THIS is when the FA Vase gets interesting. It may only be the first round proper but from here on in, the rounds come thick and fast and before you know it you can be in the last 16 and only four games from Wembley, when things start getting really serious.

Drawing teams from other leagues away from home, we have AFC Emley on Saturday, adds to the excitement. We know very little about our opponents, but in my opinion, you can waste time worrying about external factors like, what the opposition are like, how they set up or what the pitch is like. We’re going into the game knowing that if we perform to our best we are competitive with any team in the competition and can progress to the next round.

The club are providing us with the best possible preparation. We’re travelling to West Yorkshire via coach. In a league where you mostly make your own way to games, a coach offers something different and some of the lads are already planning their post-match entertainment for the journey home - if we win of course.

A coach journey - if it’s not too long - is ideal preparation as it can lift the atmosphere in a team. I’m convinced that our strong team spirit during my time at Glossop was further strengthened due to the fact that we spent so many hours travelling together to Vase games during the run to Wembley.

We’re fortunate at Congleton in having a groundsman that takes great pride in looking after our pitch. However, when you travel to different grounds around the country at step five you quickly realise that isn’t the case everywhere you play. Although there’s no point worrying about matters that are out of your control, I have come unstuck in my time playing in the Vase.

At Glossop, on the run to Wembley, we travelled to AFC Bitton in Gloucestershire, near Bristol, in the fifth round. There had been torrential rain in the week and, in a bid to ensure the game was on, Bitton poured tonnes of sand onto the most affected areas of the pitch. The result: the centre circle and both penalty areas were like quicksand.

It became apparent that this wasn’t the first time this had happened. The home side knew how to play the pitch, using minimal touches in the central areas, instead booting the ball out wide and bombarding us with crosses into the box. Our normal passing game and my game in particular, where I like running with the ball, was completely stifled.

Somehow we survived and defended for our lives and came away with a 2-0 win thanks to two breakaway goals.

Congleton manager Jim Vince, perhaps more than any manager I have played under, encourages the team to play football. From defenders to attackers we are all encouraged to keep possession. However, I learnt a massive lesson at Bitton that day.

When you’re travelling to unfamiliar grounds and the pitch threatens to even up proceedings, it’s often the team that rolls up their sleeves and acclimatises to the conditions the quickest that progresses to the next round.

Good luck to all NWCFL teams in this week’s draw!

Rick Bailey