Canvey back on the Vase trail

Non-League notebook

Non-League notebook

RUPERT METCALF

Canvey Island enjoyed their spell in the national media spotlight when they took Brighton and Hove Albion to a replay in the first round of the FA Cup, but tomorrow they resume their campaign in a competition in which, unlike the FA Cup, they are one of the favourites to reach Wembley.

The ebullient Essex outfit entertain another seaside club, Gorleston, from Norfolk, in the fourth round of the FA Carlsberg Vase at their Park Lane ground. The Vase is a tournament in which a good past record often leads to continued success, and Canvey have a proud recent history.

The Icis League club were semi-finalists in 1992-93 when they were in the Essex Senior League, they reached the fourth round (the last-32 stage) the following season while they were beaten by Oxford City, the eventual runners-up, in the quarter-finals last term. Only one club of this year's Vase last 32 are previous winners: Diss Town, victors in 1994, who are at home to Banstead Athletic.

Further up the non-League pyramid, the GM Vauxhall Conference has confirmed this week that only eight of its member clubs have gained the required ground grading from the Football League and can be considered for promotion this season. They are: Macclesfield Town (the current leaders), Woking (3rd), Kidderminster Harriers (5th), Gateshead (6th), Southport (7th), Kettering (13th), Bath (18th) and Dover (19th).