The FA Challenge Vase

A hat trick of wins in the 1970s

In the 1970s Billericay Town FC became the first club to win the FA Challenge Vase three times.

In 1976 on 10th April the played Stamford FC at Wembley Stadium and won the match 1-0 with a goal scored by Geoff Aslett in extra time.

Poster for 1976 Final

Poster for 1976 Final

1976 Match Programme

The following year Town were again through to the final of the FA Vase and they played Sheffield FC at Wembley on 30th April !977. The match was drawn 1-1 with Fred Claydon scoring for the Blues.

Poster for 1977 Final

Poster for 1977 Final with team photo

The following Wednesday, 4th May, the match was replayed at the City Ground in Nottingham, the home of Nottingham Forest. This time Geoff Aslett and Paul Woodhouse scored and Billericay won the match 2-1.

Programme for 1977 replay

The hat trick was completed in 1979 when on 28th April Billericay Town once again ran out onto the pitch at Wembley Stadium to face Almondsbury Greenway FC in the FA Vase. Doug Young scored a hat trick, the first at Wembley in a final since Geoff Hurst in 1966, and Fred Clayden added another in a 4-1 victory.

Poster for 1979 Final with team photo

1979 Match Programme

The photos below show the team returning home after winning the cup. Do you know which year this was?

The Team at the junction of London Road and Western Road

Returning home with the cup

More details available on the Billericay Town Website

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  • My father William Dyball (Bill) was Chairman of this Club in 1959 when the team qualified for another final. It was played at Chelmsford City ground and we all travelled to Chelmsford to see them win. This was when they played on the ground which is now Quilters next to the Archer Hall. All were local chaps from Butchers to school boy players the Whiskin’s. Great time. 

    By Dorothy Cullum (Nee Dyball of Crown Road) (31/08/2015)
  • We came to Billericay in 1974. Our daughters got interested in the football team and so we got involved, just in time for the ‘glory years’.

    It was great to drive to Wembley with flags and scarves blowing from the windows, and coming home after the win was even better. The team were all local lads and the supporters were all family orientated.

    Those were the days!!

    By Bet Gardner (22/07/2015)

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