FA Vase Round 1: Tunbridge Wells vs. Pagham
After Glebe’s FA Vase run was brought to a shuddering halt at Tunbridge Wells, Steve Sharman returns again to the Culverden Stadium – this time following the home side as they bid to return to Wembley…
All photographs in this article are the property and copyright of Steve Sharman.
Best-Laid Plans
Even the best-laid plans for a bit of FA Vase groundhopping can be thrown into disarray by the weather. I have a few friends still living in Tunbridge Wells – an old stomping ground of mine – so my plan had been to take a leisurely drive down on Saturday lunchtime, meet up with a few mates, go to the game, sink a few pints, and commandeer a sofa to sleep on.
Alas, the British climate put paid to such ideas. After a bout of torrential rain turned the Culverden Stadium pitch into something more akin to a swamp, officials had no choice but to call the game off. So instead of casually cruising down to Kent on Saturday lunchtime with ideals of reliving my twenties with a Saturday night on the Pantiles, I find myself driving west along the A12 towards the fading orange hues of an October sunset, embarking on a solo 120-mile round trip on a chilly Tuesday night.
The sun has disappeared by the time I get here, and the ground is even harder to find in the dark. The driveway down to the stadium is pitch back and even though I’ve been here before, I’m not 100% convinced I’ve turned down the right entrance. Eventually, the floodlights appear in front of me and perhaps there is a football match somewhere around here after all.
As I lock my car and walk towards the entrance, I can’t help but smile; even as an adult, there’s something different about a winter midweek game under the lights. Maybe it’s the clouds of breath in the cold air, the smells of deep heat mixed with fried onions, or perhaps the inward glare of the floodlights that seems to cocoon all involved away from the rest of the world for ninety minutes. Whatever it is, it makes those annoying beads of snot that drop off the end of your nose and the scalded tongue from over-eager tea slurping seem mere inconveniences, brushed off with something we can’t fail to adore; a sense of child-like excitement at the prospect of a floodlit cup tie.
We are Royal
As Tunbridge Wells progresses through the rounds of this season’s FA Vase, it is possible to see the level of excitement around the upcoming tie steadily increasing. The usually all-business Twitter feed of the club even took a small deviation from the typical informative templates to highlight the special affinity the club has with the Vase and to urge supporters to come down and be ‘Loud, Loyal, and Royal’.
As traffic was lighter than I anticipated – a collector’s item for the M25 – I have a little more time to explore the Culverden Stadium before kick-off after I pay my £9.00 and push through the solitary turnstile.
To be perfectly honest, it’s a bit of a mess. When you walk around the ground, there’s just…. stuff, everywhere. In the main stand running along the touchline, instead of regular seating, there is a row of hard, white, all-weather sofas that are completely empty and give the impression of a desolate and neglected British seafront in the winter season, something Tunbridge Wells as a whole is most definitely not.
There are piles of piping, sheets of tarpaulin, and even a row of discarded red seating chucked in a fenced-off area at one end of the stand, with ‘Danger Keep Out’ and ‘No Access’ signs barring the way. Even next to the opening where the players run out, there are piles of wood and timber, a pair of wheelbarrows just casually hanging out, and a set of what looks like garden tools just resting on barriers on the terraces. The bar is little more than volunteers passing drinks through the window of a Portakabin, and it’s little wonder that supporters only really congregate on the terrace behind one end.
Disaster Strikes
Clubs at this level often rely on volunteers, however, these heroes and heroines can’t always perform miracles and many of the problems at the ground stem from catastrophic events beyond Tunbridge Wells’ control. In January 2023, disaster struck when a huge fire ripped through the clubhouse. At least four fire engines and crews fought for over two hours to get the blaze under control, and when they finally did, the clubhouse was completely destroyed.
The devastating impact of the fire cannot be overstated.
The fire left the ground without a clubhouse but far more than this, it left a football community without a focal point. The clubhouse was not just used on matchdays, with many events held at the ground throughout the week, and the year. Believed to have started from an electrical fault, the blaze incinerated the heart of the football club and stripped them of an important revenue stream.
Destruction of such a vital part of the ground also laid bare some difficult questions, and some uncomfortable answers – or perhaps the uncomfortable lack of answers – around the club’s future. Recovery has been slow at best, and the carcass of the burnt-out clubhouse aligned with the condition of the rest of the ground seems to represent a lack of ambition, and perhaps a wider malaise of those in power and those at the municipal level to make decisions, towards pushing the club forward.
Mirroring the off-pitch difficulties, since beating Glebe in the previous round, Tunbridge Wells’ form has not been great. In the league, a 3-1 defeat at Fisher was followed by a 1-1 home draw against Lydd Town. Next came a disappointing 0-0 draw at Forest Hill Park – a side from the division below – in the Southern Counties East Football League Cup. Wells then suffered a 2-0 defeat in the league at Sutton Athletic before finally tasting victory again, with a 3-1 over Erith and Belvedere in the Kent County Cup.
Against this backdrop of inconsistent form and off-pitch uncertainty, it is perhaps easier to see why the Vase – and the chance to play at Wembley – is such a welcome distraction.
Tonight’s Visitors
Standing in Tunbridge Wells’ way tonight is Pagham FC. Formed in 1903, the team from West Sussex have a long history that is peppered with periods of success – none more so than the late 1980s. During this period, The Lions won three consecutive league titles; Division Two of the Sussex County League in 1986-87, followed by back-to-back Division One championships in 1987-88 and 1988-89.
Pagham, who play their home games at Nyetimber Lane and are currently competing in the Southern Combination Premier Division, arrive at the Culverden Stadium on the back of some pretty wretched league form. The Lions are currently 17th in the league having gained just nine points from their opening thirteen league games, and are without a league win since a 2-0 victory at Horsham YMCA way back on the 13th of August.
The visitors’ best performance in the Vase came back in the 1980-81 season, when they beat Amesbury 3-1 in the preliminary round and Worthing 2-0 in the first round, before overcoming First Tower United 1-0 in round two and Harefield United 5-0 in round three. Round four proved a step too far, as the Lions were beaten 2-1 at Whyteleafe.
Last season, Pagham were knocked out in the first qualifying round by Sutton Athletic, succumbing 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw. The Lions have earned their place in the first round proper this season with a 1-0 win at lower-league Staplehurst Monarchs.
A Historical Bogey Team?
Tunbridge Wells and Pagham have some cup history, having faced each other on eight previous occasions. The side from Kent very much holds the upper hand, having knocked out their West Sussex counterparts every time they have met.
The sides have been drawn together four times in the FA Cup and twice in the FA Vase. They first met in the first qualifying round of the 1979-80 FA Cup, when Wells won a replay 2-1 at Pagham, having drawn 2-2 at the Culverden Stadium. The sides didn’t meet again until the 2004-05 season when Tunbridge Wells dumped the Sussex side out of both competitions – 2-1 in the preliminary round of the FA Cup, and 3-1 in the first round of the FA Vase.
Pagham were on the receiving end of a thumping in the first round of the Vase in 2006-07 – Tunbridge Wells winning that particular tie 6-1. Two further successes followed for Wells in the FA Cup, winning 4-2 at home in 2013-14, and 2-0, once again at home, following a 1-1 draw at Pagham in the extra preliminary round of 2019-20.
The weight of history is therefore very much in favour of the home side tonight.
On the Pitch
Bats flit in and out of the glare of the floodlights as the teams line up for kick-off. Tunbridge Wells are all in red, while Pagham are in yellow shirts, black shorts, and yellow socks. The visitors make a bright start, aided by a frustrating carelessness in possession from the home side – although the bobbly nature of the soft, heavy surface is hardly conducive to free-flowing football.
Wells start to find their feet in the game and just before the half-hour have the best chance of the game, parity only preserved by a great block from a Pagham defender. However, from the resulting corner, midfielder Jack Walder finds himself completely unmarked and plants his header confidently past visiting keeper Connor Kelly to give the home side a somewhat undeserved lead. Moments later a deep free kick results in another free header that is this time somehow guided just wide, and it’s clear that set-pieces are a significant Achilles heel for Pagham.
The home side have grown into the game and as we approach half-time, striker Jacob Feasey drops deep to collect possession, expertly creates space for himself and plays an excellent ball into the path of winger Regan Corke. The flying winger – scorer of both goals in the previous round – beats his man and smashes a tremendous finish into the far corner. It’s hard to argue that after a strong finish to the half, Wells don’t deserve their 2-0 lead.
Buoyed by their advantage, Tunbridge Wells start the second half well and it feels like the old cliche – the next goal is crucial – is highly pertinent here. Pagham battle valiantly to keep themselves in the game and are afforded a lifeline when around 70 minutes in, winger Oscar Johnson falls over right in the corner of the penalty area and, much to the chagrin of the home faithful, the referee points to the spot.
The resulting penalty is scored and suddenly it’s Pagham flying into tackles and Tunbridge Wells who start to look a bit leggy on the heavy pitch. The momentum is all with the visitors until a long ball sets winger Corke free down the right. He bursts clear of the Pagham defence before showing the composure to roll the ball across the box for striker Feasey to seal the game. The third goal absolutely knocks the stuffing out of Pagham just as they were on top, and following a raft of substitutions, injuries, and cramps, the game peters out. Wells finish on top and run out comfortable 3-1 victors.
What Next?
Following a hard-earned but ultimately well-deserved victory, our journey to Wembley continues with Tunbridge Wells. The men from Kent have since been drawn at home in the next round against Southern Combination Football League Premier Division side Hassocks. Sussex side Hassocks are currently locked in a battle with rivals Haywards Heath at the top of the table, so will no doubt provide a stiffer test.
Wells have endured a frustrating few years and there is a danger that the club is at best treading water, and at worst, stagnating. With complications off the pitch restricting the team’s ability to progress on it, the Vase brings a welcome opportunity for success. And so, as Tunbridge Wells continues progressing through the rounds, the excitement continues to build: on the pitch, on the terraces, and around this most royal of Kentish towns.
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