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Chippenham
Town FC at Wembley
On
Saturday 6th May 2000, Chippenham Town Football Club played Deal Town
FC in the Final of the FA Vase at Wembley Stadium. Chippenham had reached the
Final, having beaten Bedlington Terriers and Vauxhall, two sides considered
favourites for the competition. The manager of Chippenham Town, Tommy Saunders
achieved the honour of being the youngest ever manager to lead out a side at
Wembley.
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The Crowd
(Click
for larger image)
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The
Line Up
(Click
for larger image)
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Played
in front of 20,000 fans the match kicked off at 3.00pm on probably the warmest
day of the year. In the early stages Chippenham showed no nerves and asserted
their control of the game with two great chances for Dave Godley after good
build up play from Steve Tweddle and Steve Brown. Unfortunately, Godley could
not convert what appeared to be the best chances of the match. Chippenham,
supported by at least two-thirds of the crowd, continued to dominate the match
and Deal probably considered themselves a little lucky to go in at half-time on
level terms.
In
the second half Chippenham continued to exert pressure but Deal Town’s defence
held firm and they started to create chances of their own. With only three
minutes left on the clock, and the prospect of extra time looming, Deal broke
down the right side of the pitch. The Chippenham players, exhausted by their
labours in the beating sun, could not track back to pick the spare man at the
back post and an inch perfect cross from the right wing was wonderfully volleyed
home Roly Graham. The goal was of a standard worthy of winning any final at
Wembley and seemed to be the only way Chippenham were going to be beaten on the
day.
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Although
Deal Town FC won the match by one goal to nil, Chippenham Town FC can be
immensely proud of their achievements in the FA Vase this season and should be
hailed as winners in every sense of the word bar one. Likewise, the crowd, who
were magnificent in their support, not only for their team, but also for the
sporting manner in which Deal Town FC were received when climbing the hallowed
steps to claim their prize. On reflection, those Chippenham players lucky enough
to step out onto the famous pitch for the last occasion of the FA Vase at the
stadium of so many people’s dreams (foreign and domestic), certainly performed
like champions and they should remember it fondly for the rest of their lives.
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The Twin Towers
(Click picture for
larger image)
When the team came
out
(Click picture for
larger image)
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Story and Pictures by Pete Long
Why not visit the Chippenham Town FC
Website at www.chippenhamtownfc.co.uk
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