By Ben McFadyean at New Cuthbury.
The fog draws in from the South Coast ahead of what is only Wimborne Town’s second outing in England’s 155-year-old national cup tournament.
Alongside winning the FA Vase, a national amateur trophy for teams below the National League, reaching the first round of the FA Cup in 1982/83 remains the high point of my local club Wimborne’s history.
In spite of the resulting trip to then fourth division side Aldershot ending in a convincing 0-4 trouncing, for the 1,000 fans who made the 180-mile trip to the historic 7,000-capacity stadium known fondly as ‘The Rec’, the game to this day remains one to remember.
Then Wimborne captain and centre-forward at the club in season 82/83, Manis Canny, who stands in the club’s reception with his back to a large aquarium with the club’s crest depicted over it – but alas also one without any fish, recollects: “Struggling to survive in the tenth tier, the Western League Division One, we were just happy to beat a Merthyr Tydfil side five divisions above us to qualify for the first round proper.”
The tall Scotsman, now in his early eighties, stressed the occasion’s centrality in the club’s history: “Aldershot in the first round were on a different level, and the 4-0 could have been expected; we were just happy to get that far.”
Asked about the current WTFC side, Canny expresses confidence in the side: “The coach Tim (Sills) side is doing so well; the side are in a different league to us back then – anything is possible” – praise indeed from a man who should know.
The joy of the FA Cup Draw
The income from cup games is shared between the two teams; the estimated “£75-100,000 in potential funding” from the game that is reported in the local newspaper The Bournemouth Echo is largely designated for the installation of a new 5G pitch – that kind of income from one game doesn’t come along that often for grassroots level clubs; and it is needed.
When referee Redmond Egan blows the final whistle in the 1-0 win over National League South side Chelmsford City, on a Sunny afternoon in October, the Dorset club, known as the Magpies, for the first time in decades are finally once more back in the mix.
When a League 2 side is drawn, the reactions from the clubhouse are a combination of utter shock accompanied by loud cheers among the followers and players and coaches assembled in the 1878 Suite club bar – 43 years is almost a generation, long enough to forget the club had ever been more than a seventh tier club.
The FA Cup and Crawley Town are a stark reminder that a club’s fate can change at the flip of a coin.
The build-up
The 3,300 who pack the ground in the attractive market town, located just 12 kilometres outside Bournemouth, represent around a third of all local inhabitants – Few are untouched by the dream of cup glory.
The modern chocolate box Wyatt Homes Stadium, or New Cuthbury as it is known to longstanding fans, is a sharp bit of business by the club. In 2017, when the former Cuthbury Ground, the side’s traditional home, was sold to the property developer Wyatt, part of the deal was the land and the construction of the new stadium on the Eastern edge of the town.
The ground, which is bordered by a 4G training ground, is flanked by a large clubhouse with space for up to 400; the Black & Whites are well-positioned for growth.
On match day, the bar is wall to wall with one hour to go until kick-off. On a temporary stand on the West side, which has been put up especially alongside a marquee and temporary bar to host fans of the Sussex visitors, a sea of red and white scarves is visible. These are heavily outnumbered, as might be expected by the local fans across the ground, but with 30 minutes to go, the Crawley fans hold their own when it comes to the din coming from the stands.
Asked about the game, Tony Grant, the home side’s chairman since 2018, expresses his approval: “All 3300 tickets were sold out in a matter of hours; things have not been easy since missing out in the play-offs to England’s sixth tier (22/23), and small clubs like us have to maximise our chances when fortune comes knocking.” The live broadcast on TNT TV is also a massive bonus for the club.
Among the players in the home team is the South Korean midfielder Seung-Woo Yang, who moved to the UK with his parents as a two-year-old and grew up in Bournemouth. Asked who the Asian player who wears the shirt with the number 14 would like to be drawn against if the club can secure a win against Crawley, the answer rings out like a shot: ” My dream is to play against Birmingham City and my idol Paik Seung-Ho.” First, the side have to reach round three.
Club analyst and fellow South Korean Hyeon-Jun Lee, who, like Bayern’s Min-Jae Kim, is also a graduate of the academy of Suwon Technical High, is also bullish. Asked how much the televised game means to him, he exclaims: “Of course we know about the FA Cup in South Korea, my family are really happy for me to be involved with this club and in the competition; now we have to put on a performance to remember” – the stage is set.
Among the four hundred travelling fans, office manager James Eadells, in the temporary bar under the marquee at the West Stand, who is surrounded by a group of fans playing up to the TV cameras chanting: “We don’t care no more, you lose every week,” the 30-year-old, however, goes against the grain and predicts a 2-1 win for the visitors.
In spite of Crawley’s 18th place in the fourth tier, the boys from Broadfield Stadium can count on a depth of talent. The current side includes former England U20 winger Malcolm Ebiowei. Alongside him on the wing is former Swansea U21 striker Dylan Morgan, who has scored 5 goals in 2026. At the heart of the Red & White’s defence, the standout player is former Charlton Athletic centre-back Charlie Barker – all challenges the local matadors will need to overcome to progress.
Former Oxford United and Torquay United striker Tim Sills, who himself grew up in Romsey, less than 30 km from Wimborne, has his team primed; the anticipation is great, and the scene is set for a special cup day in East Dorset.
Will experience or determination bring results in the first 45?
From the East stand, roars of “Wimborne, Wimborne” drown everything out; behind the six hundred or so fans in the singing section, a giant black and white flag depicting the club’s crest, two magpies back to back aloft a ball, is pinned across the wall. The fans drumming on the advertising hoardings signal eager anticipation for things to come.
The teams storm down the tunnel onto the pitch, first the visitors to a din of whistles, followed by the home side and roars of approval; everyone in Wimborne is a Magpie today.
The traditional line-up and handshakes are followed by a stream of junior black-and-white-clad mascots who stream across the pitch to the approval of parents and fans alike.
As has been the tradition since the end of World War II, in recognition of Remembrance Sunday, a lone bugler blows the last call, followed by a two-minute silence, which is unexpectedly interrupted by a two-second burst of The Human League’s 1981 No. 1 hit: “Don’t You Want Me” – the Wimborne faithful really do want this.
Finally, the kick-off, Wimborne press heavily with the aim of disrupting from the outset. The opponents from East Sussex are individually skilful but disjointed, and are caught off guard again and again by the forceful seventh tier side.
Time and time again the build-up of the Red and Whites are undone by the individual determination on show – this game will be everything other than a walkover for 2024 League Two Play-off winners.
Nine minutes into the game, an outstanding one-two on the edge of the box by Wimborne’s former Chile youth international Angel Diaz, with Seung-Woo Yang followed by an outstanding curler into the top left of the box, has Crawley’s former Arsenal reserve keeper Vito Mannone well-beaten into second – The sheer elation on the face of the South Korean player is an inspiration.
Following a twoing and froing, in which the home side are impressively anything but inferior, the part-timers take their narrow lead into the half-time tea break. Crawley manager, formerly of Leeds United and 2-time Polish Cup winners Legia Gdańsk, Keith Blackwell, needs to regain the initiative and brings in three changes at half-time.
Crawley press for points in the second half
To the dismay of the Dorset crowd, the Red Devils are putting enormous pressure on their boys; defender Charlie Barker’s shot edges so close, but not close enough.
A further powerful low strike by AFC Wimbledon loan midfielder Kai Jennings also just fizzles across goal past the left-hand post; the visitors struggle to carve out openings throughout.
The individual performances of the home side close the quality gap, especially former AFC Bournemouth U21 keeper Cameron Plain and centre-back Sam Roberts, who does an outstanding job at the heart of the defence.
Three points adrift at the foot of the fourth tier, Crawley’s season is made even worse when a Jackson King shot bounces off the local team’s number ten Cameron Munn into the visitors’ net, leaving the game all but sealed with 11 minutes to go.
The visitors’ hopes are lifted temporarily when the impeccable referee Kirsty Dowles has nine additional minutes of extra time signalled at the end of the 90. It’s to no avail-the home side were never going to let this piece of cup history slip out of the bag.
After winning the FA Vase in 1992, the most significant game in their history is finally upon the Dorset team when the final whistle is blown. This is met with scenes of utter ecstasy and jubilation; a massive, but entirely good-natured, pitch invasion ensues.
After the game, scorer of the 1-0 Seung-Woo Yang, despite having to fight off the trophy hunters among the celebrating fans to get to the stands, is utterly composed: “I have never scored a goal like that before in my life, but what better day for it?”
The 24-year-old Property surveyor, who has already had five press interviews that evening, underlines the meaning of overcoming the League 2 side: “It was a really tough game, but we carried out the game plan to a T; we had to because of the quality of the opposition – right now there is just no better feeling.”
Crawley Town captain Jude Arthurs, in contrast, looks desolate standing in the centre-circle 20 minutes after the final whistle: “We just weren’t good enough, we knew they would throw it all at us, and they did”, the former Gillingham midfielder howwever is also gracious in defeat: “I’ve played at this level and I know how much a win like this can mean, the crowd here were intimidating, credit where credit is due, but we were poor,” he shares before making his way to the team bus, for what will inevitably be quite a long trip back to Sussex.
Job done, all eyes on Azmir Begovic
Only 24 hours after the triumph, once more the fog gathers around the New Cuthbury. Inside, around three hundred fans, club staff and sponsors pack out the clubhouse in eager anticipation of the draw.
When finally, half an hour into the session, ball number 35 is matched with ball number 29, by former Stoke City great Asmir Begovic, it’s 1-time FA Cup winners Bradford City that are drawn out of the hat for round 2.
Jeff Robbins (photo by Ben McFadyean)
The roll of the dice could hardly have fallen better – the celebrations explode. 78-year-old kitman and club mascot Jeff Robbins, who has been with the club since 1997, sums up the mood perfectly: “Over the years I’ve seen many managers come and go, but it’s never been quite like this. We are doing so well in the league, and now Bradford, all credit to (General manager) Jimmy (Glass), and (Manager) Tim Slls, we will be well up for it.”
Round 2 on December 5th will be the biggest payday of the club’s history; bring on the Bantams – and just hopefully for the club’s aquarium just one or two fish.