THE MILLERS, A WEMBLEY SKI JUMP AND RAZOR

May 31st 1893 The Football League decided to increase the size of the Second Division from 12 to 16 clubs for the start of the season 1893/94. Newcastle United and Rotherham Town were elected at the League AGM but it was decided to fill the other two places by advertising for clubs. Applications were received from Doncaster Rovers, Liverpool, Loughborough, Middlesbrough Ironopolis and Woolwich Arsenal. On May 31stin 1893, the Football League announced that they had offered Liverpool and Arsenal the remaining two places. For Arsenal, it was perhaps a brave decision. Apart from the FA Cup, their 1892/3 fixture list consisted entirely of friendlies and since they became the first southern side to join the Football League ,every other club in the division would be hit with extra travelling costs.

In 1899, a team known as Rotherham Casuals and boys from Rotherham Grammar School combined to form Rotherham F.C. On becoming a limited company in 1904, a new name of Rotherham Athletic was adopted, and a year later they changed their name again, to Rotherham Town, which had been the name of a former football league club from the town.

In 1903 the new club joined the Midland League where they remained until 1925, when they merged with their Third Division North neighbours Rotherham County (founded in 1877) to form Rotherham United.

The club's colours were initially yellow and black, but changed to the red and white around 1930. Rotherham United now play their home games at New York Stadium (named after the area in Rotherham), a modern 12,004 capacity all-seater stadium, having previously played at their original home, Millmoor, since its foundation for 101 years. Below the AESSEAL STADIUM. The company manufactures mechanical seals, bearing protectors and other mechanical bits and bobs.

Joining the Football League in 1925, Rotherham spent the first 25 years of their time in the Third Division North, the lowest level of the Football League, finally gaining promotion to the Second Division at the end of the 1950–51 season.

Rotherham United Football Club is nicknamed The Millers, now playing in League One, the third tier of the EFL. In the 2021-22 season The Millers finished 23rd in the Championship.

31st May 1961 Football may be the major attraction to Wembley but over the years the "national" stadium has hosted some weird and wonderful events, perhaps the most weird in 1961? A 150-foot tower was built at one end of the ground and then on May 31st, for one session and on June 1st, two sessions, some 50 tons of ice was crushed into artificial snow each session and spread to a depth of 6 inches on the bottom slope of the tower. And then the paying spectators watched ski-jumping. Seems sensible??

In his time at Liverpool, Neil 'Razor' Ruddock didn't get on terribly well with Manchester United's Eric Cantona - but in later years he was to have 15,000 reasons to thank him. Cantona scored the winning goal for United against Liverpool in the 1996 May FA Cup Final and exchanged shirts with Liverpool captain John Barnes after the match. Disappointed by the result Barnes threw the number 7 shirt on the dressing room floor and Ruddock - who hadn't played in the match or been a sub - asked to keep it to make up for the disappointment of not taking part in the Wembley final. He did keep it - well until May 2013 when he sold it at auction - for £15,000-Razor sharp deal that.

LIVERPOOL IN ROME v ROMA AND MORE ON MAY 30th

On May 30th 1984, Liverpool played AS Roma in the 28th European Cup Final (as it was known in those days) playing on the Roma "home ground", The Stadio Olimpico. The "Romans" lost the trophy match on penalties. The shoot out might be remembered mainly as the Liverpudlian goalkeeper, Bruce Grobbelaar's, wobbly legs, known as "spaghetti legs, an "off putting performance" as the Romans prepared to take their penalties!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDn9xSZjThk

Alan Kennedy was also just as important  in the decider, for his ice cool winning penalty kick. Alan reported that he was confident and knew exactly where he was going to put the ball. Steve Nicol missed the first Liverpool penalty and the Romans were ahead with an exquisite two-step penalty by their captain, Agostino di Bartolomei. He was a "deep-lying" play maker in the Roma side, only scoring 66 goals in 308 games for his club, with 7 coming in the club's championship season.  Agostino by the way means "great". As the final was a "failure" for him and the club not able to carry away a European trophy, Agostino and club manager Nils Liedhohn were sent on their way, both moving to the then, struggling Milan. This move didn't suit Agostino and he was soon moving his way down the leagues to see out his career. 

He tried to set up a "football school" but he found himself in debt and struggling with depression, so much so that ten years after the Liverpool defeat, di Bartolomei shot himself in the heart, an excrutiating form of suicide. "I can't see a way out!" he wrote on a suicide note, which came as a complete shock to his family. Thousands of adoring fans attended his funeral along with the bulk of his 1980s Roma squad.

On May 30th 1979, Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, took unfashionable Nottingham Forest to a European Cup Final 1-0 victory over the Swedish Champions, Malmo, in Munich. It was the 23rd final. An amazing achievement – one which Forest repeated the following year to become the first club ever to win the European Cup more often than their own domestic League title.  Do you remember who scored the goal?  Today Forest celebrate being back in the big time (Premier League) following their play off (VAR??) victory over Huddersfield Town at Wembley yesterday.  

In 1973, on May 30th, the 17th Cup Final saw Ajax beat Juventus 1-0 in Belgrade. 

On this day 1957, Real Madrid beat Fiorentina 2-0 in the European Cup Final in Madrid, with goals from Alfredo di Stefano and Gento. In 1973, same day, Ajax beat Juventus 1-0 in the Belgrade Final. 

THE £170million+ GAME

This afternoon, two sides, Huddersfield Town and Nottingham Forest play in a play off game at Wembley, worth  £170m+. Two clubs with great histories.

It is five years since Huddersfield Town’s last visit to Wembley, for a Championship playoff final, which was shrink-wrapped in nerves that ended with a penalty shoot-out. After the victory the then captain and match-winner, Christopher Schindler, held court in the tunnel and elaborated on the team bond built by David Wagner, whose no-limits motto was plastered on personalised wristbands given to each player, fit with their initials and squad number. 

Today another tightknit Huddersfield  side, this one led by the methodical Carlos Corberán, stand one game from returning to the Premier League. “The togetherness has been one of the keys to the highly competitive level of the squad,” the Spanish head coach says. Huddersfield’s players and staff spent last week on the Algarve accompanied by their families. 

Dean Hoyle, the chief executive and part-owner who was chairman when the club last won promotion, was keen to reward their efforts, regardless of whether they returned to Wembley, by mirroring a similar trip to Portugal before that triumph over Reading.  

The only player who remains from that squad is the current captain, Jonathan Hogg, known as “the general” to his teammates, a moniker given to him by an avid supporter. “Because we got through [to the final] it ended up being a training camp,” says Huddersfield’s head of football operations, Leigh Bromby. “If we hadn’t, it would have been a holiday and a thank you to all of the staff, players and their families. It is probably unique in football.” Huddersfield have made a mockery of the notion that financial clout is the only way to compete with clubs fattened by parachute payments. The starting XI, for their play-off semi-final victory, cost little more than £1.5m and the entire squad about £2.3m. 

Last summer they set about remedying what was statistically the worst defence in the division last season and moved quickly to take advantage of a flat market, exacerbated by the pandemic, to sign seven players on frees. They included the goalkeeper Lee Nicholls, who made seven starts in League One for MK Dons last season, and the 21-year-old midfielder Jon Russell, who struggled for game time on loan from Chelsea at Accrington. Ollie Turton joined days after helping Blackpool to promotion at Wembley last season. 

Then there is Tom Lees, who tasted relegation with Sheffield Wednesday last season, another player who, on the surface, was not the most obvious pickup. “The idea is we try to maximise the potential of the players,” says Bromby. “One of the big things we tried to do last summer was make sure that we represent the club and the values with our players, so personality was important to us.“Tom is almost 32 years old and he has had one of his best ever seasons. Tom is a great professional, someone who adheres to all our values, and every game he gives 100%; he’s come off this year with stitches, a broken nose, everything. 

The club wanted to get back to that spirit and those values are being seen on the pitch, so that the fans can connect with our team. It was really important for us to make sure of that, because I think we had lost a little bit of honour and belief.” 

It's 23 years since The Terriers were last in the Premier League. Many say this play-off is the greatest gift ever, given to football...well?? If the game is anything like yesterday's Wrexham v Grimsby 4-5 play-off semi-final in the National League then, bring it on!

Premier League 2021-22 review: the big quiz of the season

Read more

 The 19-year-old defender Levi Colwill is the latest Chelsea youngster to flourish on loan, following in the footsteps of Kasey Palmer and Izzy Brown, part of the team promoted five years ago and, more recently, Trevoh Chalobah. In January, Tino Anjorin became the latest Chelsea player to make Huddersfield their temporary home. “We always seem to get them in the FA Youth Cup, and they always beat us, so we get to see them firsthand,” Bromby says, laughing. Huddersfield’s hierarchy recognised the importance of Corberán having a full pre-season to implement his methods and the results have been fruitful. Formerly an assistant to Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds, he had three weeks to shape his squad before his first season, which ended with Huddersfield in 20th. Look at The Terriers nLast season, Town also exited the FA Cup and the EFL Cup at the earliest possible stage and won one of their final 10 matches. That victory? Against Nottingham Forest, Sunday’s opponents. Games being played behind closed doors also helped alleviate any external heat.Town player, Tom Lees is almost 32 years old and he has had one of his best ever seasons. Tom is a great professional, someone who adheres to all our values, and every game he gives 100%; he has come off pitches this year with stitches, a broken nose, he has given everything. We wanted to get back to that spirit on and off the pitch, so that the fans can connect with their team. 

THE VALIANTS AND THE STAGS

Today two of our lesser known clubs, Mansfield Town and Port Vale meet in the League Two Play Off at Wembley. The winners will play in Le4ague One next season. To get to the final, Vale beat Swindon Town and  Mansfield beat Northampton Town. Vale (5th in the division) had taken four points off, Mansfield Town, The Stags (who came 7th) in the season.

Port Vale is the only English Football League club not to be named after a place; their name being a reference to the valley of ports on the Trent and Mersey Canal. They have never played top-flight football, and hold the records for the most seasons in the EFL (110) and in the second tier (41) without reaching the first tier. The club's traditional rivals are Stoke City and games between the two are known as the "Potteries Derby". Presently, they are in EFL2.

The crest was introduced in February 2013; it included local historical references: the Portland Vases representing Josiah Wedgwood (top left), the Scythe coming from the house crest of the Sneyd family (top right) and the silver cross appearing from the house crest of the local landowners, the Audley Family, as well as the Stafford Knot above the crest.

Founded in 1876 the Valiants were an amateur side, named after the club's meeting place, Port Vale House, a suburb of Stoke on Trent. The suburb in Stoke was a port serving the Trent-Mersey canals.
In 1884 the club moved to Burslem and added that to front of their club name, playing in the Midland League.
In 1892 they were founder members of the Football League, but had a few financial moments, leaving the league in 1896 but were able, in 1898, to rejoin the Division Two.
Times were tough and they collapsed again in 1907 and played Central League games under the more straight forward name, Port Vale. 

They rejoined the Football League after the First World War, replacing Leeds City who had been thrown out of the league after financial irregularities. Port Vale took over Leeds' remaining fixtures and finished 13th in the division.

In 1950 the club moved to the present Vale Park, remembering that this is a league club playing without a geographical place name. Any others?
https://www.quora.com/Is-Arsenal-the-only-club-not-named-after-the-city-state-they-are-based-in

Freddie Steele's "Iron Curtain" team won the Third Division North title in 1953-4 and reached the FA Cup semi-final, a very successful season.

In 1965-8, Potters' hero, Stanley Matthews, (who was he??? Look him up!!!) took over as General manager after he decided finally to retire from playing. Stanley Matthews  joined manager Jackie Mudie, a Scottish colleague from their days at Blackpool FC. They both won FA Cup medals in the 1953 Cup Final.

Since then Vale have been up and down, managed by Gordon Lee, John McGrath, John Rudge, Micky Adams to name a few, but do you know Bruno Ribeiro? He had a stab at bringing fame and fortune to the Valiants, in season 2016-17, unfortunately signing 19 new players didn't work and by December 2016, Bruno "retired" with Michael Brown standing in. He couldn't save Vale from relegation and they ended up in League Two. The club has appointed 16 managers this century!! Dean Glover three times!!

John Rudge and Neil Aspin are at the helm this season. Roy Sproson was manager between 1974-7; he holds the record for most appearances for the club-842 between 1950-1972. It didn't work much!

STEEL, BALLS, LAW, FIRE.

On May 27th 1951 was a bit of a jinx day in the history of Scotland's international side. On 27th May 1951, Dundee's Billie Steel became the first Scottish international player to be sent off. His marching orders for retaliation happened in the 82nd minute of a bad-tempered 4-0 defeat against Austria in Vienna. Nine years later - on 27th May 1959 - the second sending off occurred. Bertie Auld, best known as one of the Celtic Lisbon Lions that won the European Cup in 1967, was sent off in the third minute of added time against the Netherlands in Amsterdam, also for retaliation. On his Scotland debut! Born: 1 May 1923 in Denny. Died: 13 May 1982, in Lancaster, California. An inside forward he played from 1942–1947 for Morton, 1947–1950 for Derby County and between 1947–1953 for Scotland.

and on 27th May 1972 the firey England midfielder,  Alan Ball, wound up a 119,325 Hampden Park crowd by wiping his nose on a corner flag bearing the Cross of St Andrew. England beat Scotland 1-0. And below, in  the arms of "The Law"; possibly as a result ...Ball scored the goal!

Alan Ball, aged 61, died in the early hours of 25 April 2007 at his home in Hook, Fareham, Hampshire, after suffering a heart attack, while attempting to put out a blaze in his garden that had started when a bonfire – on which he had been burning garden waste – re-ignited and spread to a nearby fence.

Ball's son, Alan jnr, was a youth player at Exeter City and Southampton during his father's managerial stints at the clubs. Ball later played senior football for BAT Sports. Following his playing spell, Ball moved into coaching, coaching at Christchurch and Winchester City. In 2014, following coaching spells at Portsmouth and Irish club Shelbourne, Ball moved to the United States, to coach Puget Sound Gunners.. Ball later returned to England, coaching in the academies at Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City.

On 11 April 2021, Ball was appointed interim manager of Forest Green Rovers until the end of the  2020-1 season. After having failed to gain promotion, Rob Edwards was appointed head coach, and Ball went back to coach the under-18s team. He left the club with mutual consent in September 2021. Ball was appointed first-team coach at League Two club, Stevenage on 4 January 2022. In March 2022, Ball was appointed as manager of AFC Totton in the Southern Lague.

In conclusion, all three Ball family members have managed in the Football League.

SPINK, WOODCOCK, SOLSKJAER

Goalkeeper Nigel Spink, was transfered from Chelmsford City FC to join Aston Villa on December 1st 1977 and he made his League debut on Boxing Day 1979 in the 1-2 defeat at Nottingham Forest. 

He had to wait until 26th May 1982 for his second appearance in the first team.....playing for Aston Villa in the European Cup Final! He came on as a sub in the 10th minute when injury forced first choice 'keeper Jimmy Rimmer to leave the action against favourites Bayern Munich in the final played in Rotterdam. The goalkeeper played a blinder, keeping a clean sheet, while Peter Withe scored the only goal to see Villa crowned as European champions - the sixth season in a row that an English team had won Europe's top club competition. Spink went on to WBA on January 31st 1996, Millwall on September 26th 1997 and Forest Green Rovers on June 1st 2000, retiring in June 2001, being "put out to grass"!

Football On This Day – 26th May 1984
Leicester City’s Gary Lineker made his England debut as a 72nd minute substitute for Tony Woodcock in the 1-1 draw against Scotland at Hampden Park which used to entertain us as the season drew to a close in the British Home Championship. Mark MaGhee scored for the home side after 13 minutes  and Tony Woodcock scored the England goal in 37th minute.

Football On This Day – 26th May 1999
Manchester United's attempt to win the Champions' League for the first time looked doomed to failure at the Nou Camp, Barcelona. They went behind against Bayern Munich after just six minutes and that was still the score as the final whistle approached. Then amazingly came goals from subs, Teddy Sheringham in the first minute of injury time and Ole Gunnar Solskjær, a minute later and the Champions League trophy joined the Premier League trophy and FA Cup in the Old Trafford trophy cupboard.

RELIEF FROM WAR

As the Second World War ended and England got back to playing international football. Competitive football started again in 1945. The FA Cup was to resume, as the 1945-6 season "restarted" full time and regional "leagues" continued but reverted to the four-tier system with 22 clubs in each division, on August 31st 1946. 

Tommy Lawton was the only England player to start the last game in 1939 v Romania, a 0-2 loss and England's first post-war game, a 0-2 loss. Prior to this England teams were run by committee from the FA, but post-war, here was a new England coach-Walter Winterbottom (below), very much an "FA Man", though charming. He handed over the reigns to Alf Ramsey in 1963.

England returned to "action"in September 1946. At this time, all European nations, of course, were suffering from "post war blues". However, on the 28th September, England met Ireland in Belfast and won 7-2. They then met an FA of Ireland XI (actually this team was the Republic of Ireland team) on Sept 30th and won 1-0 in Dublin, with a goal from Tom Finney.

Next came Wales in November at Maine Road, a 3-0 win and on November 27th at Leeds Road Hiddersfield, the Netherlands were beaten 8-2. Tommy Lawton scored 4, Horatio Carter 2, Wilf Mannion and Tom Finney one each. Proper christian names then!

On the 25th May 1947, England beat Portugal 10-0 in Lisbon (att:65,000) with Stan Mortensen of Blackpool, scoring 4 on his debut. Tommy Lawton scored 4, the first after just 17 seconds. Tom Finney and Stanley Matthews added one each. I promise I haven't made that up - England did that sort of things in those days! 

Football On This Day – 25th May 1967
Celtic beat Inter Milan 2-1 in Lisbon, becoming the first British club to win the European Cup, the cup for winners of each national league in Europe. 

The Italians, twice European Cup winners in the previous three seasons, took the lead from a Sandro Mazzola penalty after just seven minutes before Tommy Gemmell and Stevie Chalmers scored second half goals to take the trophy to Glasgow. 

The victorious Celtic team became known as the Lisbon Lions and given the international nature of players in the top European teams nowadays it's hard to believe that every one of those Lisbon Lions were born in Scotland. In fact, every member of Celtic's 15 man first team squad was born with 30 miles of Celtic Park.

GERRARD ALL OVER

Football On This Day – 24th May 2015 

Steven Gerrard made his first-team debut for Liverpool on November 29th 1998, in a Premier League match against Blackburn Rovers at Anfield and on 24th May 2015 he played his 504th and last League match for the club. In this game, he scored Liverpool's only goal at Stoke City but it wasn't a memorable last game for the Reds' legend. In fact the match ended in a scoreline he hadn't experienced in any of his previous 503 League matches for the club (and hadn't happened in his lifetime) - a 6-1 defeat! 

For Liverpool, the end-of-season meeting with Stoke City was supposed to be one of those 'the score doesn't matter' occasions, especially as it was Steven Gerrard's final game for the Reds. However, losing 6-1 was definitely not in the script. Stoke were 5-0 up by half-time, after which Gerrard did manage to get himself on the scoresheet, but the damage was well and truly done.

Gerrard had already experienced defeat in his final home game against Crystal Palace (1-3) when Alan Pardew's side turned over the Reds at Anfield, but his final game in Liverpool colours was to end in even more embarrassing fashion. 

What was supposed to be a pleasant send-off for an Anfield legend on his way to LA Galaxy turned into a complete and utter nightmare. Stoke absolutely battered Brendan Rodgers' side and were 5-0 up at half-time through goals from Mame Biram Diouf (2), Jon Walters, Charlie Adam, and Steven N'Zonzi.

https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/1131905353774501888

At then of his 17 year reign at Liverpool Steven Gerrard made his 710th and final appearance for Liverpool and scored his 186th goal for the Reds. He later moved to the LA Galaxy club in the Major League in the USA.

In the heaviest defeat of his career, before this match, he had never lost a Premier League game by more than four goals. Stoke City were now the first team to score five goals against Liverpool in a league game since they suffered a 5-1 defeat at Coventry City on 19 December 1992 (the first season of the Premier League). The last time Liverpool conceded six or more goals in a game was on Easter Monday in 1963 (15 April) when Bill Shankly's newly-promoted Reds were beaten 7-2 at top-of-the-table Tottenham Hotspur in League Division One. Jimmy Greaves scored four for Spurs while Roger Hunt claimed Liverpool's goals.

Only Ian Callaghan and Jamie Carragher had made more apps than Gerrard and only Ian Rush, Roger Hunt, Gordon Hodgson and Billy Liddell had scored more.

Gerrard had scored 69 Premier League goals at Anfield; a total only bettered by Robbie Fowler with 85.

It was a much better day three days earlier (Good Friday) for Shanks' charges as they beat the same opponents 5-2 at Anfield. They had not been trailing by a five goal or more margin at half-time since a 6-1 defeat at Cardiff City on 28 December 1957 in League Division Two. In the top flight, this amount of defeat had not occurred since a 6-0 defeat at Arsenal on 28 November 1931.

There had now been 100 goals this season in Premier League matches involving Liverpool (52 for and 48 against). In the previous season, they scored 101 goals in the Premier League.

Liverpool-some records.....

• Record defeat: 1–9 against Birmingham City (Second Division) 11 December 1954.
• Record defeat at Anfield: 0–6 against v Sunderland First Division, 19 April 1930.
• Record-scoring defeat: 2–9 against Newcastle Utd in First Division, 1 January 1934.
• Record Premier League defeat: 1–6 against Stoke City, 24 May 2015, 0–5 against Manchester City, 9 September 2017, 2–7 against Aston Villa, 4 October 2020.
• Record FA Cup defeat: 0–5 against Bolton Wanderers in fourth round, first leg, 26 January 1946.
• Record League Cup defeat: 0–5 against Aston Villa in quarter-finals, 17 December 2019.
• Most league defeats in a season: 23 defeats from 42 games (during the 1953-4 season).
• Fewest defeats in a season: Unbeaten during the 28-game 1893-4 season.

Gerrard addressed Liverpool's fans before joining his team-mates on a lap of honour and then leaving the Anfield turf for the final time after a 17-year career that has brought the Champions League victory against AC Milan that he inspired in Istanbul in 2005, as well as the Uefa Cup, two FA Cups and three League Cup triumphs.

DORKING WANDER INTO MEADOWBANK

A club from Surrey. Worth seeing how it can grow.
Do not confuse Dorking FC with Dorking Wanderers! The original Dorking FC was formed in 1880 and was the oldest senior football club in Surrey until folding and disbanding in 2017. So "out with the old and make way for the new". Above is the Dorking FC old ground, Meadowbank. AND below the home of the new club in Dorking, which is..... 

Dorking Wanderers Football Club is a semi-professional club affiliated to the Surrey County FA and they are currently members of the National League South, the sixth tier of English football They play at Meadowbank, their home since July 2018. 

Meadowbank had become the home ground of Dorking F.C. in 1953. A 200-seat stand was built on one side of the pitch around 1956, with a covered standing area built on the other. Another covered standing area was installed behind one goal, with the other end left open. However, they were forced to leave the ground in 2013 after it was shut down for failing to meet health and safety requirements. Prior to Dorking Wanderers moving to the ground, it was upgraded to include a 300-seat stand, two covered standing areas and an 3G surface, as it was converted to a community sports facility at a cost of £5m. The Surrey County FA also moved their headquarters to Meadowbank when it reopened. In February 2020 the club announced that planning permission had been granted to upgrade Meadowbank Stadium to a Grade B status. In July 2020, the stadium passed the Grade B status assessment. By September 2020 work had been completed on a new seated stand and a new covered terrace both at the east end of the ground, taking Meadowbank's official capacity to 3,000.

Dorking Wanderers club was formed in 1999 and initially played in the local Crawley and District League. After their first season in the Crawley League they switched to Division Four of the West Sussex League, winning the division at the first attempt. In 2001–02 the club finished as Division Three runners-up, earning a third consecutive promotion. After winning Division Two in 2003–04 they were promoted to Division One and a third-place finish in Division One in 2005–06 saw them promoted to the Premier Division.

In 2006–07 Wanderers won the West Sussex League's Premier Division, clinching the title with a victory on the last day of the season. As a result, the club were promoted to Division Three of the Sussex County League, winning Division Three in 2010-11, with promotion to Division Two and  then promoted to Division One. 

However, the league initially denied them entry to the division as their ground was not deemed to meet the necessary requirements, but the club appealed to the FA who over-ruled the decision after an independent ground grading visit, confirmed that the ground reached the mandatory standards for Division One football. In 2014-15, Dorking won promotion to Division One South of the Isthmian League.

They finished as runners-up in Division One South, qualifying for the promotion play-offs, but lost the crucial match. They finished second again, beating Hasting Uniyed on penalties in the semi-final after a 1–1 draw, and then won again on penalties against Corinthian-Casuals in the final following a 0–0 draw, earning promotion to the Premier Division. In 2018-19 the club won the Premier Division by a margin of 22 points, earning promotion to the National League South for their first time in history. The club moved from Step 5 to Step 1 in 9 years.

Following the curtailment of the 2019-20 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they were placed seventh in the league table (decided on a points-per-game basis), qualifying for the promotion play-offs. After beating Bath City 2–1 in the quarter-finals, the club lost 3–2 to Weymouth in the semi-finals. The 2020-1 season was made null and void following a vote by member clubs of the National League, Dorking were sitting top of the league at the point the season was ended.

In the 2021–22 season Wanderers won their first Surrey Senior Cup Final beating Kingstonian FC.  In 2020-1 Dorking finished second in the league, going on to defeat Ebbsfleet United in the play-off final, earning promotion to the National League for the first time in the club's history. Their next promotion could be to the EFL Two.  If you would like to see how your local club could climb the pyramid, have a look at these.  

https://www.dorkingwanderers.com/club-history  (14 mins)

https://www.dorkingwanderers.com/about

PREMIER END: VASE WON; TROPHY NEXT

I could get excited about the final day of the season....Spurs scoring loads and putting Arsenal in its place....., the clambering for the top of the Premier League, Liverpool, City, Martin Tyler!! BUT this next lot interests me more.....The 2021–22 FA Vase (Known for sponsorship reasons as the Buildbase FA Vase) is in its 48th season and is an annual competition for teams playing in Levels 9 and 10 (steps 5 & 6) of the English National League System, including the Isle of Man and Channel Islands. This competition was originally known as the FA Amateur Cup but was modernised when the FA made the game "OPEN" and amateurism was lost as a concept. The Amateur was staged for the first time in the 1893-4 in response to the increasing domination of the sport by professional teams. The first winners of the Amateur were THE OLD CARTHUSIANS (old boys of Charterhouse School), who beat The Casuals (origins of the Corinthian Casuals) 2-1 on April 7th, 1874. 

The competition was discontinued after the 1973-4 when the FA abolished the "semi-pro" policy, whereby all clubs were officially considered to be either professional or amateur in status.

The Vase competition is played with two qualifying rounds followed by six proper rounds, semi-finals, and the final played at Wembley. All ties this season were played to a finish on the day, meaning no replays. The first winners of the Vase were Warrington Rylands from the North-west Counties and "most" winners have been Whitley Bay, four times.

Only five teams have won the FA Vase more than once. Whitley Bay are the only team to win the FA Vase three times in successive seasons, while Billericay Town, Tiverton Town and Halesowen Town have won back-to-back titles. Northern league clubs seem to have had a dominance in the recent finals. In 2017 Forest Green Rovers became the first FA Vase winners to go on to play in the EFL, while one former Football League team (Glossop North End a long while back!!) have been beaten finalists. In September 2021 Hinkley AFC set a new record score in the competition, beating St Martin's from Oswestry, Shropshire, 18-0. 

For this season there were no replays in any of the rounds to minimise fixture congestion due to late start of the football season brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. I have just watched Newport Pagnell (United Counties Premier Southern), The Swans, founded in 1963,

from Hertfordshire beat Littlehampton Town FC, The Marigolds, (founded 1896) from West Sussex (Southern Premier Combination),

3-0 in a pulsating game.  NEXT The Trophy.....

LITTLEHAMPTON AND NEWPORT PAGNELL

 

FA Vase final - Littlehampton Town v Newport Pagnell Town
Venue: Wembley Date: Sunday, 22 May Kick-off: 12:15 BST Coverage: Listen to online radio commentary from BBC Sussex and BBC Three Counties Radio, report on BBC Sport website.

Many footballing legends have all climbed the steps to lift a trophy under the famous Wembley arch. This weekend, Littlehampton Town and Newport Pagnell Town have their chance to write their names in history. With a £30,000 prize on the line, the two clubs will contest the FA Vase Final at England's home of football.  

The ninth and 10th tier sides meet before Bromley take on Wrexham in the FA Trophy on a blockbuster day of non-league football.

Littlehampton Town Football Club is a football club based on the South coast, in West Sussex. The club was established in 1896 and joined the Sussex County League in 1928. In the 1990–91 season, they reached the 1st round of the FA Cup. They are currently members of the Southern Combination, Premier Division and play at The Sportsfield.

'Everyone in the town will have a great day out', said the club chairman. Littlehampton reached Wembley despite losing 5-0 in the fifth round to Athletic Newham, who were subsequently removed from the competition after being charged by the FA for twice fielding an ineligible player.!!

En route they beat Moneyfields 3-2, Deal Town 1-2 (a), Sheppey Utd 1-0, Brockenhurst 3-3 on pens, North Shields 1-0 and Loughborough Utd  4-0.

The team prepared for the final by training at Brighton and Hove Albion's Lancing training centre.

Player-manager, George Gaskin said the experience of playing on pristine pitches would prepare the team well for Wembley's immaculate playing surface. "It was unbelievable having that little feel about being a pro footballer," he told BBC Radio Sussex. "The pitches being absolutely perfect and having everything you need there, we can't thank them enough. "Going ahead of the Vase Final will be the perfect way to keep progressing through the week." For Brighton fan Liam Humphreys, 34, the experience was extra special and he hopes to win the trophy to give the local fans a day to remember. "It means a lot to everyone here at the club," he said. "All of the committee, fans and players deserve it. Everyone in the town will have a great day out and enjoy it and hopefully we can do the stuff on the pitch and they can go home even happier." The Hollywood factor adds an extra sparkle!! 

The Vase finalists had been allocated 7,000 tickets each and Newport Pagnell were close to selling out. The winning club will receive £30,000 - double the runners-up prize of £15,000, so worth the effort. 

The FA Vase kicks off at 12:15 BST on Sunday, 22 May (tomorrow), followed by the FA Trophy final between Bromley and Wrexham at 16:15 BST.

Newport Pagnell, reached the final via a penalty-shootout victory over Hamworthy United (a club based in Poole). Following this success, they warmed up for Wembley with a behind-closed-doors fixture against an MK Dons XI and a match against Watford's under-23s. "It's sunk in a bit among everybody now we're getting closer to the big day," head of football Vivion Cox told the Non-League Show on BBC Three Counties Radio. 

The Swans were founded in 1963 and play in the United Counties League  Premier Division.

"With Wrexham being at Wembley as well, along with the Ryan Reynolds, the Wrexham co-owner with Rob McElhenney, there should be a big crowd at the stadium with a fantastic atmosphere."

PERU, CHILE AND MERSEYSIDE

MAY 20th 1962 Bobby Moore (back row right) made his England debut and Jimmy Greaves scored a hat-trick in England’s 4-0 friendly victory in Peru, in Lima, a match with Andean, altitude issues.            Names-not in order. Springett, Armfield, Moore, Norman, Wilson, Flowers, Haynes, Douglas, Hitchen, Charlton R, Greaves

This was a warm up game before the 1962 World Cup in Chile. The two have met three times:

17 May 1959	Peru v England	L	4-1	International Friendly Greaves our scorer
20 May 1962	Peru v England	W	0-4	International Friendly
30 May 2014	England v Peru	W	3-0	International Friendly

and on MAY 20th 1989
For the second time in three years, Wembley hosted an all-Merseyside FA Cup final between Liverpool and Everton. In the first of those finals - in May 1986 - Liverpool beat their great rivals 3-1 to complete their first League and FA Cup double. (In the following season's Final, it was the Wimbledon lot that spoiled the occasion).

In the 1989 Final, Liverpool took the lead with a goal from John Aldridge after just four minutes, a lead they held until the last kick of the 90 minutes when Stuart McCall hit an equaliser for Everton. Ian Rush restored Liverpool's lead in the fifth minute of extra time, Stuart McCall equalised again with Rush scoring what was the winner two minutes later. Another success for the red half of Liverpool but with the Hillsborough tragedy having taken place only five weeks earlier celebrations were very much muted. (below: reference: https://www.fa-cupfinals.co.uk/1989.htm). Before kick-off there was a minute's silence and the teams wore black armbands as a sign of respect. Gerry Marsden, lead singer of Gerry & the Pacemakers, led the crowd singing his hit "You'll Never Walk Alone", which had become synonymous with Liverpool Football Club.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEw9bHrdqNw