#COYD - Come on You Dockers

  Rusthall 0 Newhaven 2, FA Vase Second Qualifying Round An FA Vase game may not carry the glamour and prestige of an FA Cup match, but for Step 5 and 6 clubs up and down the UK, it’s a competition that offers non-league teams a realistic chance of a day out at Wembley. Fellow Sussex club Littlehampton proved it could be done two seasons ago when they reached the final, while local rivals Peacehaven were two matches away from a trip to the Twin Towers last season. However, it’s a competition that for, whatever reason, Newhaven haven’t had a lot of success in, in recent seasons. They haven't reached the First Round Proper for three years. This afternoon, we arrived in Rusthall, Kent, hopeful that this could be the year we can finally enjoy something of an extended run in the competition. With Rusthall currently sitting in lower mid-table in the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division, having accrued eight points from eight matches, it was certainly a winnab...

Rusthall 2 Newhaven 3, Pre-season match #5 With just seven days to go before the season gets going for real, Newhaven headed north (well, to Kent) looking to finish their pre-season campaign unbeaten. With the past Tuesday night’s friendly away at Whitehawk having been postponed due to the extreme weather conditions (searing heat or hurricane-force gales? Take your pick!), this represented the Dockers last chance to fine-tune any changes ahead of next week’s big kick-off away to Steyning. In Rusthall, who play in the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division, Newhaven faced opponents who themselves had enjoyed a good pre-season, reeling off a string of impressive results along the way. Within ten minutes of kick-off, two things were abundantly clear. 1) Rusthall would provide the Dockers with the toughest challenge that I’d seen them face to date (I wasn’t at the Lancing game); and 2) With the new season now just around round the corner, things are getting more ...