TROPHY ARTICLE SERIES: The Buildbase FA Vase
Wed 1st January 2020 | General | By Stewart Taylor
We now reach the final two articles in this series by taking a brief look at the history of the national competitions in which our member clubs compete.
In the first of these we will consider the FA Vase and, briefly, the predecessor to the FA Vase, that being the FA Amateur Cup.
The differences between Amateur and Professional in a sporting context has long been a source of controversy. Think about Gentlemen and Players in Cricket, the restricted access to some Tennis competitions and the splitting of Rugby into two codes in the late Victorian times followed by the eventual realisation in Rugby that “amateur” players were getting paid for their endeavours out on the field of play (boot money).
The context in Football is manifest in our subject this week as, with the legalisation of professionalism within football, professional teams began to dominate the prestigious FA Cup competition. In the 1893/94 season the FA established the FA Amateur Cup to cater for amateur clubs. The winners of the competition tended to come from either the Northern League or the Isthmian League with Bishop Auckland of the Northern League registering 10 wins before the competition was discontinued in 1974. The official reason given for discontinuing the competition was that the FA abolished the distinction between professional and amateur clubs. Indeed, this is the case but there was always the suspicion that the FA had bowed to the inevitable by accepting that amateur players were being paid.
So, 1974 saw the advent of a new competition – the FA Vase – designed to take over from the FA Amateur Cup and open to clubs below what is now Step 4 of the National League System. A trophy was donated by FA Councillor Frank Adams who is believed to be the same Frank Adams after whom Adams Park, the home of Wycombe Wanderers FC, is named.
By the time the NWCFL was formed in 1982 the FA Vase was well established and provided the route for member clubs to compete on the national stage. Indeed, this was and remains the only national football competition an NWCFL club can, realistically, win. Whilst, down the years of the competition, the Northern League have had considerable success – and we all know why – NWCFL sides have had their day at Wembley Stadium and, even though not all have been successful, have represented themselves and the NWCFL well.
Space precludes an extensive review of the exploits of NWCFL clubs in the FA Vase except to note that amongst the list of finalists we see former member clubs Fleetwood Town, Clitheroe, Nantwich Town, Kirkham & Wesham (now AFC Fylde), Glossop North End and the ill-fated Colne Dynamoes alongside Warrington Town who were runners up to local rivals and current NWCFL side St Helens Town in the 1986/87 final.
We can look into that 1986/87 final in a little detail. The match was played at the old Wembley Stadium in front of a rather modest crowd of just over 4000. On the day, St Helens Town were captained by Tommy O’Neil, a local lad who had started his career at Manchester United, and managed by Alan Wellens. Visitors to St Helens Town’s Ruskin Drive ground will see a number of Heritage Boards around the ground celebrating the contributions of individuals who have been pivotal in the history of the club. One such board is dedicated to Alan Wellens and makes for fascinating reading.
In that final, St Helens Town took an early lead, doubled that lead before half time and were looking comfortable until Warrington Town, playing much better in the second half, found a goal early on. This was followed quite soon afterwards by a third for St Helens Town. Warrington reduced the arrears to just a single goal as the clock approached 90 minutes but St Helens Town won the day 3-2 and, as we used to say, climbed the 39 steps to receive the trophy. References to a well known book by John Buchan are erroneous here but the significance is that you now have to climb no fewer the 107 steps at the new Wembley to collect the trophy and medals. OK when you’ve won but a mighty effort if you have just been beaten!
And the trophy? Back in the day when St Helens Town won that final, it was the custom to present the winning club with a replica of the trophy. Our photograph this week is of that replica FA Vase trophy presented to St Helens Town and grateful thanks to the committee of St Helens Town and Glyn Jones of the NWCFL for organising this.
TROPHY ARTICLE SERIES: The Buildbase FA Vase
Wed 1st January 2020 | General
By Stewart Taylor
We now reach the final two articles in this series by taking a brief look at the history of the national competitions in which our member clubs compete.
In the first of these we will consider the FA Vase and, briefly, the predecessor to the FA Vase, that being the FA Amateur Cup.
The differences between Amateur and Professional in a sporting context has long been a source of controversy. Think about Gentlemen and Players in Cricket, the restricted access to some Tennis competitions and the splitting of Rugby into two codes in the late Victorian times followed by the eventual realisation in Rugby that “amateur” players were getting paid for their endeavours out on the field of play (boot money).
The context in Football is manifest in our subject this week as, with the legalisation of professionalism within football, professional teams began to dominate the prestigious FA Cup competition. In the 1893/94 season the FA established the FA Amateur Cup to cater for amateur clubs. The winners of the competition tended to come from either the Northern League or the Isthmian League with Bishop Auckland of the Northern League registering 10 wins before the competition was discontinued in 1974. The official reason given for discontinuing the competition was that the FA abolished the distinction between professional and amateur clubs. Indeed, this is the case but there was always the suspicion that the FA had bowed to the inevitable by accepting that amateur players were being paid.
So, 1974 saw the advent of a new competition – the FA Vase – designed to take over from the FA Amateur Cup and open to clubs below what is now Step 4 of the National League System. A trophy was donated by FA Councillor Frank Adams who is believed to be the same Frank Adams after whom Adams Park, the home of Wycombe Wanderers FC, is named.
By the time the NWCFL was formed in 1982 the FA Vase was well established and provided the route for member clubs to compete on the national stage. Indeed, this was and remains the only national football competition an NWCFL club can, realistically, win. Whilst, down the years of the competition, the Northern League have had considerable success – and we all know why – NWCFL sides have had their day at Wembley Stadium and, even though not all have been successful, have represented themselves and the NWCFL well.
Space precludes an extensive review of the exploits of NWCFL clubs in the FA Vase except to note that amongst the list of finalists we see former member clubs Fleetwood Town, Clitheroe, Nantwich Town, Kirkham & Wesham (now AFC Fylde), Glossop North End and the ill-fated Colne Dynamoes alongside Warrington Town who were runners up to local rivals and current NWCFL side St Helens Town in the 1986/87 final.
We can look into that 1986/87 final in a little detail. The match was played at the old Wembley Stadium in front of a rather modest crowd of just over 4000. On the day, St Helens Town were captained by Tommy O’Neil, a local lad who had started his career at Manchester United, and managed by Alan Wellens. Visitors to St Helens Town’s Ruskin Drive ground will see a number of Heritage Boards around the ground celebrating the contributions of individuals who have been pivotal in the history of the club. One such board is dedicated to Alan Wellens and makes for fascinating reading.
In that final, St Helens Town took an early lead, doubled that lead before half time and were looking comfortable until Warrington Town, playing much better in the second half, found a goal early on. This was followed quite soon afterwards by a third for St Helens Town. Warrington reduced the arrears to just a single goal as the clock approached 90 minutes but St Helens Town won the day 3-2 and, as we used to say, climbed the 39 steps to receive the trophy. References to a well known book by John Buchan are erroneous here but the significance is that you now have to climb no fewer the 107 steps at the new Wembley to collect the trophy and medals. OK when you’ve won but a mighty effort if you have just been beaten!
And the trophy? Back in the day when St Helens Town won that final, it was the custom to present the winning club with a replica of the trophy. Our photograph this week is of that replica FA Vase trophy presented to St Helens Town and grateful thanks to the committee of St Helens Town and Glyn Jones of the NWCFL for organising this.
