After mixed performances in The FA Vase, Swanage Town are very determined to kick on and make more of their own history on Non-League Day this weekend.
Swanage Town and Herston FC, who play their football in the Bespoke Teamwear Dorset Premier League and find themselves seventh in the league table, start their Vase campaign against Downton this Saturday.
Swanage Town & Herston V Downton
The FA Carlsberg Vase
First Round Qualifying
3pm, Saturday 6 September
Days’ Park
No, before you say it, not the cast of Downton Abbey but the football team; Downton F.C, who are playing in the Sydenham's Premier League (Wessex).
The Swans are likely to attract a few Bournemouth and Swindon fans to the match and have taken to their Twitter account this week to boost the profile of the event and share their history in the competition.
Here is a sample of some of their tweets:
Our @SwanageFC 5-8 year old mini kickers are team mascots for the #FaVase game Vs @DowntonFC tomorrow. #COYS
— Swanage football (@swanagefcyouth) September 5, 2014
Our Bill Young Clubhouse will be open before and after the match with Lennies Tea Hut serving refreshments throughout the match. #COYS
— Swanage FC (@SwanageFC) September 5, 2014
Our #FAVase match with @DowntonFC tomorrow is part of @non_league_day. If you support @afcbournemouth then why not head over to Days's Park.
— SwanageFC (@SwanageFC) September 5, 2014@SwanageFC You're game tomorrow should be attendance wise - 200 know a few Swindon fans going down !! #NonLeagueDay
— Callum(@callumLtfc) September 5, 2014Final preparations for our #FAVase match took place at Senior training tonight. Will you be there to cheer the boys on @non_league_day?
— SwanageFC (@SwanageFC) September 3, 2014The countdown is on, it's just three days until Swans take on @DowntonFC in the #FAVase. Will you be there to see a possible giant killing?
— SwanageFC (@SwanageFC) September 3, 2014The Road To Wembley - SwanageTown and HerstonFC http://t.co/7jcZ94XMDb
— SwanageFC (@SwanageFC) September 2, 2014In tandem with the club, we have decided to take a look back at the Swans' history in the competition over the last few years, as we look at the highs and lows the club experienced.
The Swans went through some dark times, after their demotion into the Dorset Combination was confirmed at the end of the 1995-96 campaign. This meant they could not compete in The FA Cup or The FA Vase, so the chance of playing in a national competition was over.
However, in 2009, The FA reorganised the non-League pyramid, so Step 7 clubs had the chance to compete in the competition.
Events did not run smoothly in their first season back in the competition. They faced Plymouth Parkway at home and they were cruelly pegged back 1-1 in the fifth minute of injury time. In the replay tie, they went down 4-0 and their dreams were over.
They again fell at the first hurdle in their next FA Vase campaign in 2010-11, where they were defeated 2-1 by Keynsham Town. With only 12 fit players, the Swans' depleted team put up a strong fight and were not disgraced.
Again, in the following season, the Swans had another disappointing experience in The Vase, this time losing 3-0 to GE Hamble in the First Round.
However, their fortunes were changing and they had a much more successful campaign in the 2012-13 campaign – their best in the tournament for 20 years.
Last year saw the Swans get knocked out in the Third Round to Newport Isle of Wight, after heroic performances in the first two rounds, knocking out both Andover New Street and United Services Portsmouth. These were two giant killings and they left the competition more successful than usual.
Having not entered the competition last term, the club are back and ready to entertain the Swans faithful again this season. They will hope to cause more upsets and keep their Twitter administrators very busy.
