They Think It's All Over

My FA Vase campaign started at a rain–soaked Oakwood in Sussex back in September against a strong Chertsey Town side. As you may recall, Chertsey stormed into a 3-0 lead after only 5 minutes, only to be pegged back to 3-3, with the game ultimately, and controversially, abandoned at the full-time whistle. That game set the tone for the run, as I was treated to games of high drama, great entertainment and no shortage of goals.

In total, I saw 49 goals hit the back of the net, not including penalty shoot-outs, an incredible average of over 4 goals per game. Quite predictably, attendances started off low (e.g. 65 and 69) but grew steadily throughout the rounds, the largest (after the Final) being 1582 who packed into Glossop North End’s Surrey Street for the Semi-Final 2nd Leg. Fans' interest in the FA Vase really gathered momentum at the national stages and I was extremely fortunate to pick up with Glossop, my town of birth, from the Fifth Round. Any attempts to stay neutral from that point were futile.

I have seen some fantastic football and I consider myself well and truly converted to the non League game. At that first game in Oakwood I remember pulling up to the ground and being asked to pay £5. I thought that was the car park charge, and I was a little shocked, before I realised the single blue note I handed over paid not only for the parking, but also for entry to the game and the programme. I parked right behind the goal. A £5 entrance fee was the norm at most games. In all, I watched 12 matches and covered 1778 miles and it was worth every penny. In between the FA Vase ties, I managed to take in other non League games at Chertsey Town, Dartford, Egham Town, Hampton & Richmond Borough, Metropolitan Police, Staines Town, Woking and Windsor & Eton, plus an FA Cup game at AFC Hornchurch. Not a Premier League ground in sight.

The season has now drawn to a close for the vast majority of non League clubs, and planning is already well underway for next season. There will be moves up, down and across the pyramid structure for many; others will stay exactly where they are whilst some battle to even survive. But what of the teams I watched in this season’s FA Vase? Here’s how their League seasons panned out:

Oakwood struggled in Division One of the Sussex County League finishing next to bottom, just above Worthing United, winning only eight League games all season. Hassocks also had a difficult campaign in the same League, finishing three places above Oakwood whilst Arundel fared best out of the Sussex trio with a runners-up spot, only two points behind champions Eastbourne United Association.

Chertsey Town were amongst the favourites for promotion from the Combined Counties League Premier Division, in no small part due to the amount of money pumped into the club. They finished 3rd in the League behind North Greenford United and winners Bedfont Green as the Surrey outfit limped across the finishing line with a congested end-of-season fixture list and a squad depleted by injuries. In the same League, Banstead Athletic coped well with managerial upheaval to finish in a credible mid-table position. There was also a mid-table finish for Cogenhoe United; The Cooks from Northamptonshire ended the season in 9th place of the United Counties Premier League.

Bitton AFC, Marske United and Chalfont St Peter can all lay claim to successful seasons. Bitton’s FA Vase run left them playing catch-up in the League. But with a great run-in, Bitton clinched the Western Premier League title, topping the table above 2nd placed Frome Town. Congratulations to everyone down at Bitton. Marske United missed out on promotion from Division Two of the Northern League by two places, finishing in 5th slot. Going into the final few games of the season, Chalfont St Peter were still challenging for the South Midlands Premier Division crown, but a couple of costly draws and a defeat against champions Biggleswade Town resulted in a 3rd placed finish.

Glossop North End and Whitley Bay not only contested the FA Vase Final, and enjoyed a day in the sun at Wembley, they also enjoyed good League campaigns. Glossop were for a while also in with a shout at the title, but their League form suffered during their marvellous FA Vase run. The Hillmen came 5th in the Premier Division of the North West Counties League, won by last season’s FA Vase winners AFC Fylde. Whitley Bay missed out on a League and Cup double by only two points, the margin that separated them from Northern League winners Newcastle Benfield. Whitley Bay finished 3rd behind Consett.

So congratulations to Whitley Bay, winners of the 2008-09 FA Vase. Whilst the teams I watched in the competition had mixed seasons, it was a pleasure to see them all and if it hadn’t been for the FA Vase I would never have considered going to watch any of them play. My abiding memory is the warmth with which I was welcomed at all the clubs, no matter which part of the country nor at which stage of the competition. To the clubs, officials, volunteers and fans that I have met along the way, thanks for your support and friendship. It has been a real joy to share a small part of your season, and most importantly, to share your passion.

Roll on 2009-10, whatever that may bring...

Game 6: Arundel 1, Cogenhoe United 4

Third Round Proper ~ Saturday 6th December 2008
Venue: Mill Road, Arundel, Sussex
Attendance: 126

Distance travelled: 103 miles


An impressive first half hat-trick from Cogenhoe United's young forward Darren Frost ultimately finished off Arundel's FA Vase campaign for this season. In a game where the visitors had only a handful of chances, and Arundel spurned many, it was Frost's assured finishing that separated the teams. A rather flattering 4-1 scoreline propelled the Northamptonshire outfit into the Fourth Round Proper.

My journey to Sussex started when I collected my travelling companion PB; it was to be just the two of us for this game, as Mackem had locked herself away with a box of Kleenex after Keano had packed his bags and waved goodbye to Wearside; and POSH Mate had made up some excuse about muck spreading (its a long story). Our journey south did not pass without incident. Just outside Fittleworth I struck a pheasant. Technically, as the bird was in mid-flight, it struck me; well, my car to be precise. I would be surprised if the bird survived the impact. I couldn't help noticing, with its contorted face pressed firmly against the windscreen, its tongue hanging limply from beneath its skewed beak, its legs splayed in an agonisingly unnatural position and its right wing coiled around a wiper blade, that it didn't look too healthy.

Once at Mill Road, we had the pleasure of meeting Cris Jackson and his young son. Cris, it transpired, had also set off last September with a plan to follow the FA Vase all the way to Wembley next May. He had started in the First Round Qualifying in Sussex at the Hassocks v Three Bridges tie, which finished 4-3 to the home side. Cris then went to the Hassocks and Chertsey Town game in the following round, where our paths joined. It also transpired that, at that Chertsey game, both our sons had met when they had played football together, with the turnstiles as goalposts; they both remembered each other. The phrase 'it's a small world' is a bit clichéd, so I won't use it. It was great to meet a kindred spirit (so to speak) and I look forward to meeting Cris again and share this journey with him throughout the next few months.

It certainly turned out to be a day for meeting people. Bob Marchant, the Arundel chairman, once again came over to say "hello" on what was a big day for him and his club. We also met Phil Wright from Cogenhoe United, another fine example of the type of person upon whom clubs at this level rely; Phil is the Programme Editor at Cogenhoe and puts his hand to a whole raft of other voluntary work at the club. His father is the Chairman and his brother coaches the U18 side. A real family affair. At half-time, I also got to meet photographer Terry Buckman who was taking shots at the game. Terry, along with my book publisher David Bauckham, last season published the excellent football-photography book 'A Season of Sussex Soccer', which I commend you all to buy. And before you ask, no, I am not on commission! There is a link to Terry's photos from Saturday's tie at the end of this post.

In amongst all this socialising, there was another good FA Vase game to report on. The outcome hinged on which of the two teams managed to take their chances. Cogenhoe United devoured theirs in splendid fashion, with some quality finishing. By half-time, the visitors were 3-0 up and Darren Frost had chilled the home fans with a wonderful hat-trick.

Frost took only ten minutes to make his mark. Playing as the lone striker, Cogenhoe's plan to hit Frost with the long ball paid dividends. Arundel had won a corner, which was played short and fizzled out to nothing. The resulting long ball up field was expertly brought under control by Frost; he dropped a shoulder and with his second touch pushed the ball a few yards off his marker and curled a delightful shot around and over Alex Bryant into the top right hand corner of the Arundel goal.

If his first goal was good, Frost's second goal was even better. Another long ball found Frost on the edge of the Mullets penalty area; with an exquisite first touch he took possession in his stride and ghosted past a static defender and fired in an excellent low shot across the keeper. 2-0 to Cogenhoe United with only fifteen minutes played.

Cogenhoe had left Northamptonshire at 10 o'clock in the morning, but their long journey seemed to have little impact on the players. It was Arundel who were rather sluggish in the early exchanges, and squandered possession far too easily in an almost panicky response to Cogenhoe's electrifying burst out of the blocks. Arundel's first real chance arrived a couple of minutes after the second goal when they had a shot deflected just wide, with the Cogenhoe goalkeeper, Darren Watts, rooted to the spot. The Arundel bench were suddenly extremely vociferous, and from the opposite side of the pitch there were clearly audible cries of "keep hold of the ball!" and "where's the movement?"

Arundel slowly joined the game. Cogenhoe United were already content to defend deep and in numbers, and this they did very well. A few long shots tested Watts in the visitor's goal, but he showed a safe pair of hands more than once. In an amusing moment, a Cogenhoe player won a clean tackle and in the process sent the referee flying; the refs' fall was theatrically broken by turf as his face made contact with it. I didn't laugh. Not much.

Cogenhoe had a chance to increase their lead on 26 minutes when Tom McGowan had a free and totally unmarked header only yards out, but contrived to direct the ball over the bar. This spurred Arundel on, and almost immediately had what was probably their best chance of the game. Mike Huckett broke clear of the Cooks defence, rounded the keeper and looked certain to score. His shot however was rather rushed, and the feeble effort was cleared off the line by a grateful Lee Gotch. As half-time approached, the home team continued to create chances as they finally kept hold of the ball. Matt Axel dragged a shot wide and then Gary Norgate was slipped in by Howard Neighbour only to see his shot blaze the wrong side of the post, when it seemed easier to hit the target. The home support were already beginning to sense this was not going to be Arundel's day.

As if to prove the point, Cogenhoe scored their third five minutes before the interval and it was fair to say it came against the run of play. Another long ball arrowed up front, found Darren Frost over towards the corner flag with the ball at his feet. Frost stood nonchalantly motionless for a few seconds. As Jason Wimbleton approached, Frost cleverly flicked the ball beyond the Arundel defender with a sudden burst of pace. Wimbleton lunged at Frost's rapidly disappearing ankles and gave away a clear penalty. Wimbleton's club nickname is the 'Silver Fox' but it was Frost who had proved the more cunning. Frost dispatched the resultant spot-kick expertly to claim the match ball.

Half-time: Arundel 0, Darren Frost 3.

This was a game of two halves and in the second period Arundel threw the kitchen sink at Cogenhoe. I actually lost count of the chances the home team had to score, many of which were good chances to say the least. Their passing was far more assured and they controlled the game. On 57 minutes, Arundel won a free kick on the left and from Matt Axell's cross Gary Norgate got his head to the ball to reduce the deficit.

But for the home team, that's as good as it got. Five minutes after Norgate's goal, Josh Biggs produced a fine run down the left, only to shoot over once inside the area. Three minutes on from that, Mike Huckett headed over from a matter of yards. With 68 minutes on the clock, Gary Norgate should have doubled his tally when he was put through, only to force a fine save from Watts. Arundel continued to press, and Cogenhoe were now on the back foot. As the clock ticked down, more chances came and went, the most notable on 80 minutes when Watts in the Cogenhoe goal pulled off another fine save, this time from Richard Ghent.

The sucker-punch for Arundel arrived on 87 minutes when Cogenhoe broke and their substitute Dan Holman - who looked about twelve years old - floated in a shot from outside the area over a rather exposed Alex Bryant: 4-1 to the visitors, and it was all over for Arundel.

This match was another good advert for non League football. It is now time for me to say "goodbye" to Arundel as Cogenhoe United take up the FA Vase baton. As the game on Saturday drew to a conclusion, Arundel castle stood majestically silhouetted in the half-moon light of a freezing cold Sussex evening. I and my friends have received warm welcomes on both our visits to the wonderful setting of Arundel Football Club, and I wish them well for the remainder of the season. Hopefully, that will not be the last time I get to see Arundel play.

Based on Saturday's performance, I doubt this is the last we will hear of Darren Frost. Remember the name.

Terry Buckman's photos
More of my, rather inferior, photos

It's A Wrap

It's been a very busy few days, what with my birthday (hurtling towards 30) and preparations for Christmas. I have always had the feeling that being born in early December has been an inconvenience, not least to my wife who is the first to admit that until my birthday is "out of the way" can she then, and only then, concentrate on festive readiness.

She does have a point. For the last few days I have been smothered by a deluge of wrapping paper and gift tags, either opening presents or wrapping them. In a blur of paper, ribbon and sticky tape I am sure that I have, at least once, wrapped one of my newly opened birthday offerings in Lego Star Wars Christmas Paper by mistake; heaven only knows what my son's junior school friend will make of his 30 year old bottle of port.

The game tomorrow at Arundel will therefore come as some relief for me, a bit of an escape from all the Dazzle Wrap. It will be my second visit to the lovely town in Sussex this season, after watching Arundel's 1-0 victory over Chertsey Town back in early October; 'The Mullets' of Arundel will host 'The Cooks' of Cogenhoe United in an FA Vase Third Round Proper clash.

Both sides are in good form. Arundel go into the tie, with a place in the last 32 up for grabs, off the back of only one defeat in 14 games. Cogenhoe United have lost once in their last 11 outings.

It is difficult to predict what the turnout for the game will be. The average attendance from the five games I have been to in this season's FA Vase is 76, with only one (at Hassocks) over 100. Interest in the competition is sure to swell as the business end approaches, and I guess that from the national stages after Christmas attendances will start to rise. I have only just found out the attendance from the game at Banstead Athletic in the last round. Conspicuous by its absence from the FA website (and in many other sources) I ended up dropping the FA an email to ask. Yesterday I received a rather curt reply that "the attendance was 62". At around the same time their website was updated.

But as for tomorrow? I know that Cogenhoe United estimate something in the region of 30 will travel down from Northamptonshire, so we may see a gate pushing 100. Unfortunately, there will be some fans of both teams who will, I'm sure, be unable to find the excuses to avoid the Saturday afternoon trip to buy Christmas presents. In a desperate and fruitless attempt to avoid sounding sexist, I don't mind declaring that I am happy to do the Christmas shopping. But not on a Saturday afternoon. I know where I'd much rather be.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Does anyone remember the classic 80's US sitcom 'Cheers'? It was a favourite of mine, and there is an exchange from one scene that I often quote that still makes me laugh two decades on. One of the characters was Norm Peterson, otherwise referred to as 'Big Norm', who was played by the actor George Wendt. In the show he was renowned for his one liners. On one occasion he enters the 'Cheers' bar preceded by a flurry of snow blown in off the wintry Boston streets. As he enters, one of the 'Cheers' regulars perched at the bar shouts over "Hey Norm! What's up?" to which Norm replies "My nipples, it's freezing outside!" I've lost count of the number of times I've rolled this one out. I'd like to apologise here and now to all my family and friends.

There is some relevance to this story. At last, the Banstead Athletic v Arundel tie is within sight, only a few days away now. I mentioned in an earlier post that Merland Rise, the venue for Saturday, has a reputation as being a very cold ground to stand in. I fear it could be very cold this coming weekend. It was only two rounds ago that we were standing in glorious sunshine at the FA Vase tie between Hassocks and Chertsey Town, with short sleeved shirts, basking in the last flickers of a fading summer. And in the blink of an eye, the weather turned, the clocks went back, the days got shorter and darker and all of a sudden it feels very cold. As Dean Martin sang, "Baby, It's Cold Outside".

At the weekend a friend accused me of having lived for far too long in the south and I had become a "southern wuss". I think she is right. I seem to feel the cold much more than I used to. I know, I know; it's probably an age thing. That week in Devon I spent with my family a few weeks back was bitterly cold, with a biting sea wind playing its part. When subsequently asked "how was your holiday" the words "cold", "chilly" or "freezing" invariably crept into the first sentence of any of my replies. I guess it serves us right for having our summer holiday in October.

In the seemingly mammoth gap between the First and Second Rounds of this FA Vase competition, I have satiated my thirst for football with a few other games. Last weekend I took my son to see the top-of-the-table Ryman League Premier Division clash between Staines Town and Dover Athletic. He had a free entry voucher, a commendable scheme run by Staines Town whereby vouchers are given away to local schools. An entertaining game, in which Dover grabbed a 90th minute winner to chalk up a 3-2 win and in doing so, cemented their position at the summit of the League. But it was cold. We are now at the stage of the season where several layers are loaded on; a t-shirt, a long sleeved shirt, a thick jumper, a fleece, a jacket. Hat. Gloves. Not quite the weather for thermal leggings, but that is not far off I'm sure. I was so bulked up at the game I occupied two seats in the small Wheatsheaf Park stand.

The following day, I headed off to Essex for the FA Cup tie between AFC Hornchurch and Peterborough United with Mackem and POSH Mate. The forecast was once again for low temperatures, so I went armed with layers of clothing. After a warming Full English breakfast in Upminster, we walked a couple of miles to the ground. By the time we reached 'The Stadium' I was feeling kind of toasted; the sun then came out and I began to regret being cocooned in so much cotton and wool. But the moment the sun retreated behind the clouds, that arctic cold snuck back in. The match itself was poor; played against a strong wind blowing the length of the pitch, it was never going to be a classic. In a game of little incident, Peterborough snatched victory at the death when the Hornchurch goalkeeper, Dale Brightly, spilled an innocuous looking long range shot to present Craig Mackail-Smith with a simple tap in. The Hornchurch players collapsed in disbelief at the mistake just when a deserved replay at London Road looked likely. One couldn't help feel for the young keeper; an inconsolable Brightly left out in the cold.

So welcome to British winter football; several months of cold and rain and frost and damp and snow await. My thermal leggings may just make the first appearance of the season for the trip to Banstead on Saturday. The danger being that I could end up sweating like a pig, which is another thing 'Big Norm' was known to do:

Norm: "I have, on several occasions, been known to perspire a bit."
Carla: "We could grow rice."

All Within Earshot

I read with a smidgen of amusement and a large heap of incredulity a number of reports in the national press at the weekend about a minority of England fans who had the audacity to boo Ashley Cole following his blooper that led to Kazakhstan's goal. How could they! What a heinous crime! Hang, draw and quarter the lot of 'em, that's what I say! Burn them at the stake!!

But seriously...what on earth is the problem? Why has this one single incident spurned major headlines in some newspapers? Why has it sparked a huge debate on message boards and resulted in uncontrollable rants that have been broadcast across our radio's airwaves? What is wrong with a few fans showing their displeasure with a player's performance? My initial reaction is the press were probably short of news. Short of news that 'sells' to be precise. Short of bad news. Rather than rejoice at the 5-1 victory, let's find something to complain about. Rather than have a considered piece of reporting on Capello and whether he got his tactics right, let's pick something trivial and, quite frankly, not newsworthy and see if we can sell more papers.

Many of you already know where I stand on this. Fans have a right to express their views. The fans - lets' be clear about this, the paying customers who cough up hard earned cash to be entertained - are surely entitled to pass comment. Aren't they? It happens in all spheres of entertainment. Film, theatre, literature, sport. We watch, we listen, we read, we observe, we digest and we respond. There are different ways of responding and a myriad of options for expressing feeling and the majority of us do so in a totally acceptable manner. However, some cross the line into unacceptable behaviour. Admittedly, when it comes to crossing that line, football fans have a certain reputation. Violence is a huge step over that line. Foul mouthed language and unrelenting verbal abuse is also uncalled for. But the odd bit of booing? Is that unacceptable? Is it really such a bad thing? Really?

Fans reacting to the moment is a part of football; it is woven in to the rich history of the game and it continues to occur, weekly, daily, at all levels from the Premiership down to the lower reaches of non League. In my view it totally enriches the game.

But I am slowly learning how different the crowd experience is in the lower leagues, and I'm not simply talking about numbers. One of the many things I am growing to love about the games at the smaller grounds is how much more obvious crowd reactions are. A comment shouted from the crowd is actually from that chap there, stood just in front of you. But it is more than that, the amusing "ref, you're an idiot" cry of disbelief comes from a frustrated fan at the opposite end of the ground and is quite clearly that young lady there, with the green and white scarf and the pink handbag. In the sparse crowd, she is easy to spot. In the intimate surroundings, you can hear her quite clearly. The reactions of the crowd are plain for all to see. The shouts, the boos, the jeers and the cheers are there, right there in your face and there is no hiding. It's like sharing a joke with 500 people. Everyone is party to it. Even the players join in. Sometimes, even the referee.

On Saturday I went to the FA Cup tie between Hampton & Richmond Borough and Whyteleafe played at The Beveree Stadium on Beaver Lane, Hampton. At grounds such as these one can almost touch the players. We were stood right on the railings that surrounded the playing area and any comments from the crowd were certainly within earshot of the players and the match officials. As if to prove this point the referee, just before half time, felt the need to stop the game and speak to one of the stewards. The said steward was then dispatched, with a number of his colleagues, into a small group of Whyteleafe fans stood behind the goal. This happened some distance from where we were standing, but it transpired that someone in the crowd had made a comment to either the referee or a player and the stewards had been sent to intervene. The point is that not only did the referee hear something, it was also easy to point out the perpetrator. Virtually impossible in the cauldron atmosphere of a Premiership crowd, but at the Beveree with a modest attendance, no problem. Had that particular fan crossed the line that defines what is acceptable and what is not?

I also read at the weekend about a fan who verbally abused a player in the FA Cup game between Whitley Bay and Hyde United. A Hyde United player, who tamely shot wide of goal, received a torrent of (reportedly) unacceptable abuse from one of his own fans. Unlike the Ashley Cole incident, this didn't make the back pages. The referee asked the abused player if he wanted the fan to be ejected from the ground. Once again, no hiding place for the accused. Not only did the referee step in to take action from comments hurled from the crowd, but in this case he passed the ultimate decision to the attacked player. Is that right?

But who decides what is acceptable? What is downright rude and obnoxious for one person may be highly amusing to the next. There is, I fear, no answer and no common ground for agreement. We are all very different, and therein lies the problem. Whilst some see booing one's own player as acceptable, others do not. What's more, are referees now expected to police crowd behaviour? Is it still part of a steward's role? Or should we, the fans, police ourselves. Do we really know what is acceptable or not at a football game? If we were totally honest, I'm sure we would say we don't. For the simple reason that we could never agree.

However, it is probably fair to say that non League fans have to be a little more circumspect in the way they react, because if they do cross that line, they are more likely to be found out as the above examples seem to testify. But it is not only the fans that need to tread more carefully; the logic also applies to the players and club officials, including the managers. It cuts both ways. At the FA Vase game at Hassocks last month there were a number of complaints from the fans about the language used by the Chertsey Town manager whilst he was giving his team a dressing down before extra-time. Close to the pitch, many fans could hear quite clearly the choice words, and some took offence, most notably parents with young children. Maybe there is a lesson there as well. Rather than pointing a collective finger at us, the paying fans, maybe the football community as a whole needs to wise up to what is and what isn't acceptable behaviour in our stadiums and grounds up and down the country.

There is one thing I am certain about. For me the crowd culture - the way in which the fans interact with the occasion - plays a huge part in the entertainment that football theatre provides. So much so that the crowd, and how they react, becomes part of that entertainment. The big match atmosphere, the singing, the display of club colours, the noisy reaction to events on the pitch. Or the more singular reactions; the lone voice shouting out a witty comment that makes the crowd laugh; the loon stood next to you who repeatedly shouts out the same thing during the whole game and sounds like a stuck record; or the big softy that cries into his beer when you lose at home. Or the odd bit of booing. Take this out of the game, and we will be one step closer to watching the game in completely sterile environments, devoid of the wonderful noise, banter and humour that is the ultimate expression of our reaction to a simple game of football.

If it ever should come to that, it would be a very sad day indeed.

Text me

I've been away, and it's good to be back. It is always nice to come home, to family and a comfortable bed. I was in deepest Wiltshire at a symposium - a posh word for a gathering of like-minded folk - to learn and to talk about (amongst other things) our modern day preferences in communication. How we 'talk' to each other through this box and screen on our desktops, or the mobile in our pockets, or the laptop in our bag. The use of the Internet, webs, blogs, wikis or social network sites. All very interesting stuff, but having had several days of this my brain is frazzled and now I simply don't feel like talking to anyone.

The subject matter was always bound to strike a chord with me, not least because of my almost accidental stumble into 'blog life' as a result of my FA Cup sojourn last season. My life on the long road to Wembley turned out to be more than simply just setting up a blog so that I could tell my story. It was also the reliance on message boards and forums to tell people I actually had a blog. It was the use of email to spread the word, to make contact with club officials. It was the use of online booking systems to buy tickets. I used Facebook and Bebo to communicate my story further and wider and deeper. It was also the reliance on my mobile to text contact details, meeting arrangements or simply announce "I'm in the ground, where are you?" A plethora of tools and capabilities and technology-driven methods to do one thing. It's good to talk.

I could probably count on one hand the number of times I actually spoke to someone on the telephone or, more striking to me, how I was far more likely to email or text someone rather than get the chance to speak and look them in the eye. I'm not saying that I watched 16 games of FA Cup football without talking to anybody or by not meeting friends and new acquaintances for a pint or two; but it wasn't the most common method. For a lot of my 'contact' work last season I was dealing with faceless people. I was sending messages to people that I only knew by their email addresses. I was having conversations with nicknames in forums or pseudonyms on message boards. I would chat with 'Left Back' from Wolves, share an awful joke with 'Bakedalasker' from Cardiff or rely on '180' from Dartford to tell his mates about my blog.

I thoroughly enjoyed last season, but there were times, especially with some of the bigger clubs, that I felt quite distanced from the fans. It was all a bit impersonal. The highlight for me was finally getting to meet some people - some of you - and being able to put faces to the names of supporters from the likes of Sittingbourne, Portsmouth or Cambridge; I met many more of you at my FA Cup book launch at Dartford FC last Saturday. I'm pleased to report you do indeed have faces.

The biggest difference I have noticed in following the FA Vase this season is that I have simply met more people, and it is wonderful. I still use the message boards and email and text, but not as much. Some of these smaller clubs simply do not have a message board or a forum run by their fans. The size of the clubs allow for an intimacy that is something I have become to realise I wouldn't change for the world. I had an inkling of this last season and it is why I enjoyed the non League games so much. Getting to converse with the fans of Chertsey Town, Oakwood and Hassocks in the last few months has been a pleasure. Having touchline chats with the players and coaching staff is something that is a non-starter in the Premiership or even in League Two, but has been easy at County football level. It is great to be greeted at games in person by the Chairman, or a member of the club committee or any of the other guys involved in the running of the club. A persistently recurring theme in this blog, it continues to give me great pleasure. The FA Vase competition has so far welcomed me into a football community that is so accessible and personal. It is not about connecting with someone through a wire, via a screen or by text floating across the ether. It is by walking up to someone, shaking hands and saying "hello".

The Chairman of Arundel FC has already expressed his willingness to meet me tomorrow before their First Round Proper encounter with Chertsey Town. I have no doubt that he will, that we will, and I know for sure we will have a good old chat.

So while all this technology is out there and it is a powerful tool that enables so much, I'm mindful of the fact that it is still the people - me and you - that are important. The way mankind communicates has, especially in the developed world, changed forever. But the one constant is the the person with a face and a voice. Tomorrow I'm going to travel down to Mill Road, home of Arundel, and leave my laptop at home and switch off my mobile phone. I'm going to be visiting a small part of Sussex and I'm going to talk to a few people who are passionate about this game, who love what they do and love to meet others who feel the same. And I know it will enrich my life a million times more than logging onto my PC.

If you are off to the game, come and say hello. I will be travelling down with Mackem; she will be the one wearing a Sunderland shirt. I might even buy you a pint.

Arundel FC

A very quick post this morning as it is currently 'all go' with my FA Cup book, which was published a little over a week ago. It has been a busy few days for me, which started with a photo shoot at Pease Pottage FC (I still maintain I have a face for the radio), a five minute slot on BBC London Radio's 'The Non-League Football Show' on Monday evening and a few newspaper interviews; tomorrow we have the official book launch at Dartford FC before their FA Cup game with Hampton & Richmond Borough. Details are available on my 'Wick To Wembley' blog that can be accessed from the menu on the right. Andy Warhol's expression "fifteen minutes of fame" feels quite apt at the moment. Crazy really, considering I've simply been along to watch a few football games, something that millions around the world do day in, day out.

Back to the FA Vase; I am only three games and two rounds in and already thoroughly enchanted by the competition. As mentioned previously, the draws have been extremely kind, ensuring that I get to visit the scenic county of Sussex at least three times. Both Oakwood and Hassocks have fallen by the wayside, and Chertsey Town's next trip out into the county will be to Arundel on Saturday 4th October.

I have been to the town before, but never to the ground. Arundel FC play at Mill Road and, once again, I have been told many times that the picturesque setting is impressive. The ground has both Arundel castle and the River Arun as a backdrop. I can't wait.

Arundel FC, nicknamed The Mullets after the local mullet fishing trade, was founded in 1889 and joined the Sussex County League in 1949. They currently play in League Division One, alongside Oakwood, Hassocks and (coincidentally) Wick, with whom my FA Cup venture last season began. In terms of honours, they have been Sussex County League champions three times (1958, 1959 and 1987) and also won the League Challenge Cup in 1987. Last season in the League they finished a credible 3rd and also chalked up an impressive FA Vase win in the First Round Proper, a 5-0 mauling of Hythe Town.

Arundel's best season in the FA Vase was in 2002-03 when they reached the 4th Round Proper with wins over Hassocks, AFC Wallingford, Erith Town and Whitehawk before succumbing to Bridlington Town.

I'm keen to learn a lot more about the club; well over a hundred years old, I'm guessing it must be one of the oldest clubs in Sussex. It is certainly about time I pay a visit.

Game 3: Hassocks 2, Chertsey Town 3 (aet)

Second Round Qualifying ~ Saturday 20th September 2008
Venue: The Beacon, Hassocks, Sussex
Attendance: 110

Distance travelled: 103 miles

The Beacon has left an impression on me, and I have no doubt in my mind that it will be a very long lasting impression. The view from the ground is alluring, with the South Downs ridge visible beyond the South Fields, with the outline of the Jack and Jill windmills focusing the eye on the point where the ridge meets the sky. It is a lovely view, and on a gloriously sunny September afternoon the scene was quite simply intoxicating.

Once again, we were treated to another excellent advert for the non League game with an enthralling encounter than ended with a one goal margin of victory for Chertsey Town. The winning goal in extra-time came as a huge relief for the away team and their supporters, in a game that they should really have killed off in the early stages of the tie. Hassocks maybe felt that they had done enough to resist the Chertsey onslaught and, with defeat snatched from the jaws of victory, were no doubt dejected at the outcome.

Our welcome to this part of Sussex was first class; I travelled with my son and fellow footy addicts Mackem, PB and Posh Mate, all wedged into my tiny motor. If any of you followed my adventures in last season's FA Cup, these names will ring many bells and my mates, more used to the surroundings of The Stadium of Light, Loftus Road or London Road, were keen to sample FA Vase football. Manning the turnstile upon our arrival was the Hassocks' Vice Chairman and General Secretary David Knight and the Youth Team General Secretary Dave John, and I later met Paul Elphick as he was writing out the teams on the Hassocks FC whiteboard. Paul's other duties include producing the programme, tannoy announcing and serving at the bar. We were made to feel extremely welcome at Hassocks and I for one learnt a lot about the club; a very friendly club indeed.

The ground boasts an impressive new clubhouse, built using monies raised by the club and donated by an anonymous benefactor. It is an impressive building, something that the club is understandably proud of. Whist the clubhouse is grand, by contrast the seating behind one goal is wonderfully quirky; a single park bench with room enough for four. Perched up on top of a bank, it is both unusual and tricky to get up to.

The game was a cracker; five goals (that's a total of sixteen in three FA Vase games already for me) played out on an uneven pitch. The surface has been re-laid over the summer after new drainage had been installed, and the pitch hadn't quite 'settled in'. In truth, it seemed to affect Chertsey the most, but the rugged turf failed to spoil what was a great Cup tie.

The five goal scoring sequence went like this. Cherstey Town took a 22nd minute lead from a Leon Johnson free kick, which went in off the post (see photo left). Hassocks equalised quarter of an hour later with an own goal, Wayne Noad applying the finishing touch into his own net after a melee in the box. All square at half-time. The home side took a 2-1 lead on 70 minutes when James Laing tucked away a close range header, and seemed to be heading through to the next round before the Chertsey substitute (and assistant manager) Kevin Cooper slipped the ball beyond Jack Simpson in the Hassocks goal with only a few minutes of normal time remaining. The tie was settled in extra-time with a fine goal on 117 minutes from Chertsey's Marcus Moody following a fine interchange involving Noad and Paul Brooker.

But the goals were only a small part of the story, and as in the previous two FA Vase games that I have seen so far, it was Brooker who quickly became the topic of discussion on the touchlines. Chertsey Town could so easily have scored close on double figures in this game, the number of clear chances they had. Many fell to Brooker; at the end of the game I had a brief chat with Spencer Day, the Chertsey manager, and I mentioned that Brooker should have had a hat-trick. "More like six!" was Day's reaction and I couldn't disagree. Brooker's numerous efforts, including several one-on-ones with the keeper, either whistled past the post, grazed the bar or drifted agonisingly wide. My guess is that he probably knew before half-time it just wasn't going to be his day.

Hassocks really struggled to keep up with the visitors from Surrey and there was a notable gap in standard on the pitch. Hassocks players do not take a single penny in wage whereas Chertsey players are reasonably well paid for this level and Chertsey are considered to be a 'rich' club. Nothing should be taken away from the home team's efforts in repelling attack after attack, but Chertsey failed to capitalise. Buoyed by almost total control of proceedings, the visitor's frequent raids were always heavy in numbers. This proved to be their undoing, and the two Hassocks' goals were a result of Chertsey committing too many men forward in an almost gung-ho fashion.

But Hassocks, against all odds, found themselves in front approaching the end of the game, and the frustration amongst the Chertsey staff and travelling support was almost unbearable to witness; the players seemed to become increasingly burdened by expectation as the minutes ticked by. Their late equaliser was greeted with huge sighs of relief but also by equally huge groans of disappointment from the Hassocks support. In the end Hassocks were denied a remarkable, if unlikely, victory.

In the interlude between the end of normal time and the start of extra-time, the Chertsey players received an almighty ear-bashing from their gaffer. I'm sure everyone in the crowd was left in no doubt as to what was being said. It was also quite clear, once extra-time got underway, that both teams were physically exhausted; but it was Chertsey - no doubt with their manager's words ringing in their ears - who found that little bit extra to seal the win in the dying minutes. As the shadows on the pitch lengthened, it was Moody's winner that sent Chertsey into the First Round Proper and set up another trip to Sussex. Heartbreak then for Hassocks; Arundel await Chertsey.

So what a great game and a marvellous day made even better by wonderful hosts. As we left Hassocks yesterday, with a huge ochre sun in the sky, I felt a tad rueful that there would be no more Vase trips to The Beacon this season. What a great spot to watch a bit of footy; I must resolve to go back one day.

Click [here] to see a fine selection of photos from the game by Chertsey Town photographer Andrew Pearson.

Jack and Jill

'Hassocks' is such a fantastic name. For me it has almost a Scottish feel to it and the word alone conjures up images of rolling hills, lochs, kilts, cabers, eagles and salmon fishing. I'm no doubt confusing the name with some famous town from Scotland, and I really should look up which. But it is a great name, nonetheless. For the trip tomorrow, I have a car load - five of us will be travelling down to the South Downs - and I think partly the description of the ground and partly the name of the club (and village) has enticed some of my football friends into paying a visit.

I have it on good authority that 'The Beacon', home of Hassocks FC, occupies a picturesque spot in Sussex. It is overlooked up on the Downs by two famous landmarks, the 'Jack and Jill' windmills. Hassocks FC have played here since 1992 and the ground is close to the small village of Clayton. Nicknamed 'The Robins' they are another Sussex County League Division One team; they joined the County League in 1981 and since have won the Division Three (1991-92) and were runners-up in Division Two (1994-95). Hassocks have reached the 2nd Round Proper of the FA Vase on two occasions and in 2005-06 they had their best ever FA Cup campaign, eventually losing in the 2nd Qualifying Round to Dulwich Hamlet.

This season, they have played six League games, winning only once. In this season's FA Cup they lost at the first time of asking, going down 1-0 to Shoreham. Whilst Chertsey Town were seeing off Oakwood in the First Round Qualifying of the FA Vase, Hassocks overcame fellow Sussex County side Three Bridges, winning 4-3 after extra-time.

Hassocks FC remain a totally amateur club; I am told that none of the players are paid for their services. I am intrigued about my visit tomorrow and I am very keen to meet some of the club committee and understand a little about how the club has steadily progressed through the non League ranks whilst maintaining their amateur status. I have already had a friendly response from the secretary at the club (David Knight) and the programme editor (Paul Elphick) and the club has a strong reputation of being one of the friendliest in the county.

As for the game tomorrow? Too close to call I think. Chertsey Town came very close to going out to Oakwood, just up the road from Hassocks, and their two encounters in the last round ought to have demonstrated (to Chertsey) the strength of football in Sussex. If I were a betting man I would go for the draw. If any of you fancy a flutter, avoid the draw.

In the process of writing this piece, I have learnt that a hassock is actually a floor cushion but the village name Hassocks is believed to have been taken from tufts of 'hassocky' grass in the surrounding fields. Now, what other football blog could give you such quality trivia? It's just a good job that the village didn't develop over the years surrounded by fields of bullrushes.

Hassocks in Sussex

The draw for the first three rounds of this season's FA Vase were all made at the same time so I have known that I would be spending at least three Autumn Saturdays in the county of Sussex. After starting my journey at Oakwood in the First Round Qualifying, the draw deemed that winners of the Oakwood v Chertsey Town tie (and therefore me) would be off next to either Hassocks or Three Bridges, both Sussex County League teams. Hassocks won a gripping tie 4-3 (after extra-time) to set up a Second Round Qualifying tie next Saturday against my local club. Both Hassocks and Chertsey Town already know that the winners will face a trip to Arundel, another Sussex outfit, in the Third Round Qualifying.

I am extremely pleased with these draws. My friend David Bauckham has been involved in, and associated with, Sussex football for a long time; primarily with Eastbourne Borough but also, through his love for the local game, county football in general. His passion has manifested itself in his excellent Nomad Online website, the directory for non League football in Sussex. Last season he also produced a wonderful book, along with Terry Buckman, entitled 'A Season Of Sussex Soccer' which is well worth a read. So for me to spend the early rounds of the FA Vase in Sussex is a real coincidence but no less of a treat. By all accounts, Hassocks and Arundel have grounds in two of the most picturesque settings in the county and I'm looking forward with great interest to visiting both.

I am doing this FA Vase venture this season for a number of reasons. One is to get me along to watch more non League football. Following the FA Cup last season was a fantastic experience, but the real joy for me was the involvement I had with non League clubs in the earlier rounds. I also want to understand what the FA Vase means to clubs these days, and what it means to their fans. The phrase 'glory hunter' may spring to some minds; someone who starts with a team he supports but then simply watches the winning team all the way to the Final, supporting different teams along the way? Well, no, far from it. As I did last season in the FA Cup, I attend all games as a 'neutral' and show no allegiances. I cannot even lay claim to be a bona fide supporter of Chertsey Town; they are indeed my local club, down at the bottom of my lane, but I have seen them only a handful of times in the eleven years I have lived in the town. In essence, this is me trying to better my own understanding of the FA Vase and football at this level and, consequently, share some of it with you. Plus, of course, you can't beat the thrill of a journey into the unknown. There is probably no more appropriate a place to start than in county football.

But first things first; a trip to Hassocks awaits me this time next week. Sussex bound once again; I now just need to find out exactly where in the county I will be headed.