AFC Whyteleafe captain Helge Orome has been a key player during their run to the Isuzu FA Vase Final, in what is his second spell with the Surrey-based club.
Ahead of Sunday’s Final against Whitstable Town, we asked him a few questions about the build-up and their hopes in what will be the club’s first-ever visit to Wembley Stadium.
What is your personal highlight from your run to the FA Vase Final?
I think getting to the Final has to be the highlight. Looking back, our first game of the journey was our worst performance but as we went through the rounds we started to get better and better.
We were in good form in the league, too, and then as we got closer and closer it was just more about, ‘we’re on the journey to Wembley now, let’s do something special for the club and for the fans, and obviously for ourselves, let’s have the opportunity of a lifetime’. So as we got closer, it started getting more real.
Tell us about the semi-final, you played in front of 2000 fans at home. How was that atmosphere?
It was amazing! This is my second stint at the club, as I played for Whyteleafe just before they folded, and we’ve never played in front of a sell-out crowd before. We had about 1400/1500 in the quarter-finals, too, and that helped us to prepare for the experience of the semi-final, of how the atmosphere would be.
So this actually happened... 🤯😭 @AFCWhyteleafe https://t.co/vYMkdSY0I3
— Helge Orome (@Helgz_) April 6, 2025
All in all, just to see the whole community out, the pubs, the local businesses all had balloons, scarfs, it was just amazing to see the town absolutely buzzing.
You now get to play at Wembley. This must be a career highlight?
I think for me, being the captain, it’s even more special. It’s an honour for me to be able to lead this club out at Wembley. But we still want to win the competition. I always say, not to sound ungrateful, but no one remembers second place, we want to go out there and win it and put our names up in history.
For a club that’s only four years old, to have that [trophy] would be unbelievable. We’d be etched in history, so that’s the most important thing for me and for this club.
What do you expect from Whitstable Town, have you prepared a specific game plan for them?
We always want to prepare. At the end of the day, we prepare for every single match and opponent, so we’re not going to do anything different. We’ll have a look at them, we’ll have a look at clips we can find and prepare ourselves with what their strengths will be, what their weaknesses will be, and try to get the better of them on the day.
But again, it’s not just about the match, it’s a massive occasion, so it’s all about which team handles the occasion best, and I think that’s the most important thing: to make sure we’re mentally prepared and ready for the Final.
WELL HELLO WEMBLEY 👀 pic.twitter.com/WK16hJrBRb
— AFC Whyteleafe 🏆 (@AFCWhyteleafe) April 5, 2025
How do you reflect on your season personally?
I feel immensely proud and honoured to be that leader, and to lead the club to the heights it’s at right now. That was my goal when I first joined Whyteleafe, to leave a legacy, to leave memories for everybody that’s involved with the club. I don’t think we’re anywhere near our ceiling.
I don’t want to sound biased, but just based on most of the teams we’ve played this season, and the fans coming back in numbers, I believe we play the best football at step five. I don’t think any other team comes close to how good we are as a footballing side. It’s kind of unheard of at this level to have a team that plays total football.
You can read the full interview with Helge in the official matchday programme for Non-League Finals Day. Click here to order a copy.
