When Diss Town lifted The FA Vase in 1994, a 12-year-old Ross Potter was watching on from the Wembley stands – and now he is leading the club into the first round proper as manager.
The Norfolk outfit’s most famous day is one Potter remembers well and one that finished in dramatic circumstances.
Trailing Taunton Town 1-0 after 90 minutes, the Tangerines were awarded a penalty deep into stoppage time. Paul Gibbs netted from 12 yards and when Peter Mendham popped up to head home in injury time, Diss had their name on the trophy.
Diss Town v Basildon United
The FA Vase
First Round Proper
3pm, Saturday 31 October 2015
Brewers Green Lane, Diss
Winners receive £900 from prize fund
By Paddy Von Behr
Click here for fixtures
Fast-forward more than 20 years and Potter, who was handed the top job at Diss in the summer, is preparing for his first managerial venture into the competition.
The Eastern Counties League Division One side host Basildon United – one level above them in the non-League pyramid – on Saturday and the boss is hoping to channel his memories of 1994.
"There were probably 10,000 Diss fans there that day," said Potter. "I’m not sure I’ve seen a more exciting finish to a match.
"I don’t even know where that much injury time came from but it worked out well and it’s something that is still talked about to this day.
"When I was very young I was a Diss fan and I was a big Norwich City fan so I followed both as a young lad and I did play in the youth teams at Diss.
"The opportunity came up this summer to come back to the team I supported as a youngster. We’re in a different position now, we are a step lower than they were back then.
"Winning The Vase is a huge challenge with us being a first division side, but certainly we would like to progress through a few rounds and then we’ll see where that takes us.
"It certainly means a lot to the supporters and I’m hoping to see a big crowd on Saturday."
Standing in their way are the in-form Bees, challenging near the top of the Essex Senior League under the guidance of player-manager Craig Gillam.
However, the 33-year-old admits his playing days are coming to an end and has not pulled on his boots for each of their last eight outings.
Basildon boss Craig Gillam is confident his side can enjoy a run in The FA Vase this season
He has pinpointed a high-profile Essex Senior Cup tie with League Two Dagenham & Redbridge on Tuesday as something of a swansong, but Gillam is desperate for his charges not to lose focus ahead of the weekend.
"The last game I played was against Sporting Bengal," said Gillam. "We lost and I thought to myself ‘I have got to stop playing now’. We have only lost one game since then and that was on penalties.
"Dagenham might be my retirement game but I’m just hoping we can take it one game at a time. Saturday is massive for us. It is important because of the money but it’s also a cup that we can have a run in.
"We are absolutely flying this season. Last year I took over and we were near the bottom. We had a half-decent side but I knew we had to do something this year to finish in the top seven, which I set as the target at the start of the season.
"I have signed some fantastic players from the division above and it is going really well at the moment – if we win our game in hand, we go top of the league.
"But for a small club like us, The FA Cup and FA Vase are big. We fancy our chances to progress but it’s all about how you play on the day."
