FA Vase First Qualifying Round - Friday/Saturday 23/24 August

[Rhodes]

Good luck to all the SSML Club's in action in the FA Vase First Qualifying Round this weekend:

Friday 23 August (kick off 7.45pm)

FA Vase First Qualifying Round
Wellingborough Whitworth v Milton Keynes Irish

Saturday 24 August (all kick off 3.00pm)

FA Vase First Qualifying Round
Buckhurst Hill v Cockfosters
Colney Heath v Wivenhoe Town
Desborough Town v Aylesbury Vale Dynamos
Halstead Town v Langford
Haverhill Rovers v Baldock Town
Holmer Green v Rothwell Corinthians
Kempston Rovers v Spartans Youth 
London Colney v Winslow United 
Oxhey Jets v Ampthill Town 
Potton United v Little Oakley
Raunds Town v Penn & Tylers Green
Stowmarket Town v Huntingdon Town

[Rhodes]

7 hours ago, Rhodes said:

Saturday 24 August

FA Vase First Qualifying Round
Holmer Green v Rothwell Corinthians

The match programme:

https://www.holmergreenfc.co.uk/downloads/holmergreen/Holmer-Green-v-Rothwell-C-24th-August-2024.pdf

[Rhodes]

7 hours ago, Rhodes said:

Saturday 24 August

FA Vase First Qualifying Round
Potton United v Little Oakley

The match programme:

https://www.pottonunited.co.uk/matchday-programmes

[Rhodes]

8 hours ago, Rhodes said:

Friday 23 August

FA Vase First Qualifying Round
Wellingborough Whitworth v Milton Keynes Irish

This should just be 'routine' for Milton Keynes Irish this evening:

[Rhodes]

3 hours ago, Rhodes said:

Saturday 24 August

FA Vase First Qualifying Round
Oxhey Jets v Ampthill Town

The match programme:

https://www.oxheyjets.com/programmes-22-23/

[Rhodes]

27 minutes ago, Rhodes said:

Saturday 24 August

FA Vase First Qualifying Round
Colney Heath v Wivenhoe Town

This should be an interesting affair:

[Rhodes]

30 minutes ago, Rhodes said:

Saturday 24 August

FA Vase First Qualifying Round
Stowmarket Town v Huntingdon Town

The match programme:

https://stowmarkettownfc.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/STFC-PROGRAMME-HUNTINGDON-TOWN-24082024.pdf

[Rhodes]

12 hours ago, Rhodes said:

Saturday 24 August
FA Vase First Qualifying Round
Haverhill Rovers v Baldock Town

How do we see this affair going:

Edited August 24 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

14 hours ago, Rhodes said:

Friday 23 August
FA Vase First Qualifying Round
Wellingborough Whitworth v Milton Keynes Irish

This should just be 'routine' for Milton Keynes Irish this evening:

Yes, no difficulties for Milton Keynes Irish last night in a 3-1 victory and they now travel to another SSML Division One Club Irchester United:

[Rhodes]

Yesterday's 'mixed bag' FA Vase First Qualifying Round results:

Saturday 24 August

FA Vase First Qualifying Round
Buckhurst Hill 3 Cockfosters 1
Colney Heath 4 Wivenhoe Town 0
Desborough Town 3 Aylesbury Vale Dynamos 2
Halstead Town 3 Langford 3 (Halstead Town win 6-5 on pens)
Haverhill Rovers 1 Baldock Town 2
Holmer Green 2 Rothwell Corinthians 3
Kempston Rovers 3 Spartans Youth 2  
London Colney 0 Winslow United 1
Oxhey Jets 1 Ampthill Town 1 (Ampthill Town win 3-2 on pens)
Potton United 2 Little Oakley 2 (Potton United win 3-2 on pens)
Raunds Town 2 Penn & Tylers Green 4
Stowmarket Town 2 Huntingdon Town 1

[Rhodes]

19 hours ago, Rhodes said:

Saturday 24 August
FA Vase First Qualifying Round
Halstead Town 3 Langford 3 (Halstead Town win 6-5 on pens)

A groundhopper from another Forum was present, I wonder what 'you know' who makes of it in his video later:

FA Vase - Halstead Town 3 Langford 3 (6-5 pens)
Attendance 118, Admission £7, Programme £1
With ten minutes remaining Halstead were 3-1 down and heading out of the Vase at the first hurdle for the third time in four years. The rain that had fallen since morning had become heavier and the home officials reckoned it had taken a hundred off the gate. Two waterfalls fell from leaks in the main stand guttering onto the touchline. Few would have argued that the score wasn't a fair reflection of the game.
Four minutes into injury time Halstead pulled a goal back. Two minutes later they'd scored another and taken the game to penalties. Langford were stunned, the home fans ecstatic, a couple rushing to the bar so they could watch the penalties with a pint in their hand.
Halstead went first and scored but their second penalty bounced off the metal wall of the industrial unit behind the ground and they were again bowing out until Langford's fifth was saved. Sudden death. Halstead scored two before their goalkeeper saved another and remarkably they were through to the next round.
I was delighted. I've rarely been given such a warm welcome at a football ground. On Friday afternoon I contacted Steve, the Halstead secretary, to make sure there'd be a programme. He confirmed there would be and he'd make sure there was one at the turnstile put by for me. When I arrived there was a programme waiting, the gateman called out to Steve that I'd arrived and he came over to say hello. Later on two other officials introduced themselves.
The main attraction at Halstead is the red brick 1940s main stand, apparently built with the help of POWs. It looks in fine condition, albeit the glass has long since been removed from the screens on either side. Behind one goal is a recent addition, a terrace that was out of use until a fortnight ago so that rails could be put along the front of each of the three steep steps. The far side is currently out of bounds due to subsidence on part of the pathway. The Clubhouse toilets have recently been refurbished and are verging on the luxurious by the standards of most football grounds.
I'd found conflicting information online about the regularity of buses between Colchester and Halstead. I arrived at Colchester Town station shortly after 10am anticipating a long wait but a bus appeared almost immediately and I was in Halstead before 11am. That left plenty of time to explore the town and its hostelries.
The houses surrounding the GBG entry Old Dog are built in an Arts & Crafts style, and each has the year it was built and a name from the title of a Jane Austen novel prominently displayed (Emma, Persuasion, Pride, Prejudice, Sense, Sensibility, Northanger Abbey). The cosy two bar pub had three ales. I had the Belhaven Scorcher.
The White Hart in the High Street has its own brewery but I went for the Bishop Nick 1555 from Braintree. A short walk from the ground the Courtyard Tap micropub had Filton Summer Freedom, something I wasn't feeling as I wandered the town on this August Bank Holiday weekend in my rainjacket munching on a cheese & beetroot roll from the wonderfully old-fashioned Hume's Bakery.
The programme had 40 pages and was a bargain at £1. It included plenty of adverts but that's something I always see as a postive as long as it's accompanied by something to read. It's suggestive of a publication that contributes to the club rather than being a burden.

[Rhodes]

20 hours ago, Rhodes said:

Saturday 24 August
FA Vase First Qualifying Round
Halstead Town 3 Langford 3 (Halstead Town win 6-5 on pens)

A groundhopper from another Forum was present, I wonder what 'you know' who makes of it in his video later:

It was worth the wait folks 😉:

Edited August 27 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

On 24/08/2024 at 10:34, Rhodes said:

Yes, no difficulties for Milton Keynes Irish last night in a 3-1 victory and they now travel to another SSML Division One Club Irchester United:

Highlights from Milton Keynes Irish's 3-1 win at Wellingborough Whitworth: