The FA Vase is one we would like to go all the way in, says Lydd Town joint-manager Tom Wynter

LYDD TOWN joint-manager Tom Wynter says the chance to play at Wembley Stadium in The FA Vase Final would be an amazing experience.

 

The Lydders – playing in the ninth-tier of English football for the first time this season – make the trip to Gravesend tomorrow to play their Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division rivals Punjab United in the First Round.

Chipie Sian’s men go into the game sitting in sixth-place in the table with 18 points from their 12 games, while newly-promoted Lydd sit in the bottom five with 10 points from seven, but with games in hand on all of their rivals.

“The game is a tough one! Punjab are a good team and started the league well.  They have some good players so we need to be at the races from the first whistle until the end,” said Wynter.

“Out of all the cups that we’ve entered this season, the FA Vase is one we would like to go all the way in.

“Obviously, we want to win everything we enter but the chances to play at Wembley would be an amazing experience and one not many people can say that they’ve achieved.

“We know a few of Punjab’s players and what they’re capable of doing, so we all need to be ready for the test.

“We have also spoken to a few teams that they have played against, so we know what we are up against.”

Lydd Town are 13 points adrift of the play-off zone, which is currently occupied by Glebe, Corinthian, Fisher and Erith Town, but they do have five games in hand over the quartet.

“We can’t really look at our league position at the moment because we are four or five games behind everyone and if we win them we will be around the play-offs, so at the moment our position is a bit false,” said Wynter.

“We believe with the squad we’ve got that we will be pushing for the play-offs.”

Wynter revealed that Sam Adams (broken foot), Johan Ter Horst (hamstring), joint-player manager James Rogers (ankle), Wynter himself (ACL), Robbie Dolan and Mamadouba Camara are all on the sidelines suffering from injuries.

Punjab United  v  Lydd Town
The Isuzu FA Vase First Round
Saturday 21 October 2023
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Elite Venue, Dunkirk Close, Gravesend, Kent DA12 5ND