The FA Vase in partnership with Carlsberg
Semi-final
Winning clubs receive £6,000

The FA Vase is assured the added spice of a North v South Final at the St Andrews Stadium, Birmingham, on Saturday 6 May following the draw for the semi-finals.

Eastern Counties Premier League side Bury Town – drawn at home for the first tie - will face free scoring Spartan South Midlands Premier League team Hillingdon Borough over two legs on Saturday 1 April and 8.

Bury Town are third in the Eastern Counties Premier, but will move into second place, four points behind AFC Sudbury if they can win their game in hand. Hillingdon Borough are sixth in the Spartan South Midlands Premier but could move up to second once they clear a congested fixture backlog.

“We’re pretty pleased to be playing the second leg at home,” said official Gary Grant. “All the teams are quality at this stage, so any small advantage is worth something.”

Competition favourites Cammell Laird of North West Counties League Division One will take on Nantwich Town – also of the North West Counties Division One - or Pickering Town of the Northern Counties East Premier League. They will have home advantage in the first leg.

“It would be great for our league if Nantwich can beat Pickering,” said Lairds general secretary Anthony Wood.

“It would guarantee a North West Counties side in the final.” Wood expects a tough clash, whichever side Cammell Laird meet, but draws confidence from his team’s 2-0 league win over Nantwich Town earlier this season.

“Nantwich are well organised and like to play football,” he said. “If we do meet, it should be a cracker.”

And if Nantwich Town – who are ninth in the North West Counties League Division One compared with Cammell Laird’s third place – overcome Pickering Town, it will be a case of these sides meeting three times in 17 days.

“We’ve got a league match scheduled at Nantwich on 23 March,’ said Wood. “If we meet, it’s sure to generate a lot of interest around here.”