A LOOK AHEAD TO THIS WEEKEND'S FA VASE MATCHES

With the FA Vase dust settled until this coming Saturday, the League is left with two clubs to contest the 5th Round, with Sutton Common Rovers’ magnificent run finally ending last Saturday on what looked a gluepot of a pitch at Bowers & Pitsea.

Our two remaining clubs will both be at home on Saturday. Camberley Town find themselves meeting Northern League opposition in the shape of Newton Aycliffe, who are actually one of that League’s more recent arrivals.

Newton Aycliffe has a population of just over 30,000 and is not too far from Durham. To get to Camberley, they face a journey of 270 miles. One well known football person from the past associated with the town is World Cup referee George Courtney who taught at one of the local schools.

The Football Club has made rapid advancement in recent seasons, winning promotion from the Wearside League in 2008-9 to the second division of the Northern League, and then to the top division at the end of 2010-11. Over the last three seasons they have actually struggled to an extent, narrowly avoiding relegation but this season they doing far better, sitting in 6th place at the moment.

Their pedigree in the FA Vase is such that they have never gone this far before, their best previous performance coming back in 1991-92 when they reached the 3rd Round, before losing to Lancashire side Burscough.

Camberley have a better record for what it’s worth, reaching the 5th Round on three previous occasions, the most recent being in 2007-08, when they were finally beaten by Concord Rangers, now a Ryman side, of course. Camberley also went one step further in 1985-86, playing ten matches, including replays, before going out at the quarter-final stage to Halesowen Town.

Kick-off at Camberley on Saturday is 3.00 p.m. The match is not all ticket and if a reply is required it will be the following Saturday.

Just down the road from Camberley, Hartley Wintney will be entertaining Hereford FC. This match is ALL TICKET and Hartley are stressing that if you don’t have a ticket, you will not be able to enter the ground.

Most football people will be aware of Hereford’s story to an extent at least, as they progress through their first season as a reformed club in the Midland League, in which they currently have a 12 point lead at the top of the table, although second placed club Alvechurch have several games in hand.

Sitting proudly at the top of the CCL, Hartley are unlikely to be overawed and will point to their very narrow defeat in the FA Cup at the hands of Conference side Eastbourne Borough (2-3) as evidence that they can more than rise to the occasion against just about anyone this season.

Hereford, of course, have no previous record in the FA Vase but Hartley’s best performance in the past came in the 1992-93 season when they bowed out in the 3rd Round at the hands of Rothwell Town FC.

Thanks and acknowledgement to the excellent “Football Club History Database for much of the above information.