments don’t come by often.
“But we’re back in pre-season in five weeks’ time. It’s a very short turnaround. We’ve got an exciting year of Step 4 football and some big clubs to play against.
“I am just really proud of this football club that we can continue to progress on and off the pitch. It’s an exciting time to be involved.
“You see it a lot where teams go back-to-back promotions. I am not saying that’s what we’re going to do. If I can keep these boys together – they’re going to get a lot of attention over the summer but they’re a fantastic group.”
Success has alerted many outside of their corner of Berkshire – sat proudly on the famous Royal Ascot racecourse – to Tompkins and his own talents. It’s the players,
They can absolutely enjoy go and now and themselves most of make the it. moments These by don’t very come often Jamie Tompkins
says the Brentford development coach, who take the credit.
“I am the one who gets to stand on the side and watch them play football – enjoy themselves and play well,” Tompkins said.
“For me, it’s allowing good players to be good players. I don’t need to be in the way.
“The Vase was our 50th win of the season. They know what they’re doing. I’ve just got to leave them to it.”