Kirkham & Wesham v Lowestoft Town
The FA Carlsberg Vase
The Final
3pm, Sunday 11 May 2008
Wembley Stadium
Winning club receives £20,000
It will be an emotional occasion for Ady Gallagher and Mick Chapman on Sunday, when they lead out Lowestoft Town at Wembley in The FA Vase Final.
The joint-managers both have a long association with the Crown Meadow club, with Chapman (pictured below) having spent 30 years there as both player and manager and Gallagher has also represented his hometown team over the years.
Now they are just one game away from lifting The Vase and whilst they will be fully focused on doing that, Gallagher is determined to enjoy his day.
“It is the stuff of dreams to have this chance to send a team out at Wembley,” he admitted.
“I remember as a boy watching Cup Finals, seeing managers and players walking out, it's an incredibly proud moment for anyone in football.
“To manage your hometown side is a great privilege, but to be successful and go to Wembley with them is a different world.
“It will be an incredible experience to play in The Final of a competition which has seen a number of clubs from our area performing well over recent years.”
By their own admission, the Suffolk team haven’t been as successful in the Eastern Counties League Premier Division this season so that has given them even more determination to succeed in The Vase.
However, Chapman knows that his players will need to be on their game at Wembley if they are to beat Kirkham & Wesham on Sunday.
“To win anything you have to have quality, determination and organisation. But you also need lady luck on your side,” he said.
“We're hoping that will be with us today, but I look upon us as the underdogs, and we have been the underdogs in every round of the competition.
“So many of the top professionals at the very highest level will not get the opportunity to play at Wembley, but we're here.
“Despite that, our minds are totally focused on the job at hand and we want to be successful.
“Getting here is a tremendous achievement, but you get to Finals with the intention of winning and we're not just going to accept turning up and enjoying the day - we want to win.”