Today I'm going back just one year to 2020 and another FA Vase 3rd Round tie, this time Congleton Town v Coventry United at Ivy Gardens, Congleton.
Hands up if you didn't even know that there even was a Coventry United. United were formed as recently as 2013 by four friends in reaction to the ongoing problems at Coventry City FC (aka the Sky Blues). The Sky Blues have spent time not playing in Coventry in recent seasons at the homes of Northampton Town and Birmingham City and have occasionally wobbled due to their financial situation so it's not out of the question that they might go under in the not too distant future. That being the case, United are in pole position to take on the mantle of being Coventry's senior side. At present United share the Butts Park Arena with Coventry RFC and are relatively well supported for the level of football that they play at (the Midland Football League Premier Division), mainly by people who have tired of the shenanigans at the Sky Blues. United play in Coventry's civic colours of red and green.
My trip to the featured game was clouded by the uncertainties created by the possibility of another Covid19 lockdown. To be honest, at the time I wasn't even sure if I should be travelling out of my local area but, in the end, I wore my mask, socially distanced and refused to allow Covid19 to disrupt my life any more than was already the case. I wasn't the only one as there was a coachload of Coventry United supporters in attendance in the crowd of 264 (capacity that day was limited to 300). The game was highly entertaining. United took an early lead and then failed to convert several subsequent opportunities. Those misses proved to be costly as Congleton found an equaliser late on and we had ourselves 30 minutes of extra time. The weather worsened to monsoon conditions but there were no more goals and, due to Covid19, there was to be no replay. Instead we went to a penalty shoot out and, wouldn't you know it, Congleton, who hadn't looked likely to progress in normal time, won 4-3.
Congleton's prize was a 4th Round tie against Malvern Town which didn't end up taking place until April 17th due to the pandemic. Despite the long lay off Congleton won that game too before bowing out to Hebburn Town in the last 16. The Vase that season was won 3-2 by Warrington Rylands against Binfield at Wembley Stadium in front of a restricted capacity of just 3,000. I was at that game too!
CRB Match No. 2422
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