FOR those of us who avidly follow matters below the Football League, a huge pinnacle is approaching this Sunday 21st May when Non-League Finals Day takes place at Wembley Stadium.
Here is my preview…
The Isuzu FA Vase Final
Ascot United v Newport Pagnell Town - (12.15pm kick-off – Live on BT Sport)
Past Performances
Ascot United’s previous best FA Vase runs were in 2013 and 2015 when they reached the Quarter-Finals on both occasions.
Newport Pagnell Town are the current FA Vase holders having comfortably defeated Littlehampton Town 3-0 in last year’s Wembley Final.
Current Pedigree
Ascot United clinched the Combined Counties League Premier Division North this season. They only lost twice in 38 outings and ended 18 points clear of runners-up Egham Town. Ascot thereby achieved promotion to Step 4 in the Isthmian League South-Central Division for 2023/24.
Newport Pagnell Town cemented third position in the United Counties League Premier Division South. This was 13 points short of eventual champions Coventry Sphinx.
The Isuzu FA Trophy Final
FC Halifax Town v Gateshead - (4.15pm kick-off – Live on BT Sport)
Past Performances
FC Halifax Town won the FA Trophy in 2015/16 courtesy of a 1–0 triumph over Grimsby Town at Wembley Stadium.
Gateshead’s best FA Trophy campaigns resulted in Semi-Final appearances during 2010/11 and 2017/18.
Current Pedigree
FC Halifax Town finished 11th in the National League. That was 10 points below the Play-Offs and 50 points behind title winners Wrexham
Gateshead secured the National League’s 14th spot – just two points under Sunday’s opponents FC Halifax Town.
Non-League Finals Day History
I am proud that I personally devised the current very successful format for Non-League Finals Day
This came after I wrote a Non-League Paper article on 25th May 2014. Until then, the FA Vase Final and the FA Trophy Final were staged on different days.
Alas, I had been very disappointed with the attendances that year:
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18,120 for the FA Trophy Final, Cambridge United 4 Gosport Borough 0.
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5,431 for the FA Vase Final, Sholing 1 West Auckland Town 0.
So I compared those figures to the record crowds for the two Finals:
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53,262 at the 2007 FA Trophy Final, Stevenage Borough 3 Kidderminster Harriers 2
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36,232 at the 2007 FA Vase Final, Truro City 3 AFC Totton 1
I knew there had special interest in 2007 since it was the first time football Finals returned to the re-built Wembley Stadium. Nevertheless, crowds had declined alarmingly across subsequent years.
It was getting towards the point where it was no longer financially viable to stage these Non-League showpieces at the national stadium – especially the FA Vase. That would have been a crying shame for players, families and supporters of participating sides.
Therefore I made the radical proposal that the Vase and Trophy Finals should be held at Wembley on the same day.
I suggested specifically allocating a Sunday in mid-May when there was very little other football scheduled. Bars and food outlets could open all day alongside other associated entertainment.
My in-depth blueprint was consequently adopted almost word for word by The Football Association and Non-League Finals Day was born in 2015/16 attracting a bumper gate of 46,781.
The Future
Whilst ongoing attendances on Non-League Finals Day are very encouraging, I believe they can still be enhanced further.
Effectively, I would like to see every club entering the overall FA Trophy and FA Vase competitions being asked to sell 50 tickets each and run a coach to Wembley.
A total of 319 teams were accepted in the 2022/23 FA Trophy and a further 586 in the FA Vase.
If they all sold 50 tickets, it would bring 45,000 extra spectators to Non-League Finals Day on top of fans of the respective finalists and other neutrals. We might come close to creating a near capacity event!
Ok, some people will immediately shout: “Our club couldn’t sell 50 tickets!”
However, even the smallest of Non-League outfits have 50 people involved – players from their first team, reserve and youth sections, plus committee, supporters, wives and partners.
If clubs were allowed to keep £5 for every ticket sold, it would become a great fund raiser and a big incentive to fill Wembley-bound coaches.
Everyone would enjoy a lovely day out with the entire Non-League brethren coming together in celebration.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to @TonyIncenzo*
