Can Harborough Town and Luttwerworth Town make FA Vase history this weekend?

Bees boss Stuart Spencer.Bees boss Stuart Spencer.
Bees boss Stuart Spencer.
Harborough Town and Lutterworth Town have set their sights on making FA Vase history this weekend.

Both clubs have the opportunity to progress to the third round of the competition for the first time ever on Saturday.

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Harborough will host Atherstone Town while 15 miles west along the A304 Lutterworth will be looking to get the better of visitors Eastwood Community at Kong Park.

“We’ve never had a seriously good run in the competition. This is the furthest we’ve been in the Vase,” said Bees manager Stuart Spencer.

Josh Dixon, the Swifts manager.Josh Dixon, the Swifts manager.
Josh Dixon, the Swifts manager.

“It’s a competition with a national profile and the further we can go the more exposure we get, the more it creates in terms of finances, in terms of prize money and from attendances.”

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Spencer also believes that success in the Vase will aid his side’s UCL Premier ambitions.

“There’s momentum you can create from the competition,” he added.

“The further you go the more belief you create.

“It’s about not having an off day, or we’ll get punished for it.

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“You need to find your level in a one-off game. The better the team you play the quicker you’ll get punished if you make mistakes.”

Atherstone currently sit sixth in the Midland League Division One, one level lower than Harborough.

But Spencer - who is calling on the people of the town to come out and back his boys - says they’ll be no pushovers.

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“They’re in the Midlands Leage Division One. It’s step six but it’s a strong league.

“It can be misleading that they’re a level lower. They have a lot of experience in their side, players who have played higher.

“We had (a crowd of) 250 for the last Vase game. It’s clear people are interested as attendances have increased. If we can get an extra 100 behind the lads it will be an enormous help in trying to get into the final 64.”

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Lutterworth boss Josh Dixon is also eyeing a spot in round three.

“It’s a chance to make history for the club, because the second round is the furthest we’ve ever got,” the Swifts manager told The Mail.

“It’ll be nice to go one further again. It’s a fantastic occasion for the club.”

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Eastwood are currently joint-top of the East Midlands Counties League.

Dixon continued: “Eastwood are doing well in their league, but they’re a division lower, so it’s winnable.

“Our crowds tend to be good for these games, so hopefully they’ll be out to get behind us again.”

Both matches kick off at 3pm, with winning teams banking £900 in prize money and taking a step loser to Wembley.