Latest news with #WhitstableTownFC
BBC News
17-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Whitstable open-top bus parade celebrates FA Vase final win
An open-top bus parade is to take place in Whitstable to celebrate the town's football club winning the FA Town FC came from behind to beat AFC Whyteleafe 2-1 in the final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, taking the trophy for the first time in the club's parade starts from Whitstable Harbour at 10:00 BST making its way through the town and finishing at The Primcura Healthcare Stadium.A club spokesperson said: "We look forward to celebrating this unforgettable moment with all our supporters." The club thanked its "countless volunteers" who had "given their time" to steward the procession."Your hard work and dedication - especially with such short notice - have made this celebration possible."Post-parade celebrations at the ground include a player awards ceremony, a chance to meet and greet the players as well as photo opportunities with the FA Vase trophy. The FA Vase features teams playing in steps 5 and 6 of the English National League system - Whitstable play in the Southern Counties East Football League.A spokesperson for Canterbury City Council said: "Whitstable Town's incredible achievement at Wembley on Sunday, which was such a historic moment in the club's history, deserves to be properly celebrated."It's great news that everyone involved has come together to make it happen and we hope it's a wonderful occasion where the players and club can bask in the glory they so richly deserve."
BBC News
11-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Whitstable fans celebrate 'magical' FA Vase win at Wembley
Fans of Whitstable Town FC have said they could not be prouder after their team lifted the FA Vase for the first time in their Kent side beat AFC Whyteleafe 2-1 at Wembley Stadium in extra time on Sunday in front of thousands of Owen Spinola said: "Would you ever expect a small town like us to come to Wembley and to do what we did? It was absolutely magical."Fellow supporter Nick Cooper added: "I have never felt more proud to be a Whitstable person." "We might be a small town, but we've got the grit to come back and smash them," said Mr Cooper. "We've done it, a trophy at Wembley. Who gets to say they saw their home town at Wembley win a cup?"Mr Cooper said he and the fan base felt "untouchable". AFC Whyteleafe took the lead in the first half but Whitstable brought themselves level with a finish from outside the box in the 52nd minute and snatched the lead in extra Waters, whose brother-in-law Kelly is joint-manager of the Surrey side, said the players and staff of AFC Whyteleafe had done "themselves so proud"."I'm sure they [the players] are just so proud of that achievement of playing at Wembley, it really is something else," she said. Jane Longhurst, whose son is a coach for Whitstable Town said lifting the trophy was "the most amazing end to an incredible journey".She added: "It's put Whitstable on the map as a town, but also as a team." Whitstable resident Jessica Frost said the club had brought the community together."It's from our town, its not like going to a Premiership game where you've kind of come in from somewhere else, it's actually our town," she Spencer, who dressed head-to-toe in Whitstable's red, said: "I think the town will be absolutely on a buzz for I do not know how long after this."The buzz that has been created pre-this has been amazing…post-this, I cannot even begin to imagine what tonight will be like if I'm being honest." Georgie Weatherall watched the game with her said: "It is absolutely amazing for Whitstable. "The players have done amazingly well, but obviously the support as well, they've been with them all the way, it's incredible, no one would ever have thought."Fan Susan Cox added: "You could see the passion and the dream come true for them [the players]...they knew that their dream had come true, you saw that." Former England player Stuart Pearce said the support for the two teams was "incredible".He told the BBC: "It just goes to show how a town embraces a day at Wembley."The average crowd at each of these clubs might be in the hundreds, maybe early thousands, but all of a sudden you get a big day out at Wembley and the whole town wants to be part of it."
BBC News
11-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Whitstable and Whyteleafe fans head to Wembley for FA Vase final
Tens of thousands of fans are travelling from Kent and Surrey to Wembley as Whitstable Town FC and AFC Whyteleafe face off in the FA Vase is the first time either side have made it to the final of the competition, which is for non-league teams in steps nine and 10 of the English football teams were expected to bring thousands of fans to the home of football, with Southeastern predicting up to 10,000 Whitstable fans could be at the Whyteleafe's joint-manager Gino Gonnella said: "This is bigger than football, non-league brings the community together." AFC Whyteleafe have enjoyed a successful few years since joint-manager and chairman Kelly Waters took over in 2021 after Whyteleafe FC said: "Just to walk out at Wembley in front of our local community all there cheering for the boys, with this team, will be such a treat. I just cant wait."Gonnella added: "There'll be two postcodes on Sunday, one from Whitstable and one from us, but the non-league will bring us both together and we will be one family." Whitstable goalkeeper Dan Colmer runs a coffee van with his mum said: "I think he'll hear us, well he'll hear me, that's for sure."It's once in a lifetime, I think he should soak it all up, it's an amazing experience for any player at any level."Fans heading to the capital from the Whitstable area are being urged to set off early as replacement buses will be are no trains running from Whitstable Station on the day and a replacement bus service, calling at Whitstable, is running between Ramsgate and Faversham. What is the FA Vase? The FA Vase gives teams in steps nine and 10 of the English football pyramid the chance of playing in a national final at Wembley Town play in the Southern Counties East Premier and AFC Whyteleafe play in the Combined Counties League Premier Division South - which are both in the ninth tier of English get to the final, Whitstable Town beat Hartpury University FC 2-0 on aggregate over two legs, while AFC Whyteleafe beat Andover New Street FC 3-1 at home and 1-0 fans have been swept up in their clubs' runs to the final, as 2,000 spectators watched AFC Whyteleafe at home in their 3-1 semi-final win, while Whitstable had an attendance of 2,905 for their home semi-final tie.
BBC News
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
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.
