09-05-2025
Whitstable Town FC prepares for trip to Wembley for FA Vase
Famous faces have been showing their support for Whitstable Town FC in Kent as they head to Wembley for the biggest game in their 135-year Oystermen are taking up to 10,000 fans with them to Wembley as they face Surrey's AFC Whyteleafe in the final of the FA Whitstable resident and frontman of ska band Madness, has taken on lead vocals on the club's new cup final song, while the author of the book behind the BBC series Whitstable Pearl, Julie Wassmer, said the trip to the capital would be "amazing".Wassmer, who moved to the town 26 years ago, said: "I know that we're not favourites, but I think that we can win and we're all going to be rooting for the team."
'It's extraordinary'
Shane Attwooll, a West End actor who sang alongside Suggs on the cup final song, said: "To have someone with the kudos of Suggs being part of it is such an incredible thing for the club. It's extraordinary."There's a very good chance we could be lifting the trophy."The town of Whitstable is known for its oysters, and the Whitstable Town Oyster Company has been at the centre of the trade since the 1400s.
At its peak in the 1850s, the company was shipping up to 80 million oysters a year to Billingsgate fish as another huge moment in the town's history is being made, Renny Hall and James Green delivered some of their oysters to Whitstable Town's ground in Belmont Road."We're very deep rooted with the town, and in the 1850s the whole town would've been involved with gathering oysters," said Mr Hall."With the amount of zinc, vitamins and minerals that are in oysters, they are actually a really good food to eat and, in fact, I'd recommend the players have a couple each at half time."Whitstable take on AFC Whyteleafe at 12:15 BST on Sunday, with full coverage on BBC Radio Kent.
