FA Vase

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The Football Association Challenge Vase is an annual football competition for teams playing in the lower regional leagues of England.

Until 1974, football players were either professionals or amateurs. Professionals were paid to play by their clubs, and the only cup competitions such clubs were allowed to enter were the FA Cup and, for clubs outside The Football League, the FA Trophy. Amateurs, on the other hand, did not get paid by their clubs, and such clubs had their own cup competition, the FA Amateur Cup.

In 1974, with many of the top amateur players receiving payment for playing, The Football Association abolished the distinction, scrapped the Amateur Cup and introduced the FA Vase for the majority of clubs who had previously played in the Amateur Cup.

Well over 200 clubs entered in the first season, 1974-75 and Hoddesdon Town of the Spartan League beat Epsom & Ewell of the Surrey Senior League 2-1 in the final at Wembley Stadium before a crowd of 9,000.

In recent years, entry to the FA Vase has been restricted to clubs in the eighth and lower tiers of the English football league system, (those in the three levels above that qualified for the FA Trophy.) Reorganization of the National League System for 2004 onwards moved the dividing line down to the new "Step 5" (ninth tier overall). Only four teams have managed to win the FA Vase more than once. Two FA Vase winners, Forest Green Rovers and Tamworth, have gone on to play in the Football Conference at the top level of the non-league pyramid.

In 2001-02, Whitley Bay of the Northern League beat Tiptree United at Villa Park.

In 2002-03, 465 clubs entered, with two qualifying rounds preceding the six proper rounds, semi-finals and final. Brigg Town beat AFC Sudbury 2-1 in the 2003 final at West Ham United's Boleyn Ground.

For the 2003-04 season; the final was played at St Andrews, the home of Birmingham City, on Saturday 16 May 2004. Winchester City defeated AFC Sudbury 2-0 in front of a crowd of 5,080. Sudbury were again the losers on May 14, 2005, falling 3-2 to Didcot Town at White Hart Lane in front of 8,862. The current holders are 2005-06 winners Nantwich Town who overcame Hillingdon Borough 3-1 at St Andrews.

[edit] List of Finals

Year	Winner	Runner-up	Score
1975	Hoddesdon Town	Epsom and Ewell	2-1
1976	Billericay Town	Stamford	1-0 (aet)
1977	Billericay Town	Sheffield	1-1 (aet) replay 2-1 (aet)
1978	Newcastle Blue Star	Barton Rovers	2-1
1979	Billericay Town	Almondsbury Greenway	4-1
1980	Stamford	Guisborough Town	2-0 (aet)
1981	Whickham	Willenhall Town	3-2
1982	Forest Green Rovers	Rainworth Miners Welfare	3-0
1983	VS Rugby	Halesowen Town	1-0
1984	Stansted	Stamford	3-2
1985	Halesowen Town	Fleetwood Town	3-1 (aet)
1986	Halesowen Town	Southall	3-0
1987	St Helens Town	Warrington Town	3-2
1988	Colne Dynamoes	Emley	1-0
1989	Tamworth	Sudbury Town	1-1 (aet) replay 3-0
1990	Yeading	Bridlington Town	0-0 (aet) replay 1-0
1991	Guiseley	Gresley Rovers	4-4 (aet) replay 3-1
1992	Wimborne Town	Guiseley	5-3
1993	Bridlington Town	Tiverton Town	1-0
1994	Diss Town	Taunton Town	2-1 (aet)
1995	Arlesey Town	Oxford City	2-1
1996	Brigg Town	Clitheroe	3-0
1997	Whitby Town	North Ferriby United	3-0
1998	Tiverton Town	Tow Law Town	1-0
1999	Tiverton Town	Bedlington Terriers	1-0
2000	Deal Town	Chippenham Town	1-0
2001	Taunton Town	Berkhamsted Town	2-1
2002	Whitley Bay	Tiptree United	1-0 (aet)
2003	Brigg Town	AFC Sudbury	2-1
2004	Winchester City	AFC Sudbury	2-0
2005	Didcot Town	AFC Sudbury	3-2
2006	Nantwich Town	Hillingdon Borough	3-1

Football in England

v • d • e

League competitions	The FA	Cup competitions
FA Premier League	England	FA Cup
The Football League (Champ, 1, 2)	(U-21) (B)	Carling Cup
Football Conference (Nat, N, S)	List of clubs	Community Shield
Northern Premier League (Prem, 1)	List of venues	Johnstone's Paint Trophy
Southern League (Prem, Mid, S&W)	(by capacity)	FA Trophy
Isthmian League (Prem, 1N, 1S)	List of leagues	FA Vase
English football league system	Records	FA NLS Cup