Ascot United begin their FA Vase campaign with a First Round Qualifying tie at Long Crendon on Saturday (3pm kick off).
The Hellenic League Division one village team play their home games at Oxford City’s Marsh Lane stadium (Marston, Oxford OX3 0NQ) and have three wins and two defeats from their opening five league matches, leaving them 7th in the league.
The Yellamen will be wary of step 6 opposition after being ousted by AFC Wallingford Town – now Wallingford and Crowmarsh – in the First Round Proper of start of last season’s campaign having beaten Hengrove Athletic and Tadley Calleva in qualifying.
Saturday’s away tie will mean that Ascot have played 12 of their last 13 FA vase ties on the road; only Abbey Rangers (19/20) have visited The Racecourse in the competition since their last home tie in 2017. However, that statistic didn’t trouble Binfield in 20/21 as they played all six matches away from home before their Wembley defeat against Warrington Rylands.
This is Long Crendon’s fourth season in the FA Vase having progressed to the Second Round Qualifying on each of their previous three campaigns. Ascot United are twice quarter-finalists having reached the last eight in 2013 and 2015.
Match report to follow.
Up the Yellas!