Seeking a Vase for the trophy cabinet...

This piece was written for the match programme for the Northern Premier League, Premier Division game between Prescot Cables and Lancaster City on 28 February 2026.

We have previously looked at the new era for football in Prescot in season 1975/76. At the end of the previous season, Prescot Town Football Club had been voted out of the Lancashire Combination after finishing next to bottom.

Prior to the start of their first season in the Mid-Cheshire League, businessman and former Prescot player, George Glover, took over as Manager of the club. Glover was determined to get his old club back on the non League map and he secured the donation of an all-white football kit, from Liverpool FC. He then persuaded the former Aston Villa, Chelsea and Liverpool centre-forward, Tony Hateley to join the side.

The club enjoyed better fortunes in both their new league and in the cup competitions. This was reflected in increased attendances, with gates at the start of season increasing 7 fold over the previous season.

The previous year, the FA had decided to abolish the official distinction between amateur and professional footballers, which meant the end of The Amateur Cup. In its place, the FA Vase was launched, to be competed for by clubs at Steps 5 and below, and with a showcase final at Wembley.

In this second season of the FA Vase, George Glover’s Prescot Town enjoyed the club’s best ever progression in a national cup competition.

Home victories over Hoylake, (6 - 0), Wigan Rovers (3 - 2), Old Altrinchamians (2 - 1, away after a 3 - 3 draw at home) and Hallam (1 - 0), saw Glover’s Prescot Town team reach the 5th Round of the FA Vase, This put them in the last 16 of the cup (out of more than 300 clubs who set out on the road to Wembley) - the furthest a Prescot side has ever reached in a national competition.

For the first time that season, Town were drawn away from home. They travelled to meet the leaders of United Counties League side, Stamford, away, on Saturday 31st January 1976. Unfortunately, this was a step too far for Prescot as they went down to a 3 - 1 defeat.

On a rock-hard, icy pitch, Town were the better side for the first 20 minutes, with a Tony Hateley header hitting the bar, but they conceded a goal against the run of play, on the half-hour mark. Stamford doubled their lead on 55 minutes, Midway through the second half, Hawley made speedy move forward and pushed the ball on to Beesley, who lobbed it on to McCarthy who headed Prescot back into the game. But on 82 minutes, a shot through a ruck of players could only be helped into his own net by Town goalkeeper, Jameson.

Prescot Town Team: Ronnie Jameson (GK), Bromley, Bobbie Sharrocks, Pete Lennon, Lennie Williams, Steve Boulger, Lol Taylor, Dave Hawley, Pat McCarthy, Tony Hateley, John Beesley.

Substitutes Graham McDonald, Mike Vaughan

After the game Hateley revealed that he had been suffering with the flu in the week prior to the match. ‘I had a few days in bed and should have stayed there, but I did not want to let the club down in such an important match.’ he declared.

Despite the defeat, Glover remained upbeat. ‘Give the lads a pat on the back. They have done extremely well to get so far in a nationwide competition; it’s the finest thing to happen at Prescot for many years. I hope the defeat will not undermine the good support which the team has had since the revival of interest.’ Glover also paid tribute to the fans who had followed the side to Lincolnshire. ‘It’s a pity that their enthusiasm was not rewarded with a victory, but that’s football.’

Stamford went on to reach the final at Wembley. The Daniels took on Billericay Town of the Essex Senior League in the final in front of 11,858 spectators. A marginal offside decision denied Stamford a late winner in normal time, and in extra time it was Billericay who scored the decisive goal to win 1-0. The Daniels went on to complete a league and cup double.

Stamford were synonymous with the FA Vase during the next decade, appearing in three Wembley finals, beating Guisborough Town 2 - 0 in 1979/80 and losing 3 - 2 to Stanstead in 1983/84.

Prescot Town, once again, reached the fifth round of the FA Vase in 1977/78, drawing, 2 -2, at home to the eventual winners, Newcastle Blue Star, before losing the replay, 1 - 0 on Tyneside.