el Queso Grande's Groundhopping Tour 2007-8

The background music is Phil Collins' "Against All Odds" (aka "Take a look at me, now").

The FA Vase Competition is the Holy Grail for most Arngrove Northern League Clubs, in that it is the only National Competition which they can realistically aspire to winning. To players and supporters alike, it brings a welcome change from the league programme, especially when an away match at a club from another league, elsewhere in the country, is conjured up by the draw.

8th September - 1st Round Qualifying (Those ties which involve ANL Clubs):

Bishop Auckland 1-0 Esh Winning (Played at Esh Winning)
Crook Town 2-1 Ashington (after extra time)
Morpeth Town 5-0 North Shields
Ryton 0-3 Winterton Rangers
Thackley 1-1 South Shields - Thackley won the replay 2-1

22nd September - 2nd Round Qualifying:

Armthorpe Welfare 5-5 Chester-Le-Street Armthorpe won the replay 2-1
Bishop Auckland 2-4 Winterton Rangers
Bottesford Town 1-2 Tow Law Town
Brandon United 0-5 Pickering Town
Crook Town 2-6 Durham City
Darwen 2-1 Penrith Town
Eccleshill United 3-1 Horden CW
Guisborough Town 0-1 Hebburn Town
Marske United 4-2 Hall Road Rangers
Morpeth Town 1-2 Bedlington Terriers
Northallerton Town 4-0 Darlington RA
Norton & Stockton Ancients 0-4 Thornaby
Seaham Red Star 7-0 Sunderland RCA
Silsden 1-3 Dunston Federation
Spennymoor Town 5-1 Liversedge
Team Northumbria 2-4 Stokesley SC
Washington 3-0 Barton Town Old Boys
West Allotment Celtic 2-5 Shildon
Whickham 1-3 Jarrow Roofing

 

6th October - 1st Round Proper:

Armthorpe Welfare 0-1 Jarrow Roofing
Billingham Town 0-1 Hebburn Town
Winterton Rangers 1-0 Thornaby
Tow Law Town 2-3 Pickering Town
Durham City 5-0 Sunderland Nissan
Bedlington Terriers 1-7 Consett
Northallerton Town  3-1 Pontefract Collieries
Seaham Red Star 2-1 Selby Town
Dunston Federation 4-2 Stokesley SC
Spennymoor Town 3-1 Marske United
Washington 0-3 Shildon

As can be seen above, after the first three rounds have been played, 9 teams from the ANL are left in the competition, added to those teams who were exempted from the earlier rounds by virtue of their success in the competition last season. Those ANL clubs which are exempt to the 2nd Round Proper are: Newcastle Benfield Bay Plastics, Billingham Synthonia, West Auckland Town and Whitley Bay. These four clubs reached the 4th. Round Proper or further, last season.

The draw for the 2nd Round Proper (those games which involve ANL clubs).  Ties played on 17th November.

Atherton LR 0-0 Newcastle Benfield Bay Plastics Benfield won the replay 3-2
Billingham Synthonia 2-1 Ashton Athletic
Durham City 0-4 Consett
Formby 4-1 Jarrow Roofing
Hebburn Town 1-4 Whitley Bay
Kirkham & Wesham 3-0 West Auckland Town
Salford City 5-1 Shildon
Seaham Red Star 2-3 Trafford
Squires Gate 2-2 Northallerton Town Northallerton won the replay 4-3
Spennymoor Town 0-0 Dunston Federation Dunston won the replay 3-1

Worse results than had been anticipated; only 6 Northern League Clubs definitely through to the 3rd. Round.

Ties played Dec 8th. 2007:

Billingham Synthonia 1-3 Dunston Federation
Consett v Trafford postponed (three times) due to weather conditions
Newcastle Benfield Bay Plastics 2-5 Kirkham and Wesham
Whitley Bay 6-0 Flixton
Northallerton Town 0-6 Formby

Played 22nd. Dec. 2007:

Consett 2-1 Trafford

The draw for the fourth round proper for ANL clubs is as follows:

Played on 19th January 2008.

Dunston Federation 8-0 Shrivenham
Poole Town 1-1 Consett (after extra time)
Whitley Bay 1-0 Long Buckby

The rest of the draw consists of:

Truro City  3-2 Bideford   
Hungerford Town  1-0 Boston Town   
Concord Rangers  4-1 Shawbury United   
Kirkham & Wesham v Studley postponed   
St Ives Town  v Bitton AFC postponed    
VCD Athletic  v Needham Market postponed    
Merstham  v Pickering postponed    
Camberley Town  3-1 Tipton Town   
Coventry Sphinx  v Salford City postponed    
Stanway Rovers  v Formby postponed    
Greenwich Borough  2-1 Harefield United   
Lymington Town  1-4 Crowborough Athletic   
Lowestoft Town  3-2 Blackstones 

Ties to be played on 26th January 2008:

Consett 4-1 Poole (Replay)
Kirkham & Wesham 3-0 Studley   
St Ives Town  3-2 Bitton AFC (aet)   
VCD Athletic  0-2 Needham Market (aet)
Merstham  4-2 Pickering (aet)  
Coventry Sphinx  3-1 Salford City    
Stanway Rovers  4-2 Formby (aet)

    

  Ties played on 9th. February 2008.

  Hungerford Town  2-2 Greenwich Borough (aet)  
  Concord Rangers  2-0 Camberley Town   
  St Ives Town  3-3 Needham Market (aet)  
  Merstham  5-4 Consett (aet)  
  Lowestoft Town  2-1 Dunston Federation   
  Truro City  0-3 Whitley Bay an excellent as well as surprising result for The Bay! 
  Crowborough Athletic  0-2 Kirkham & Wesham  
  Stanway Rovers  1-3 Coventry Sphinx 

  Ties replayed on 16th. February 2008.

  Greenwich Borough 1-2 Hungerford Town
  Needham Market 4-0 St. Ives Town

 

Ties played on 1st. March 2008:
Concord Rangers 0-1 Lowestoft Town   
Kirkham & Wesham 3-3 Coventry Sphinx (aet)  
Hungerford Town  0-1 Whitley Bay   
Merstham  2-3 Needham Market (aet)

Tie replayed on 8th. March 2008:
Coventry Sphinx 0-1 Kirkham & Wesham

 

Semi Final 1st. leg ties played on 22 March 2008:
Lowestoft Town  4-0 Whitley Bay
Kirkham & Wesham 3-2 Needham Market

Semi Final 2nd. leg ties played on 29 March 2008:
Whitley Bay 3-0 Lowestoft Town (Lowestoft win 4-3 on aggregate)
Needham Market  0-1 Kirkham & Wesham (Kirkham & Wesham win 4-2 on aggregate)

The FA Vase Final match took place at Wembley Stadium on Sunday May 11th. 2008.

Kirkham & Wesham 2-1 Lowestoft Town

I was there!