This weekend will see new winners for both The FA Trophy and FA Vase competitions.
Two Conference Premier sides, Ebbsfleet United and Torquay United, will contest tomorrow's Trophy Final at Wembley. Ebbsfleet, previously 'Gravesend & Northfleet', had never been beyond the Fourth Round stage before this season - and Torquay are playing in their first Trophy competition after last year's demotion from the Football League.
Kirkham & Wesham, who have just secured promotion from the North West Counties League's Division Two, entered The Vase (pictured left) for the first time this season and had to come in at the First Round Qualifying stage back in September. Their opponents in Sunday's Vase Final at Wembley, Lowestoft Town of the Eastern Counties League, hadn't previously advanced beyond the Fourth Round.
In the current decade there have already been SIX new winners of The FA Trophy and SEVEN new winners of The FA Vase. It only serves to emphasise the democratic nature of the two competitions.
Canvey Island (2001), Yeovil Town (2002), Burscough (2003), Hednesford Town (2004), Grays Athletic (2005) and Stevenage Borough (2007) lifted The Trophy for the first time. Deal Town (2000), Taunton Town (2001), Whitley Bay (2002), Winchester City (2004), Didcot Town (2005), Nantwich Town (2006) and Truro City (2007) picked up The Vase.
Only in The FA Vase, now in its 34th season, can a team that usually plays in front of a hundred people suddenly find itself entertaining 27,000 fans inside one of the world's greatest stadiums.