THE FA VASE 2021-2

The Football Association Challenge Vase, commonly known as the FA Vase, is a knockout cup competition in English football, organised by and named after The Football Association (the FA). It was staged for the first time in the 1974-5, effectively replacing the FA Amateur Cup, which was discontinued after the abolition of official amateur status by the FA. 

Today is the First Preliminary Round day.

While the leading teams from the Amateur Cup switched to the existing FA Trophy, the lower-level teams entered the new FA Vase.  As of 2013, the Vase was open to all clubs in levels five to seven of the National League System, equivalent to levels nine to eleven of the overall EFL system, although clubs from other leagues may apply to enter if their stadiums meet certain requirements.

The record for the most wins is held by Whitley Bay, with four victories and the club also won in three consecutive seasons. Billericay Town, Halesowen Town and Tiverton Town have each won the Vase in two consecutive seasons.

The Vase is currently held by Newport Pagnell Town who beat Littlehampton Town in the 2022 final.

The first FA Vase final was won by Hoddesdon Town, now of the Spartan League  who, despite being regarded as underdogs, beat Epsom and Ewell, from the Surrey Senior League. The club was established on 14 April 1879 as Hoddesdon Football Club. In 1885 they were founding members of the Hertfordshire County FA and won the inaugural Herts Senior Cup  in 1886–87.

In three of the four following seasons, Billericay Town won the competition to become the first team to win the Vase on three occasions, a feat matched in 2010 by Whitley Bay. During the 1980s, the tournament was won by teams that represented many different leagues from all parts of the country, from Whickham of the Wearside League in the northeast to Forest Green Rovers, of the Hellenic League, in the south. Halesowen Town became the second team to win the Vase in consecutive seasons, with victories in 1985 and 1986. FGR of clourse not full time in the EFL.

In the 1990s, Guiseley and Tiverton Town both appeared in the final more than once. Tiverton became the third club to win consecutive finals, emerging victorious in 1998 and 1999. Two years later Taunton  Town won the Vase, giving clubs from the Western League three wins in four seasons. From 2009 to 2018, all ten finals involved a team from Northern League Div One, with eight of them taking the trophy. Brigg Town, of the North East CL, became the fourth club to win the Vase more than once in 2003, seven years after the club's first victory, and six years later Whitley Bay became the fifth club to achieve the feat. In 2019 AFC Fylde (formerly known as Kirkham & Wesham) became the first team to have won both the FA Trophy and FA Vase.

Originally, if the final finished with the scores level after extra time, the teams would play again in a replay at a later date; more recently the final has always been decided on the day, with a penalty shootout as required. The winning club receives the FA Vase itself and, as of 2010, prize money of £20,000, in addition to that accumulated for winning earlier rounds The sponsor is IZUSU.