 The Isuzu FA Vase Logo | |
| Founded | 1974; 51 years ago (1974) |
|---|---|
| Region | England, Wales,Channel Islands,Isle of Man (The FA) |
| Teams | About 600 |
| Current champions | Whitstable Town (1st title) |
| Most championships | Whitley Bay (4 times) |
| Broadcaster(s) | TNT Sports (final only) |
 2025–26 FA Vase | |
TheFootball Association Challenge Vase, also known as theIsuzu FA Vase for sponsorship reasons, is an annualfootball competition run by and named afterThe Football Association (The FA), for teams playing in Steps 5 and 6 of the EnglishNational League System. Nearly 600 teams participate in this knockout competition with semi-finals played over two legs. The final is played atWembley Stadium.
The2025 winners wereWhitstable Town, who beatAFC Whyteleafe 2–1 atWembley Stadium.
Until 1974, football players were categorised as either professionals or amateurs. Amateurs were not paid (at least not officially) by their clubs; amateur clubs had their own national cup competition, theFA Amateur Cup. Professionals were paid to play by their clubs; until the creation of theFA Trophy in 1969 there was no national knock-out competition specifically for professional clubs outsidethe Football League.
In 1974, with many of the top amateur players receiving payment for playing,the Football Association abolished the distinction, scrapped the Amateur Cup and introduced the FA Vase for the majority of clubs who had previously played in the competition. Well over 200 clubs entered in the first season, 1974–75, whenHoddesdon Town of theSpartan League beatEpsom & Ewell of theSurrey Senior League 2–1 in the final atWembley Stadium before a crowd of 9,000.
In September 2021Hinckley AFC set a new record score in the competition,[1] beatingSt Martins 18–0.[2]
In recent years, entry to the FA Vase has been restricted to clubs in the ninth and lower tiers of theEnglish football league system (those in the four levels above the ninth qualified for the FA Trophy). Reorganisation of theNational League System for 2004 onwards moved the dividing line down to the new "Step 5" (ninth tier overall). Clubs from theChannel Islands (First Tower United,St. Martins andVale Recreation) and the Isle of Man (Douglas HSOB) also entered the Vase in the past.Guernsey F.C., who were formed in 2011 and played in the "Step 5"Combined Counties League, gained entry for the 2012–13 season[3][4] and reached the semi-finals.
Only five teams have won the FA Vase more than once.Whitley Bay are the only team to win the FA Vase three times in successive seasons, whileBillericay Town,Tiverton Town andHalesowen Town have won back-to-back titles. In 2017Forest Green Rovers became the first FA Vase winners to go on to play in theEnglish Football League, while one former Football League team (Glossop North End) have twice been beaten finalists.
BT Sport showed the2016 FA Vase Final betweenHereford andMorpeth Town live on 22 May as part of a double-header along with the2016 FA Trophy Final.[5] This has continued in more recent years. The2025 FA Vase final was broadcast onTNT Sports 4 andDiscovery+.[6]
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