The North-East’s wait for a trip to the new Wembley in the FA Cup continues after a woeful weekend in the competition for the region. Chief Football Writer Paul Fraser, however, reports how the region can be proud of the Northern League teams’ efforts to reach Wembley in the FA Vase.

THE fourth round of the FA Cup may not have North-East representation for the first time in more than half a century, but the region can be proud of a number of clubs lower down the league ladder.

If, as expected, Dunston UTS overcome Heather St Johns in their rearranged third round tie on Saturday, the STL Northern League will have six clubs in the last 32 of the FA Vase.

“Unprecedented” was how league chairman Mike Amos described the situation, which has ironically come at a time when the four leading North-East clubs have all joined Darlington among the early exits in the FA Cup.

While much has been made of Newcastle, Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and Darlington’s failure to make it beyond the third round for the first time in 51 years, the Northern League is enjoying better times.

Not content with the name of Whitley Bay, the reigning champions at Wembley in the last two years, reaching the fourth round of the Vase again, there will be a healthy contingent proving the Northern League goes from strength to strength.

“We have got five teams in the last 32 of the Vase and I expect Dunston to join them this weekend. It’s unheard of,” said Amos. “The pyramid league system that was introduced has brought a lot of restrictions but it has actually helped us.

“Because of the league system we have had a lot of clubs in recent years that have chosen not to step up to the next league, the Evo-Stik League, for financial and geographical reasons.

“Basically because it could mean heading as far out as the North-West or Staffordshire just to play a league game, so they have chosen to stay in the Northern League.

“There are plenty of players who could certainly play at a higher level but because we are out on a limb up here they choose to stay at our level. That has helped the Northern League enormously. The standard is improving and so is the interest.”

If Dunston can progress they will set up a trip to Runcorn Town a week later.

On the same day Norton & Stockton Ancients take on Kings Lynn Town at home and Billingham Synthonia welcome Tadcaster to Teesside. There are also away trips for Ashington to Long Buckby, Whitley Bay to Herne Bay and Spennymoor to Cadbury Heath.

The Northern League are already confident of a third successive trip to the final, having been forced to wait seven years before a further appearance after Whitley Bay beat Tiptree in 2002.

“My dream would be to have an all-Northern League final in the FA Vase,” said Amos, recalling 100,000 witnessing Bishop Auckland face Crook at Wembley in 1954.

“The excitement that a good FA Vase run can bring to a town, an area, is fantastic. We are going to Wembley again, even if the Premier League and the Football League clubs from up here are not this year.”

There is also a belief within the Northern League that the standard is only destined to get better.

“Attendances at Northern League matches have increased year-on-year for the last seven years,” said Amos. “As more Premier League fans feel they are being ripped off by going to watch their clubs, more of them are deciding to become more involved with the Northern League; to get that sense of being involved in a community club.

“Fans can come to a Northern League ground and watch a match, get a pie and a pint and still get change out of a tenner. You could watch a game for the price of buying a pie at Newcastle. More and more fans are feeling like that.

“Feelings like that snowball and that all contributes to why we have five teams left in the last 32.

All of these teams, like Spennymoor who were bust a few years ago, and Dunston, who were playing on a field 20 years ago, are all built from scratch and from a base of a community spirit.

It means so much when they achieve something.”