FA Carlsberg Vase 2015/16 - First Qualifying Round Preview
Thu 3rd September 2015 | FA Challenge Vase | By Martin Fallon
The 2015/16 FA Carlsberg Vase commences this coming Saturday with 18 of our clubs trying to emulate Glossop North End and North Shields on The Road to Wembley.
There are three all-NWCFL ties, with Runcorn Town taking on Litherland REMYCA at Pavilions. Town have a rich Vase history, reaching at least the Second Round in each of their five seasons, their best being the Last 16 in 2012/13.
In contrast, this is REMYCA’s first ever FA Vase match, and they will be heading into the match in confidence after a good start to the season that sees them in fourth place in the First Division with four wins from five games. The match will also be the first ever meeting between the two sides.
Another Premier v First tie occurs at The Royal British Legion Stadium as Squires Gate host Irlam. Squires Gate are still looking for their first win this season having drawn three and lost five of their eight games.
Gate reached the Quarter Finals of the Vase in 2005/06 but won only one tie in the last three seasons. Irlam have had a good start in Division One and lie in third place going into the game. They will be looking for their first win in the competition since the 2010/11 season when they reached the Second Round, their best ever run. It is the first meeting between the two sides since April 2011 when Irlam won 2-0 in a League Cup 3rd Round tie.
The final all-NWCFL sees an all-Premier Division match as Ashton Athletic host Atherton Colliers. Both clubs have had similar seasons so far having bowed out of the FA Cup after replays, with Colls in eighth place in the league and Ashton in eleventh place.
Ashton have won just one Vase tie in the last six seasons, with their best record coming in their debut season of 2007/08 when they reached the Second Round. Colls have a long Vase history stretching back to their Cheshire League days in 1980/81, with the Third Round being their best in 1992/93, and they came close to that last season when they reached the Second Round.
This match was actually the first ever midweek game for both clubs in the NWCFL Third Division back in August 1982, Colls winning that 2-0. The last meeting came in the 2nd Round of last seasons League Cup which Colls won 3-0, Ben Hardcastle, Mark Battersby and Jordan Cover on the scoresheet.
The remaining ties see six clubs on the road with six clubs at home. One quirky tie sees Rochdale Town travel to NCEL side Parkgate despite being drawn at home, this being due to rugby being played on their home pitch.
Rochdale have won their last two games on the road and will go into this tie in confident mood. Parkgate are ninth in the NCEL Premier Division, having picked up ten points from their five games. Rochdale’s best FA Vase run is the First Round which they have reached on six occasions, whilst Parkgate have reached the Third Round in two of the last four seasons.
This will be the second meeting between the two sides as they met in the Second Qualifying Round in 1997/98 with Rochdale (or Castleton Gabriels as they was then) running out 2-0 winners.
Handsworth Parramore will host AFC Liverpool in Worksop, the second week running they have faced a NWCFL side after losing at Congleton Town last week. AFC Liverpool have had a good start to the season, only losing their six game unbeaten start to the season in midweek, whilst Handsworth, who lie in 6th place in the NCEL Premier Division, bounced back from last Saturday’s loss with a 1-0 win at Retford.
This is the first ever meeting between the two sides, with AFC Liverpool looking to emulate their best ever Vase run which came in 2010/11 when they reached the Third Round. Handsworth’s are relative Vase newcomers, with this being only their third season, their best being last season when they reached the Second Round.
Padiham are playing their first Vase tie for three years having had a brief hiatus in the FA Trophy. They have a long trip to face Northern League side Morpeth Town but will be buoyed by a good start to the season which has seen them just two of their eight games.
Morpeth have also had a great start and currently lie in second place in the league, losing just one game which came in the FA Cup last Saturday. Padiham’s best run came when they were a Lancashire Combination side back in 1981/82 and they reached the Third Round. As with many Northern League sides, Morpeth have a good history in the Vase, their best being two seasons ago when they reached the last 16, losing 6-1 away at Eastbourne United (that’s a long trip!).
St Helens Town travel to Winterton Rangers, with West Street proving a happy hunting ground for Saints having won there on both previous Vase meetings between the two sides. In 2000/01 they won 3-2 in the First Round en-route to the last 16 where they bowed out to Berkhamsted Town, whilst in 2010/11 they won in the Second Round before losing to Holbrook Sports in the next round.
Saints have a fine pedigree in the Vase, having won the competition on their debut back in 1986/87. Winterton’s best Vase run came in their first season in 1976/77 when they reached the Quarter Finals, although most recently they reached the Third Round in 2008/09 before losing to eventual finalists Glossop North End.
Yorkshire is home to many clubs with the suffix “Miners Welfare” and three of our clubs face ties against these teams in this round.
Cammell Laird 1907 make the trip to the impressively named Fitzwilliam Stadium in Pontefract to face Hemsworth Miners Welfare. Lairds have struggled to adapt to life in the Premier Division and have won just once this season, although they are unbeaten in four games.
Hemsworth are sixth in NCEL Division One, and are also unbeaten in four games. The tie marks Lairds’ debut in the Vase, whilst Hemsworth have had just two victories in their six previous campaigns, bowing out previously to NWCFL sides Padiham (2009) and Winsford Untied (2014).
Staveley Miners Welfare’s Inkersall Road ground in Chesterfield is the destination for a Cheadle Town side who have lost just once in six league games so far. Cheadle’s recent Vase exploits include reaching the Second Round two seasons ago, their best since their debut in the competition in 1983/84.
Staveley will be a tough opponent having reached the Semi Finals in the Vase in 2011/12 and the Third Round two years ago when they beat three of our sides on the way. However they have lost three of their last five games in all competitions, including their last home game when they lost 2-0 against Rainworth Miners Welfare.
Nostell Miners Welfare are on the road as they visit Congleton Town for the second time in three weeks, the teams having faced each other in the FA Cup. In that meeting the two teams drew 0-0 before Congleton had a thumping 4-0 win in Wakefield in the replay.
Congleton have lost just once this season, whilst Nostell have bounced back well from their Cup exit and are unbeaten in their last three league games. Congleton reached the Fourth Round two seasons ago, their best since reaching the last 16 in 2003/04, whilst Nostell’s best Vase run came in 2008/09 when they reached the Third Round before crashing out at Stone Dominoes.
AFC Blackpool have won both of their home games in the FA Cup this season, and they will be hoping its another day of joyous knockout football at the Mechanics Ground when they host Maltby Main.
The tangerines are doing well and are unbeaten in their last six games, including a creditable 3-3 draw at Padiham in midweek. Maltby Main will relish another game against NWCFL opposition having knocked both Ashton Athletic and 1874 Northwich out of the FA Cup this season. Blackpool’s best Vase run came in 2010/11 when they reached the Second Round, whereas Maltby do not have a great record in the competition, reaching the First Round just twice, the last time in 2007/08 when they were knocked out by Squires Gate.
Barton Town Old Boys is a name that crops up frequently against our clubs in the FA Cup and Vase and they have been handed a trip to West Didsbury & Chorlton. The game will come as a welcome distraction for West who have lost five of their last six games, although the same could be said for Barton who have won just two of their eight games this season. As relative newcomers to the Vase, the best for West is the First Round which they have reached twice, with Barton progressing to the Second Round on three occasions.
Also relative newcomers to the Vase are Hanley Town who reached the Second Round last season. This was their first entry into the competition since the late 1980’s when they made four appearances in their Mid-Cheshire League days. Despite this, they will be classed as veterans in their encounter with Coventry United, with this being Coventry’s first ever tie in the competition.
Hanley have had a good start to life in the NWCFL with two 4th place finishes, including reaching last season’s Play Off Final. Coventry, who play in the Midland League, have only been in existence two seasons, but were promoted in both of them, winning the Midland League Division Two last season.
Bacup Borough get the opportunity to put league form behind them as they host the impressively named Worsbrough Bridge Athletic at home. Bacup have had a tough start after relegation last season and picked up their first win last weekend. Worsbrough have also had a mixed start and are mid-table in the NCEL First Division.
This will not be the first meeting between the two sides having faced each other at Worsbrough’s Park Road ground in September 2003, with Bacup running out 1-0 winners. Bacup’s best run in the competition came in 1993/94 when they reached the Third Round, a feat matched by their opponents who reached that stage in 1990/91 before losing to then NWCFL side Great Harwood Town.
The final match sees Silsden host Northern League side Thornaby at the Angel Telecom Stadium. Thornaby, sixth in Northern League Division Two, are unbeaten in the league this season having lost just once in the FA Cup, with Silsden unbeaten since the opening day in the league apart from their FA Cup loss last weekend.
Silsden reached the First Round last season, equalling their best run since 2004/05 when they reached the Second Round. Thornaby meanwhile will be looking to overcome something of an FA Vase hangover. They have lost at the first stage in each of the last seven seasons, with their last win in the competition coming in 2007/08. Their best run came in 2002/03 when they lost in the Second Round to then NWCFL side Fleetwood Town.
As always, good luck to all our teams in the competition.
FA Carlsberg Vase 2015/16 - First Qualifying Round Preview
Thu 3rd September 2015 | FA Challenge Vase
By Martin Fallon
The 2015/16 FA Carlsberg Vase commences this coming Saturday with 18 of our clubs trying to emulate Glossop North End and North Shields on The Road to Wembley.
There are three all-NWCFL ties, with Runcorn Town taking on Litherland REMYCA at Pavilions. Town have a rich Vase history, reaching at least the Second Round in each of their five seasons, their best being the Last 16 in 2012/13.
In contrast, this is REMYCA’s first ever FA Vase match, and they will be heading into the match in confidence after a good start to the season that sees them in fourth place in the First Division with four wins from five games. The match will also be the first ever meeting between the two sides.
Another Premier v First tie occurs at The Royal British Legion Stadium as Squires Gate host Irlam. Squires Gate are still looking for their first win this season having drawn three and lost five of their eight games.
Gate reached the Quarter Finals of the Vase in 2005/06 but won only one tie in the last three seasons. Irlam have had a good start in Division One and lie in third place going into the game. They will be looking for their first win in the competition since the 2010/11 season when they reached the Second Round, their best ever run. It is the first meeting between the two sides since April 2011 when Irlam won 2-0 in a League Cup 3rd Round tie.
The final all-NWCFL sees an all-Premier Division match as Ashton Athletic host Atherton Colliers. Both clubs have had similar seasons so far having bowed out of the FA Cup after replays, with Colls in eighth place in the league and Ashton in eleventh place.
Ashton have won just one Vase tie in the last six seasons, with their best record coming in their debut season of 2007/08 when they reached the Second Round. Colls have a long Vase history stretching back to their Cheshire League days in 1980/81, with the Third Round being their best in 1992/93, and they came close to that last season when they reached the Second Round.
This match was actually the first ever midweek game for both clubs in the NWCFL Third Division back in August 1982, Colls winning that 2-0. The last meeting came in the 2nd Round of last seasons League Cup which Colls won 3-0, Ben Hardcastle, Mark Battersby and Jordan Cover on the scoresheet.
The remaining ties see six clubs on the road with six clubs at home. One quirky tie sees Rochdale Town travel to NCEL side Parkgate despite being drawn at home, this being due to rugby being played on their home pitch.
Rochdale have won their last two games on the road and will go into this tie in confident mood. Parkgate are ninth in the NCEL Premier Division, having picked up ten points from their five games. Rochdale’s best FA Vase run is the First Round which they have reached on six occasions, whilst Parkgate have reached the Third Round in two of the last four seasons.
This will be the second meeting between the two sides as they met in the Second Qualifying Round in 1997/98 with Rochdale (or Castleton Gabriels as they was then) running out 2-0 winners.
Handsworth Parramore will host AFC Liverpool in Worksop, the second week running they have faced a NWCFL side after losing at Congleton Town last week. AFC Liverpool have had a good start to the season, only losing their six game unbeaten start to the season in midweek, whilst Handsworth, who lie in 6th place in the NCEL Premier Division, bounced back from last Saturday’s loss with a 1-0 win at Retford.
This is the first ever meeting between the two sides, with AFC Liverpool looking to emulate their best ever Vase run which came in 2010/11 when they reached the Third Round. Handsworth’s are relative Vase newcomers, with this being only their third season, their best being last season when they reached the Second Round.
Padiham are playing their first Vase tie for three years having had a brief hiatus in the FA Trophy. They have a long trip to face Northern League side Morpeth Town but will be buoyed by a good start to the season which has seen them just two of their eight games.
Morpeth have also had a great start and currently lie in second place in the league, losing just one game which came in the FA Cup last Saturday. Padiham’s best run came when they were a Lancashire Combination side back in 1981/82 and they reached the Third Round. As with many Northern League sides, Morpeth have a good history in the Vase, their best being two seasons ago when they reached the last 16, losing 6-1 away at Eastbourne United (that’s a long trip!).
St Helens Town travel to Winterton Rangers, with West Street proving a happy hunting ground for Saints having won there on both previous Vase meetings between the two sides. In 2000/01 they won 3-2 in the First Round en-route to the last 16 where they bowed out to Berkhamsted Town, whilst in 2010/11 they won in the Second Round before losing to Holbrook Sports in the next round.
Saints have a fine pedigree in the Vase, having won the competition on their debut back in 1986/87. Winterton’s best Vase run came in their first season in 1976/77 when they reached the Quarter Finals, although most recently they reached the Third Round in 2008/09 before losing to eventual finalists Glossop North End.
Yorkshire is home to many clubs with the suffix “Miners Welfare” and three of our clubs face ties against these teams in this round.
Cammell Laird 1907 make the trip to the impressively named Fitzwilliam Stadium in Pontefract to face Hemsworth Miners Welfare. Lairds have struggled to adapt to life in the Premier Division and have won just once this season, although they are unbeaten in four games.
Hemsworth are sixth in NCEL Division One, and are also unbeaten in four games. The tie marks Lairds’ debut in the Vase, whilst Hemsworth have had just two victories in their six previous campaigns, bowing out previously to NWCFL sides Padiham (2009) and Winsford Untied (2014).
Staveley Miners Welfare’s Inkersall Road ground in Chesterfield is the destination for a Cheadle Town side who have lost just once in six league games so far. Cheadle’s recent Vase exploits include reaching the Second Round two seasons ago, their best since their debut in the competition in 1983/84.
Staveley will be a tough opponent having reached the Semi Finals in the Vase in 2011/12 and the Third Round two years ago when they beat three of our sides on the way. However they have lost three of their last five games in all competitions, including their last home game when they lost 2-0 against Rainworth Miners Welfare.
Nostell Miners Welfare are on the road as they visit Congleton Town for the second time in three weeks, the teams having faced each other in the FA Cup. In that meeting the two teams drew 0-0 before Congleton had a thumping 4-0 win in Wakefield in the replay.
Congleton have lost just once this season, whilst Nostell have bounced back well from their Cup exit and are unbeaten in their last three league games. Congleton reached the Fourth Round two seasons ago, their best since reaching the last 16 in 2003/04, whilst Nostell’s best Vase run came in 2008/09 when they reached the Third Round before crashing out at Stone Dominoes.
AFC Blackpool have won both of their home games in the FA Cup this season, and they will be hoping its another day of joyous knockout football at the Mechanics Ground when they host Maltby Main.
The tangerines are doing well and are unbeaten in their last six games, including a creditable 3-3 draw at Padiham in midweek. Maltby Main will relish another game against NWCFL opposition having knocked both Ashton Athletic and 1874 Northwich out of the FA Cup this season. Blackpool’s best Vase run came in 2010/11 when they reached the Second Round, whereas Maltby do not have a great record in the competition, reaching the First Round just twice, the last time in 2007/08 when they were knocked out by Squires Gate.
Barton Town Old Boys is a name that crops up frequently against our clubs in the FA Cup and Vase and they have been handed a trip to West Didsbury & Chorlton. The game will come as a welcome distraction for West who have lost five of their last six games, although the same could be said for Barton who have won just two of their eight games this season. As relative newcomers to the Vase, the best for West is the First Round which they have reached twice, with Barton progressing to the Second Round on three occasions.
Also relative newcomers to the Vase are Hanley Town who reached the Second Round last season. This was their first entry into the competition since the late 1980’s when they made four appearances in their Mid-Cheshire League days. Despite this, they will be classed as veterans in their encounter with Coventry United, with this being Coventry’s first ever tie in the competition.
Hanley have had a good start to life in the NWCFL with two 4th place finishes, including reaching last season’s Play Off Final. Coventry, who play in the Midland League, have only been in existence two seasons, but were promoted in both of them, winning the Midland League Division Two last season.
Bacup Borough get the opportunity to put league form behind them as they host the impressively named Worsbrough Bridge Athletic at home. Bacup have had a tough start after relegation last season and picked up their first win last weekend. Worsbrough have also had a mixed start and are mid-table in the NCEL First Division.
This will not be the first meeting between the two sides having faced each other at Worsbrough’s Park Road ground in September 2003, with Bacup running out 1-0 winners. Bacup’s best run in the competition came in 1993/94 when they reached the Third Round, a feat matched by their opponents who reached that stage in 1990/91 before losing to then NWCFL side Great Harwood Town.
The final match sees Silsden host Northern League side Thornaby at the Angel Telecom Stadium. Thornaby, sixth in Northern League Division Two, are unbeaten in the league this season having lost just once in the FA Cup, with Silsden unbeaten since the opening day in the league apart from their FA Cup loss last weekend.
Silsden reached the First Round last season, equalling their best run since 2004/05 when they reached the Second Round. Thornaby meanwhile will be looking to overcome something of an FA Vase hangover. They have lost at the first stage in each of the last seven seasons, with their last win in the competition coming in 2007/08. Their best run came in 2002/03 when they lost in the Second Round to then NWCFL side Fleetwood Town.
As always, good luck to all our teams in the competition.
