It’s a massive week for SCEFL title contenders Deal Town away from the rigours of the League as Steve King leads his side to Somerset to face Bridgwater Town in the last sixteen of the Isuzu FA Vase this weekend. 

A stage of the competition that the Hoops last reached in the year 2000 when Tommy Sampson’s side became the first (and so far, only) Kent side to lift the Trophy 

And as the manager admitted to KSN in the build-up to the weekend, he is well aware of the history, “2000 is definitely an inspiration and not a shadow!”    

“Anytime you get to the latter stages of a national competition there’s a lot of excitement! I think that with the position we are in, in the League, it is going to be a nice distraction.” 

“It’ll be a different sort of game, a different experience and one that we are all looking forward to.” 

This is third season that the Somerset side has hosted a SCEFL side, another fact not lost on the Deal boss.  

“Strange one that isn’t it!” he said. “It’s the luck of the draw that its now three seasons in a row they’ve had a SCEFL side at home. The last two Tunbridge Wells and Erith Town both lost on penalties, so we have to travel expecting a tight game.  

“We know it’s a tough draw – we said that when it came out – but with the way that our season is going we are not in it for a day out, we are in it to try and win the competition.  

“I admitted the other day that we would probably be better being out of it or winning it so we’re going to try and win it, and if you want to win it, you have to beat the best sides enroute and that’s what we’re going to have to do on Saturday.” 

“It’s possibly the toughest draw we could have got,” the Deal boss went on, “obviously footballs not played on paper, and it may well be other games. But Farnham who they beat in the last round had won every single League game they have played in their League and were favourites for the whole competition. For Bridgwater to go away and beat them was an impressive result!” 

“We know the Western League is a strong League and they are doing well in it; their home record is good, and I think they are averaging nearly five goals a game at home!  

“So on paper, it is going to be very tough, but I’ve said numerous times that the SCEFL is one of the hardest Step Five Leagues and I think that sides in our League are hardened to playing in these sorts of games and I don’t expect it to be any different to a top four SCEFL game if I’m being honest, I expect it to be similar to when we play a Faversham or a Glebe or Whitstable; I expect it to be at that sort of level. So, we are well versed in these sorts of games, but it is tough, and we will have to be at our very best.” 

The current Deal side are looking to emulate Tommy Sampson’s side of 2000 and lift the Trophy itself and we asked the current boss about the potential of the “ghosts of Wembley past” 

He told us, “I don’t think so – no not at all! I think it gives us inspiration. I don’t think there’s a shadow as I think the Football Club sadly was in the doldrums for an awful long time after that team.  

“I think when I arrived with Paul Murray in 2015 the team hadnt finished in the top half of the League since 2005. I think that we’re on a completely different and separate journey now as I think that the Club are now arguably apart from that season are at the best point its ever been. Certainly, when they did win the Vase, they weren’t getting the regular League crowds of four or five hundred that we’re getting now!” 

“We are going to use 2000 as an inspiration, some of that team still contact us and wish us luck as Tommy himself does as well as trying to get to the games – there’s no shadow over us as we are immensely proud as to what they achieved.  

“I was at Wembley that day in 2000 as were a lot of the fans who are making the trip to Somerset at the weekend. It is not a cloud, it is a real inspiration for us as we want to take the Club places; we would love to win the Vase, but we want to take the Club places that it has not been before and really set it up for the future.” 

“Thats the main aim of the project that we have got, we are not throwing money at it, try to win something and everyone disappears! Regardless of what happens on Saturday we will stick together as a group and continue on the journey that we are on!” 

“2000 is definitely an inspiration and not a shadow!”    

“I must thank the League as they have been very good to us by keeping this week clear so that we can prepare for the weekend. We have got a lot of games to play, and they’ve allowed us a week off, and they have even potentially cleared the week before the next round as well if we do get through, and we cannot thank them enough for their support!”