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| FA Vase Final May 6th, 2000. |
Well its about this time of year, as the footie season ends that many players, officials, supporters including mums and dads and families, that some are getting ready for finals...if you lose its a time for tears but if you win it is a fantastic, joyous celebration.
In the year 2000, Deal Town, backed by their then Chairman, Roy Smith (above), found themselves in this predicament...they were in the final of the FA Vase against Chippenham Town from Wiltshire. It will always stay in my memories forever....mainly because we won, but also as I made up this ode to the 20000 people who went along to watch.
This is my ode to that day...
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| The winning goal |
And I was there,
At Wembley,
It was my dream my destiny,
When Steve Marshall,
Ran down the line,
And crossed a ball oh so fine.
And Roly Graham,
He hit it neat,
Into the goal oh so sweet,
And in a minute or two,
20000 were on their feet.
For Wembley this one of the last,
This final of the FA Vase,
For this great stage,
Had come of age,
And 20000 they made the final page.
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| Roly Graham celebrates |
And all we hear is,
Where are you from,
We're from Deal Town,
Lovely Deal Town,
Lovely, lovely,
Deal Town.
And as the sun shone down,
On the black and white and on the blue,
It was the black and white,
That came shining through.
But we must not forget,
It was a glorious day,
For the 20000,
Who walked the Wembley Way.
And all we hear is,
Where are you from,
We're from Deal Town,
Lovely Deal Town,
Lovely, lovely,
Deal Town.
And in that moment or two,
You either felt good,
You either felt bad,
You either felt happy,
You either felt sad,
For this was a final at Wembley.
And for those that went,
Victory was for those from Kent,
For Wembley this one of the last,
The greatest final of the FA Vase.
And all we hear is,
Where are you from,
We're from Deal Town,
Lovely Deal Town,
Lovely, lovely,
Deal Town.
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| Deal Town show off the trophy at Wembley |
Yes, this was my written ode, never published until now, to that day...a day I will never forget. I went with my dad and on that morning we waited at the local swimming pool within the main park, with thousands of others, for the many coaches that were to ferry the support for Deal Town to Wembley.
As we travelled up we talked about the team of that day and the team in the years when my dad played for club, way back in the 1950's. Dad said that the team of the 1950's was probably better as they had many ex; league players...local players struggled to get into the first team, my dad was one of them local lads. And the support for every game was much bigger week in, week out. Crowds were ten times bigger than the norm of around 150 for the then present team.
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| Tommy Sampson |
The manager of this winning side was Tommy Sampson brought to the club by Roy Smith. Tommy built a team which for two years was very formidable but they had a close fought contest with Ramsgate FC, local rivals. Both Kent teams were doing well in the Vase competition that year and it would have been great to have had an all Kent final but Ramsgate succumbed to a better team and Deal were able to march on with a little bit of luck and ease to the final. The first ever Kent side in an FA Vase final and so to be the first ever winners from Kent. A truly historic day.
But remember mums and dads, if you are taking your sons and daughters to any finals this month of May, please, please note it is not about the winning or losing but about the taking part. Yes, it's great to win and it is very sad to lose so whatever happens treat your children as heroes anyway...for they have taken part in their greatest moments.
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| Traditional open top bus tour for the winners...not just for the Man Utd's of this world! Acknowledgements; Deal Town FC, East Kent Mercury newspaper. |
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