Vase trip down the M1 for the Cooks tomorrow.

For those who don’t know, the F.A Vase is a national competition for clubs at step five (the UCL Premier Division and its equivalents) and anyone below who have the necessary ground status, with the final being played at Wembley Stadium. Realistically it is the only chance a majority of the players at our level will ever have of playing on the hallowed turf, plus it is a real money spinner for the clubs who have a decent run in the competition too. With all this taken into account, tomorrow is a big game and it always makes it more interesting when you are playing a team from another league as well.
This will be London Colney’s first game in this season’s competition, having been given a bye to the first-round proper, while we have had to play in the two qualifying rounds already. Rothwell Corinthians held us 1-1 at Compton Park, but a Luis Vieira double saw us through 2-1 in the replay. Ryan Ansell also has two in the Vase, putting us in the lead at home to Corinthians, then netting a worldy from thirty-yards to give us a superb 1-0 win at Histon.
London Colney had a fantastic 2016/17 season and led the table pretty much all season to lift the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division championship trophy. Things turned rather sour for the Hertfordshire club in the summer though. Th F.A placed them in the Isthmian League Division One North and the club felt that the extra travelling would prove too costly and decided to decline the promotion. On this decision the manager, most of the playing squad and four directors opted to leave Cotlandswick for pastures new leaving the club on the verge of folding, but they found their saving grace at the 23rd hour with a consortium led by former Posh legend Ken Charlery, who also became the first team manager. A professional striker for many years, after making his name at Peterborough United he went on to play for Birmingham City, Watford and Barnet before dropping into the non-league scene with Boston United, Farnborough and Basildon United. He cut his managerial teeth as assistant at Harrow Borough and St Albans City before becoming the gaffer at Ware. The club also boast another former league player as first team coach in the shape of Tom Smith. Another former Watford man, Portsmouth paid £2million for his services and sold him for £1.5m to Queens Park Rangers.
Having to rebuild the side, Charlery has done pretty well so far this season and the club currently lie in seventh, although they have played more games than anyone else the league so far. While we were winning 4-2 at Rothwell Corinthians in the league on Tuesday night, Colney were also in league action, but they ended up on the losing side in an entertaining game at Biggleswade FC where they went down by the odd goal in seven.
Tomorrow’s game doesn’t need to be decided on the day, but it will go to extra time if necessary. No penalties though and it will be back to Compton Park on Tuesday night of the scores remain level.
London Colney play outside the town and the access road isn’t too easy to find if you haven’t been there before. It is situated just off the A414 North Orbital Road, so coming from the M1 you need to go right round the roundabout and head back up the other side on the dual-carriageway, before taking the slip road on your right soon after you start heading towards home. It didn’t used to be signed, but hopefully either the football club or the rugby club will have rectified that in recent years.
At the time of writing this, I don't know who is going to be looking after team affairs. I'm told Jake Stone can't make the trip after over-seeing the last couple of games, while the club are actively seeking a replacement following Tom Chapman's resignation.
If you can’t make London Colney, the reserves have a short trip to Irchester United where they face The Romans first team in the Northants F.A Junior Cup. The Cooks have won their last two games 4-1, but the UCL Division One will prove tough opposition for the young Cooks side. The Romans haven’t made a good start to the season though and currently lie fourth from bottom after suffering eight defeats in the league already, but they did see off Northants Combination side Woodford United 4-2 in the previous round of this competition.
Both games kick-off at 3pm.