Glossop's Wembley plans

The FA Carlsberg Vase Final
2.30pm, Sunday 10 May 2009
Wembley Stadium
Winning club will receive £20,000 from The FA and runners-up will receive £10,000

Glossop North End will make their first appearance in The FA Vase Final this Sunday as they take on Whitley Bay in the biggest game of the amateur season.

"Obviously it's the biggest competition to win at this level," enthused Glossop manager Steve Young. "And the profits will help set the club up nicely in a financial sense."

The two sides have reached The Final after an initial 514 entrants were accepted into the competition at the start of the season.

Glossop have a great history, having spent one season in the top flight at the end of the 19th Century when they recorded a three-nil win against Nottingham Forest. They now ply their trade in the North West Counties Football League.

And this year marks the 100th anniversary of Glossop's best ever FA Cup run - they reached the Quarter Final in 1909 - and Young hopes to celebrate in style by winning at Wembley.

"We're going to stay at the same hotel as we did for the Semi-Final, train at Bisham Abbey on Saturday and we're going to Wembley full of confidence."

Their supporters will make the trip down to Wembley from Derbyshire in good spirits after a dramatic penalty shoot-out win against Chalfont St Peter in the Semi-Final. With the game level at 5-5 on aggregate, Glossop managed to hold their nerve and win the shoot-out 6-5 to set up Sunday's clash with Whitley Bay.

In-form Whitley Bay may be perceived as slight favourites but that does not bother the Glossop manager, who has other concerns. "I'm more worried about us than them," he admitted. "I just hope our players will cope with the nerves of the occasion and playing at Wembley. If they do, I think we'll get a good result."

However, Young has more than just the big occasion on his mind. He joked: "To be honest, my biggest nightmare is that we leave something or someone back in Glossop!"