Monday 23rd September 2024
Having been exempt from the qualifying rounds for a third successive season, Royal Wootton Bassett Town will finally get their 2024-25 Isuzu FA Vase campaign started when they visit Wessex League Premier Division side AFC Stoneham in the first round on Saturday 19 October.
Those exemptions have been earned courtesy of trips to the third round proper in each of the past three years - and Bassett will be hoping for another similar run this time, with the ultimate aim to get even further and advance beyond the regionalised rounds.
But Sam Collier and his team will know that in order to do that their performance level will have to be better than the indifferent form they have shown so far this season in the league - not least they have been handed an extremely difficult away trip.
The Vase has brought the best out of Bassett in the past three years, with last season seing 2-1 home wins against Elburton Villa and Longlevens before a dramatic third round tie against Bridgwater United ended in an agonising defeat on penalties.
Bassett now face as tough a test as they could have been given against new opponents for the Men's First Team in the first round this year.
Stoneham finished as Wessex League Premier Division runners-up in 2023-24, losing an agonising promotion playoff final 1-0 to Shaftesbury. Thye have been a consistent force in the Wessex Premier for the past few seasons too, having came 3rd in 2022-23 and fifth the season before that.
So far this season, they have won four out of four league games, and advanced to the FA Cup second qualifying round for a second year in a row, losing to National League South Salisbury.
Stoneham have a much more modest record in the Vase though. First entering the competition in 2016-17, they have never before been beyond the first round of the competition. However, Stoneham do have a 100% record against Hellenic League opponents, beating Malmesbury Victoria and Longlevens in 2016-17 and Binfield in 2018-19.
They advanced to the first round this year with a 2-0 triumph away at league rivals Christchurch.
Historical details of Royal Wootton Bassett Town's participation in the FA Vase are available in the history section of our website.
Details of all results are listed, as well as - where information is available - line-ups and match reports.
Last modified on Tuesday 24th September 2024 at 14:05.