The Buildbase FA Vase has characterised Melksham Town’s first year at the Oakfield Stadium.
In January 2017, the Wiltshire club brought 97 years at their old Conigre home to an end when they moved to a new state-of-the-art ground, which they also share with the town’s rugby club, and their first game saw them take on Bristol Manor Farm in a fourth round replay.
Western League Melksham were beaten 5-3 that day but this season, they are enjoying their best-ever run in the competition and are gearing up to host Hertfordshire’s Tring Athletic, of the Spartan South Midlands League, in the fifth round.
The road to get there may not have always been plain sailing, with the discovery of a colony of protected newts discovered in 2015 delaying Oakfield’s construction.
But chairman Darren Perrin, a former manager who moved upstairs last summer, is thrilled with how the local community have helped his team settle into their new multi-million pound surroundings.
“We are a well-supported club and the crowds that we’ve been getting this season have been phenomenal,” said Perrin, who also doubles up as Melksham’s commercial manager.
“We’re hoping that we can get close to 1000 people on Saturday, which, for a Step Five club, would be truly amazing.
“The excitement and the buzz at the moment, in the town, is huge. The community of Melksham have been amazing, too.
“You’ve only got to see the amount of advertising boards around the ground. We must have close to 120 or 130, and 90 per cent of that is from companies and individuals in Melksham.
“We’re averaging close to 350 [average attendance] in the league. They’ve come out in force to support us and we’re indebted to each and every one of them.
“It’s a massive stadium. We run 49 youth teams, four senior teams and four ladies teams, so it’s a big operation.
“There have been things we’ve got right and things that we’ve got wrong, but we’re learning all the time, we’re finding our feet and long may that continue.”
Melksham aren’t the only Wiltshire team in the fifth round of the Vase, with near neighbours Bradford Town travelling to North Yorkshire to take on Marske United.
And chairman Perrin believes that business is booming in the south west, highlighting Chippenham Town, who are in the midst of their first-ever season in the National League South, as another local success story.
He added: “We’ve been immensely proud of what Chippenham have done down the road in getting to the National League South.
“It’s also brilliant that Bradford Town are in the last 16, as well.
“Yes, there’s a lot of rivalry between us but I’d like to think that there’s a lot of respect as well, and we certainly would love to see them continue to do well in the competition.
“If it isn’t to be for us, we would have no problem seeing them go as far as they possibly can.”
Buildbase FA Vase history
Melksham have already bettered their two best-ever runs in the Buildbase FA Vase – they reached the fourth round in both 2014-15 and 2016-17, losing to local rivals Bradford Town and Bristol Manor Farm respectively.
Tring are also currently enjoying their best-ever run in the competition.
Did you know?
Melksham said goodbye to their old ground by hosting a charity game between a select XI and a team of Manchester United legends, which included Champions League winner David May.
The prize
The winners of Saturday’s tie will progress into the sixth round proper and bag £2,250 in prize money.
