Seeing Coalville and Wembley on the same piece of paper was one of those things that happen once in a lifetime. I knew several people who had gone to watch Coalville town on a Saturday afternoon and it was one of those things that I said "I will have to come one day" but never got round to doing. When they reached the final of the F.A Vase I never thought of going but at the last minute I was offered a ticket from someone who had pulled out.
In a way it felt a bit strange going to watch a team that I couldn't name a single player and I felt a bit like I was jumping on the bandwagon but the bottom line was that everyone was going and it would be a more than welcome day out away from the village.
It was an early start with everyone going into the pub at 7:30am and drinking beer before going onto the coach. Arriving in London several hours before kick off means everyone hit the pubs around the ground. It felt more than a little strange to be where we were but constantly meeting people you had not seen for ages. I bumped into 3 old school friends I had not seen for at least 5 years. The atmosphere was great but we noticed how most of the pubs had the policy of admitting one set of fans but not the other.
It was the first time most of us had been to the new wembley stadium and it was not as impressive as we thought it would be. A few more people might have helped but this was a 9000 non league football crowd in a stadium that seated 10 times that figure.
The Coalville fans were making far more noise than the Whitley bay fans despite being behind for chunks of the game.
Some of them did get a bit of grief off the stewards for constantly standing up. As for the match itself it was a bad result for Coalville for how they played but that's football for you.
At the end of the game one of the Coalville players came over and carried his little girl on the pitch only be hassled buy some official looking man in a suit which I thought was a bit out of order. The player rightly pushed him off. There are many pro players that will never play on that pitch so you could hardly blame him for having that moment on there.
THE OFFICIAL MATCH VIDEO
MATCH REPORT
Whitley Bay won the FA Vase for the third successive season with a narrow victory over Coalville Town.
The Bay took the lead when Paul Chow converted after Craig McFarlane's neat run and cutback.
Matt Moore levelled with a powerful header from Cameron Stuart's centre before Lee Kerr flicked the Bay back in front from Paul Robinson's cross.
Adam Goodby nodded in from Anthony Carney's ball to level once more only for Chow to poke home a late winner.
The victory means that Whitley Bay become the first team to win the Vase three years running.
Additionally, their two goalscorers Chow and Kerr have both scored in all three of the Seahorses' wins.
The result was cruel on Coalville, who dominated large passages of the game.
After being under pressure in the early stages, Whitley Bay came into the game with first Robinson seeing a shot blocked and Chow almost being played in by Coalville defender Stuart.
Minutes later the holders took the lead.
Kerr's pass was expertly controlled by Craig McFarlane, who tricked his way past his defender before squaring a fine pass for Chow to convert from close range.
The Ravens responded well to going behind and thought they had levelled when Jerome Murdock nodded in, but the assistant's flag quickly curtailed the celebrations.
Moore then went desperately close for Coalville, his curled effort rebounding off the post and into the grateful arms of Seahorses keeper Terry Burke.
Burke, playing his last game for the Bay, saved well from Ryan Robbins' low effort but, the team from Leicestershire soon got the goal their play deserved when Stuart's deep cross was powerfully headed home by Moore.
Parity lasted just a matter of minutes as the Seahorses restored their lead when Robinson did well on the edge of the area before sending over a delightful near-post cross that was headed home by Kerr.
Carney's cross was headed against the crossbar by the unlucky Moore as a shell-shocked Coalville looked for an immediate response.
Murdock twice forced super saves from Burke before the Ravens pulled level again through Goodby's header from Carney's cross.
With time running out the Bay grabbed the winner when Kerr's free-kick came back off the crossbar and Chow was on hand to make history.
Coalville Town: Bowles, Brown, Stewart, Goodby, Costello, Woodward, Miveld, Moore, Murdock, Anthony Carney, Robbins.Subs Not Used: Williams, Wells, Attwood, Gardner, Dodd.
Goals: Moore 58, Goodby 80.
Whitley Bay: Burke, McFarlane, Callum Anderson, Timmons, Williams, Robson, Kerr, Chow, Robinson, Pounder, Ormston.Subs Not Used: Coulson, Smith, Rowe, Gibson, Hayes.
Goals: Chow 28, Kerr 61, Chow 86.
Attendance: 8,778
Referee: Scott Mathieson (Cheshire).
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