11-05-2025
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.
