Whitley Bay v Alsager Town
The FA Carlsberg Vase
Second Round Proper
3pm, Saturday 14 November 2009
Hillshead Park, Whitley Bay FC
Winning clubs will receive £1,200 from The FA prize fund
Click here for all the Second Round Proper ties
Ian Chandler was brushing shoulders with the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, Sven-Goran Eriksson and David Moyes as he received the Football Writers Association (North) Special award for 2009. The Whitley Bay manager scooped the prize for leading his side to FA Vase success last season and is hoping that the advice he received from the top managers will benefit him, as the Bay play Alsager Town in The Vase this weekend.
"I was able to have a long chat with Joe Royle and he told me not to make a rash decision on a Saturday night if something has happened during the day, he said to wait until the Sunday and think it over.
"We won the trophy last year and were in the Semi-Final the year before, so I will be expecting at least that this season. We want to win every game now."
Chandler also knows what it is like to lift The FA Vase as a player after he scored the winner in The 2002 Final for Whitley Bay and still wishes that he could be on the pitch today.
"It's been the best time of my life," he added. "It was so special scoring the winner and lifting the cup but then to win it as a manager too was incredible. It has been great, but I would love to still be playing.
"Everyone needs to stay focused on the job in hand and make sure we win this game. We have a really good, sensible team and they will be ready come Saturday. If we play well then we will have no problem."
Alsager Town are currently 16th in the North West Counties Football League Premier Division and face a tough task if they are to knock the current holders out of the competition at Hillheads Park.
