Non-league side reach Wembley for first time
AFC Stoneham is heading to Wembley for the first time in its history after reaching FA Vase final.
A non-league football club has reached Wembley for the first time in its history after making the FA Vase final. AFC Stoneham, based in Eastleigh, Hampshire, beat Hallen 6-1 on aggregate to secure their place. They will now face Cockfosters FC in the final on 17 May.
Club chairman Mark Stupple said reaching Wembley was "something you dream about as a child". Stoneham completed the job with a 3-1 win in the second leg at Stoneham Lane, having already secured a 3-0 victory away from home. Goals from captain Alex Welch, who scored twice, and Tyrrell Sampson sealed the result in front of a record crowd of 851.
Welch, a quantity surveyor, said: "It's hard to put into words. I don't think we'll understand what it really means until we're out on the pitch - but it's a fantastic achievement. " More than 650 teams entered the competition, with just two now remaining.
The victory marks the biggest moment in the club's history, with a first appearance at Wembley now awaiting them. Stupple said the club was "absolutely over the moon". Chairman Mark Stupple said he has spent his life dreaming of reaching Wembley [BBC] "To reach Wembley is something you dream about as a child," he said.