# 2013 FA Vase final

The 2013 FA Vase Final was the 39th final of the Football Association's cup competition for teams below level 8 of the English football league system. It was the 30th FA Vase Final. It was contested by Northern Football League team Spennymoor Town and Kent League team Tunbridge Wells. The match was played at Wembley Stadium in London on 4 May 2013.

## Route to the final

Spennymoor Town started in the first round against Bridlington Town, winning 5–1. In the second round, they were drawn at home to Newcastle Benfield and winning 5–1. In the third round Spennymoor played fellow Northern Football League team, Billingham Synthonia winning 2–0. They were then drawn against Lordswood in the fourth round, winning 3–1. In the fifth round, they played Bemerton Heath Harlequins winning 4–2. In the quarter-finals, Spennymoor drew Gornal Athletic where they won 3–1. In the semi-finals, Spennymoor were drawn against Guernsey. They won 3–1 in the first leg at Footes Lane in Guernsey and won 1–0 in the second leg for a 4–1 win on aggregate.
Tunbridge Wells started in the second round after receiving a bye in the first round, due to having reached the fifth round the previous year, by defeating Hellenic League Premier Division team Wantage Town 2–0 at their Culverden Stadium. In the third round, they were drawn away to Binfield, where they won 2–1 after extra time. In the fourth round, Tunbridge Wells were drawn against the FA Vase holders, Dunston UTS. After the match was postponed four times, Tunbridge Wells won 1–0 at the Culverden Stadium. In the fifth round, they were drawn away to Larkhall Athletic, where they won 4–3 aet In the quarter-finals, they played Hadleigh United. In front of a record home crowd, Tunbridge Wells won 2–0. In the semi-finals, Tunbridge Wells defeated Shildon 4–3 on aggregate after a 2–0 win at the Culverden Stadium in the first leg and a 3–2 aet loss in the second leg. This made Tunbridge Wells the second Kent League team to reach the FA Vase final in its history.

## Build up

After a meeting at Wembley Stadium the week after the semi-finals, where both teams met with The Football Association to decide the choice of dressing rooms and the kit selections, tickets for the final were released on sale on 2 April 2013, with Tunbridge Wells selling over 2,600 tickets within the first 24 hours comparing with an average home crowd of 138.
Both teams set up shops in their respective towns. On 12 April 2013, Spennymoor Town opened a shop under Spennymoor Town Hall after the space was loaned to them by the Mayor of Spennymoor. On 16 April, Tunbridge Wells opened a temporary shop in the offices of the Kent and Sussex Courier newspaper in Royal Tunbridge Wells. On 27 April 2013, Tunbridge Wells opened a second temporary shop in the Royal Victoria Place shopping centre.

## Match details

Line-up: :
| | 1 | Robert Dean |
| | 2 | Kallum Griffiths |
| | 3 | Chris Mason |
| | 4 | Lewis Dodds | 83' |
| | 5 | Leon Ryan |
| | 6 | Stephen Capper |
| | 7 | Joe Walten | | 73' |
| | 8 | Keith Graydon |
| | 9 | Mark Davison | | 75' |
| | 10 | Gavin Cogdon |
| | 11 | Wayne Phillips | | 65' |
| Substitutes: ||||
| | 12 | Michael Rae | | 75' |
| | 14 | Andrew Stephenson | | 73' |
| | 15 | Anthony Peacock | | 65' |
| | 16 | Steven Richardson |
| | 17 | David Knight |
| Manager: ||||
| Jason Ainsley ||||
Line-up: :
| | 1 | Chris Oladogba |
| | 2 | Jason Bourne (c) |
| | 3 | Lewis Mingle |
| | 4 | Joe Fuller | | 57' |
| | 5 | Scott Wibley |
| | 6 | Perry Sprackman | 65' |
| | 7 | Jon Pilbeam | | 85' |
| | 8 | Andy McMath |
| | 9 | Andy Irvine |
| | 10 | Carl Cornell | | 57' |
| | 11 | Josh Stanford |
| Substitutes: ||||
| | 12 | Jack Harris | | 57' |
| | 13 | Andy Boyle |
| | 14 | Tom Davey | | 57' |
| | 15 | Richard Sinden | | 85' |
| | 16 | Michal Czanner |
| Manager: ||||
| Martin Larkin ||||
| Match officials Assistant referees: Ian Hussin (Liverpool FA) Dan Robathan (Bedfordshire FA) Fourth official: Stephen Martin (Staffordshire FA) | Match rules 90 minutes. 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary. Penalty shoot-out if scores still level. Five named substitutes. Maximum of three substitutions. |