Crowborough Athletic v Kirkham & Wesham
The FA Carlsberg Vase
Fifth Round Proper
Saturday 9 February 2008
Winning clubs receive £2,000 
Click here for the fixtures

Kirkham & Wesham FC’s debut season in The FA Carlsberg Vase has certainly proved memorable with the North West Counties Division Two club picking up a pair of FA Team of the Round awards this term.

Based between Blackpool and Preston, Kirkham & Wesham had never kicked a ball in The Vase prior to September but Mick Fuller’s side had an immediate impact on the competition and are now preparing for an away tie against Crowborough Athletic in Round Five on Saturday.

After breezing through the qualifying rounds a 5-0 victory over Parkgate in the First Round proper saw Kirkham & Wesham awarded their first Team of the Round prize.

It wasn’t long before the Kellamergh Park outfit were back on Soho Square’s radar – A 3-0 win over West Auckland in Round Two was followed up with a 5-2 thrashing of Newcastle Benfield and yet another FA team of the Round award.

Fuller said: “To win the award once was brilliant for everyone at the club but to be recognised again is just unbelievable.”

Kirkham’s success on the pitch has also seen a much needed cash injection into the club’s coffers: “This season’s FA Vase run is the first time where we’ve actually generated some proper finance which would have been unthinkable not so long ago,” continued Fuller.

“Our new pitch at Kellamergh Park used to be a farmer’s field and its taken £70,000 to put it down and get the surface levelled and drained properly which is a huge amount of money at this level so The FA Vase has been brilliant for prize money and decent crowds.”

He added: “Our run in The FA Vase has given this club a huge boost, some fantastic publicity and now a lot more people know a thing or two about Kirkham & Wesham FC.”

The FA Carlsberg Vase reaches the last 16 stage on Saturday afternoon with The FA prize fund offering £2,000 to each winning club. For a full list of fixtures click here