WHITLEY Bay manager Ian Chandler is determined to bring the FA Carlsberg Vase back to the North-East when the skilltrainingltd Northern League side face Wroxham from the Eastern Counties League at Wembley tomorrow.

Chandler is one of the best placed people in the country to talk about the Vase. He scored the winner in 2002 at Villa Park for Bay against Tiptree, and last season became the first in the country to both play in and manage a Vase-winning team, when Whitley beat Glossop 2-0.

Whitley also reached the semi-finals two seasons ago when they lost to Lowestoft.

“We desperately want to bring the Vase home again, there’s no question that we’re going to Wembley to win it again,” said Chandler.

“Many of the lads are straining at the leash to play and win at Wembley again, and it will be a case of more than just enjoying it.”

If Whitley win, they’ll become only the second team in the near 40-year history of the Vase to triumph three times.

“I don’t think there’s extra pressure on us to win because we were at Wembley last season,’’ he insisted. “Maybe we’ve put pressure on ourselves recently because some of our performances in the league since we won the semifinal haven’t been too good, and people have been wondering whether we’ve gone off form.

“Maybe the players have had Wembley in the back of their minds for a few weeks, and 95 per cent of the squad who were there last year, have eagerly wanted to go back this year.

“But without a doubt, the Vase brings out the best in our players, they seem to raise themselves.

“As for the competition itself, we’ve been favourites all the way through from when we came into the competition, so that sort of pressure is nothing new to us.’’ He added: “Geoff Fell, one of our coaching staff, has watched Wroxham, and he said if we play like we did against Barwell and Chertsey, we’ll be fine.

Wroxham, who finished eighth in the Eastern Counties League, won their semifinal against Whitehawk, Marske’s conquerors, comfortably.

They won the first leg 2-0 away then scored quickly in the second leg to seal a Wembley place.