FA Vase Special: Sampson tells Vickers not to bottle it - EXCLUSIVE

Maidstone resident Sampson, now coaching at Ryman League Division One South outfit Horsham YMCA, tasted FA Vase glory in 2000 when his Deal Town side defeated Chippenham Town in the last Wembley Stadium final, courtesy of a dramatic late winner from Roly Graham.

And VCD Athletic can book a quarter-final trip to Arngrove Northern League side Billingham Synthonia in two weeks time if they knock out Western League outfit Bideford at their Oakwood ground in Crayford on Saturday.

But Sampson, who managed Kent sides Ashford Town and Dartford after his Wembley exploits, is backing Vickers to emulate his old Deal Town side.

“I must be honest, it’s easy for me as I’ve won it, but Martin has got the experience,” Sampson said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk today.

“He knows Bideford, Sean Joyce is a very experienced manager and I would imagine the pair of them have done their homework.

“They are both technically in the quarter-final draw. Bideford have got some hugely experienced players - Ellis Laight and Anthony Lynch, are both very experienced front players and both played in the final in 2001 when Taunton Town beat Berkhamsted.

“They have experienced players but so do VCD, Danny Penny, Paul Foley and Mark Greatorex have all been about.

“So Martin Ford doesn’t need my advice. He knows exactly what’s in store - if you’re going to win the Vase you have to travel well.”

Sampson, whose mid-table Horsham YMCA side travel to Godalming Town on Saturday, believes VCD will give a good account of themselves.

“There won’t be much in it Saturday,” he said. “They are both very good Vase teams but once you get to this stage of the competition, there’s a lot of good players, a lot of good managers and good sides and luck doesn’t come into it.

“Quality comes into it now, quality that will either win or lose you the game.

“I wish him well. The only difference between mine and Martin’s experience was the pressure on my team, which was Wembley.

“Wembley is the most excellent stadium and the year we won it, it was the last opportunity and that brought it’s own pressure.

“VCD want to get to it’s own national competition final. I have always thought the FA Vase was better than the FA Trophy. I think it’s the more difficult than the Trophy. You can pick the same seven or eight teams to win the FA Trophy.

“It’s a huge national competition. I go every year as I’m luckily enough to get invited with all the past winners.”

But Sampson admitted Ford has the mental strength to lead the Kent League club to glory.

He said: “Martin is a bit like me, he’s single minded. Martin has a good side at VCD, a side that are able to fight their corner.

“They play really well with good players and a lot of these lads have been at this level before and that will stand him in good stead.

“When I was at Deal I got to the fourth round, lost to Tiverton in 1999, who went onto win the final and we won it the following year.

“I reached the fourth and fifth round most years but there’s a philological barrier in the fifth round but as soon as you reach the sixth round the barriers get knocked down.

“Truro are the cast iron favourites, they go to Whitehawk and I know Ian Chapman, the Whitehawk manager, but VCD will be perceived to do well as they get a fair old distance in the competition and they know they’re always in the top three or four in their league.”

But Sampson gives Vickers’ players a word of advice as they prepare for Bideford, and hopefully a trip up north in two weeks time.

“We had a great side, 19-20 top players at Deal,” he said. “The most fantastic side Kent has seen in the last twenty years.

“My Deal side clicked in that year. VCD might click this year and this could be the year that they get there.

“You need that experience and above all bottle in the big games,” he said.

“The biggest game I’ve been in was the second leg semi-final at home to Newcastle Town.

“The old southern softies thing doesn’t work anymore.

“Martin knows if you haven’t got the bottle to play in the big games and if you freeze you will never forgive yourself. It’s no good getting there and bottling.

“We tended to play well on the big day. The worst we played in the Vase run was the final.

“I know Martin’s team have got the experience and the bottle for it.

“But Bideford will be a tough game. They travel well and have good experience. It will be close, not a 4-0 to either side, but it will be close.

“The final was the most fantastic football year of my life. Whether people agree or not, it was the biggest day Kent non-league football has had in thirty years. It was a huge day and hopefully Martin will have that day to come.

“Play well, and if you don’t play well, don’t get beat and stay in the competition at 5pm - even if it’s a draw.

“The year we won we had to go to Crook in Darlington, Newcastle, Eastleigh, who were very fancied and now in the Conference South.

“You can’t win the Vase if you don’t travel well. You have to go 300 miles and beat someone.

“We had to do it twice in our nine games. You have to go away from home and do it - you have to go there and win.

“You have to go to Billingham and win there - if not win at home.”

VCD Athletic v Bideford
FA Carlsberg Vase Fifth Round
Saturday 17^th February 2007
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Oakwood, Old Road, Crayford