The FA Vase is the non-league equivalent of the FA Cup for teams that play in steps 5 and 6, 596 teams entered the competition which started back in late August with the final to be played at Wembley on the same day as the FA trophy final which is the equivalent for steps 1 to 4, so with the 4th round being played on Saturday the 11th January we were fortunate enough to receive an invite to Sutton Utd (Birmingham) vs Bourne Town on a huge day for both clubs who have made it this far for the first time in their histories.
On arrival at Sutton Utd, we were greeted by a very impressive setup, a fantastic large clubhouse, as well as the main 3G pitch (without which the game would not have gone ahead) there is also a 3G 7 aside pitch and a small mini 3G pitch, the stadium has an area with picnic benches overlooking the pitch with a seated stand along one side and a full-length open terrace behind one goal and a small cover terrace on the opposite side of the seated stand.
The club had also provided an additional marquee and extra toilet facilities to accommodate the expected bumper crowd for the cup tie.
Sutton United, based in Sutton Coldfield, currently sit 9th in the Midland League Division 1 at step 6, they were formed in 1947 just after the Second World War, with many of the founding players and management of the club making their way back into civilian life after serving their country.
It was clear to see the club are so proud of its place in the community which was evident by the amount of families turning up for today’s game, and with almost 50 different teams being run by the club including, boys, girls, men’s and women’s football teams, they personify what grassroots football is all about!
The president of the club, Mr John Potter, has been with the club for 60 years, which is remarkable, and he is a true custodian of the history of United.
John gave us his time to have a chat with us on this historic day for the club.
With this being Sutton's first season playing in the FA Vase, to make it to the 4th round is amazing and a landmark day for the club and despite it being an extremely cold day, approximately -2° the local community truly did turn out in their numbers to get behind their local side and with very little room left in the stadium I would say this was a sell-out!
As the excitement grew with kick-off looming, we managed to catch up with a Sutton Supporter to have a chat.
The opposition today, Bourne Town, currently riding high in the United Counties Premier Division North (step 5), sitting in second place four points behind the leaders, but with four games in hand, look to be very strong contenders for promotion to step 4 of the football pyramid, and were favourites to win the game.
The club had been given 200 tickets for the match and sold them all!
Full credit to them on the day as they created a great atmosphere with very noisy and vibrant support, adding to the buzz around the ground.
We managed to catch up with the Bourne media man, Anthony, for a quick chat.
From the game itself, from the start, we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of football being played by both sides, the first half saw 4 goals with end-to-end action, and at the break, it was 2-2 and all to play for in the 2nd half.
Bourne Town came out the stronger of the two sides after the interval and scored two more goals, which saw the game finish 4-2, and The Wakes were safely through to the next round and a step closer to Wembley.
This game had everything: a full house, noisy fans, smoke bombs and some stunning goals and their was wonderful scenes at the end with the Bourne Town players celebrating with their fans.
Sadly, I didn't manage to capture any quality highlights, unfortunately, partly due to the fog but mostly down to my bad workmanship, as the saying goes, 'I’m getting sacked in the morning'!
It just leaves us to say a massive thank you to Sutton United who can be immensely proud of their debut in the FA Vase and a huge thank you to both sides for what was a fantastic game of football and a great advert for the FA Vase and, indeed, non-league football and we wish them both the best of luck for the rest of the season!
Well done to all involved!
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