FA Vase
For many years the Amateur Cup was an important part of the amateur football calenadar, but when the FA decided to abolish amateur status in 1974 a new competition was created to take its place, and so the FA Vase was born. The first winners were Hoddeston Town of the London Spartan League who defeated Epsom and Ewell 1-0 in the final. In 1979 , a crowd of 17,500 watched Billericay Town beat Almondsbury Greenway 4-1.
This Season 2020-21
FA Vase First Qualifying Round
Saturday, 19th September 2020
Exmouth Town 0 Mousehole 0 AET, Exmouth Town win 5-3 on penalties.
FA Vase Second Qualifying Round Qualifying
Saturday 10th October 2020
Sherbourne v Exmouth Town
Sherbourne go through on a walkover following Exmouth Town’s withdrawal through Covid-19 isolation period.
Exmouth Town v Fleetwood Town, 1984-85 Season
Exmouth Town reached the Semi-Final of the FA Vase in the 1984-85 season. After managing a fantastic 3-2 home victory against Fleetwood Town in the first leg at Southern Road on Saturday, 23rd March 1985, they couldn’t quite see it through to the final after losing 2-0 in the away leg on Saturday, 30th March 1985.
The attendance for the home leg was an impressive 2012, with 2914 watching the return leg at the Highbury Stadium. The latter representing Town’s highest away attendance. I have been trying to find out the Town scorers in the first leg, although I do know that Russell Petersen scored the winner. Reports suggest he also netted an own goal in the away leg.
The Town team listed in the programmes for both the home and away legs was: Mike Barrett, Jeff Weeks, Keith Sprague, Lionel Thomas, Russell Petersen, Alan Hooker, Graham Weeks, Russell Dawson, Paul Gidley, Mel Pym, Steve Hynds and Robbie Hook. Note that only one substitute was allowed at the time. Had Town won the match over the two legs, they would have made it all the way to Wembley. Fleetwood Town went on to lose 3-1 to Halesowen Town in the final at Wembley. Of course, Fleetwood are now a Football League team, currently playing in Sky Bet League 1.
Town’s Route to the Semi-Final
| Prelim | Port of Bristol G.Weeks, Hook, Hooker, Hynds, Pym | Away | 5-1 |
| Round 1 | Backwell United Hook (2) | Home | 2-0 |
| Round 2 | Newbury Town Pym (3), Hook, Hynds, Petersen | Away | 6-5 |
| Round 3 | Newport Isle of Wight Dawson (2), Gennard, Pym | Home | 4-3 |
| Round 4 | Bristol Manor Farm Gennard, Pym | Away | 2-1 |
| Round 5 | Hucknall Colliery Welfare Hynds, Pym, Gidley, Dawson | Away | 4-2 |
| Round 6 | Sudbury TownHook | Home | 1-0 |
Town’s best performance in the FA Vase since that time came in the 2016-17 season when they reached the fifth round before losing away to Southall 4-2. Southall went on to lose 5-2 at home to Cleethorpes Town in the next round. By coincidence, Southall’s previous best season in the FA Vase performance was when they reached the final in 1985-86 (the year after Town lost to Fleetwood in the semi-final) where they lost 3-1 to Halesowen Town, who won the cup for the second year in succession..