There’s only one place to go today and that’s North Greenford for the quarter-final of the Isuzu FA Vase. The club has long been on my radar and this history-making match is an ideal opportunity to tick off Berkeley Field.
Maidstone United are the lowest ranked side for 46 years to make the last 16 of the FA Cup and only the 11th Non-League club ever to make it this far since the current structure was adopted for the 1925-26 season.
Talk of blue cards and sin bins have dominated the mainstream national media in recent weeks with reports suggesting both could be introduced at football’s highest echelons in the near future.
Plan A is to take in Highworth Town’s FA Vase match but The Fox and I agree that the likelihood of Town’s game against Great Wakering Rovers is about as likely as me dating Nadiya Bychkova from Strictly Come Dancing so we set about formulating Plan B.
Scrutiny and cynicism over the new owners and their plans is healthy and in over a decade of working in the North East Non-League media, I have found maintaining that stance is sensible.
Just ask the NFL about the importance of eyes on their product. Even the most-watched sport in America can do with more attention – and the Taylor Swift effect has been clear to see.
Maidstone United are the last Non-League club still standing in this season’s FA Cup and have remarkably already won six FA Cup ties this season – the same number of wins a Premier League club would have to achieve in order to lift the cup itself.
A Friday night re-visit to Edgeley Park,Stockport, means I only fancy a local trip on Saturday. The weather is still playing its part, so a local ‘Plastic Fantastic’ must be found to make the choice slightly more difficult. Fortunately, I have been saving FCV Grace Dieu for such an occasion.