Brimsdown vs Clapton CFC is on Saturday, September 20 2025 at 3pm at Wormley Sports Club, Church Lane, Wormley, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire EN10 6LB
It’s FA Vase second qualifying round time as we make a quick return visit to Brimsdown, just five weeks after our league game there when we ground out a 3-2 win.
You might think not much could have change since. However, Brimsdown have since been on a superb run of form with four wins in a row putting them just behind us in the play-off chase.
That run includes an impressive FA Vase cup upset away at higher division Harwich & Parkeston, who beat us in the BBC Essex Senior Cup last season.
It’s a meeting between the top scorers in the division (CCFC) and the third top scorers (Brimsdown) so should be a cup classic.
The winners will land £725 in prize money and go in the hat for the first round proper – and will be just another seven wins to Wembley.
About the competition
This is our third FA Vase campaign. We debuted in our second season, 2019/20, having just been promoted to Step 7. The run was short-lived as we lost 5-1 away to Step 6 side Wivenhoe Town, who were top of the Eastern Counties League Division One South at the time.
The FA changed the entry requirements the following season and now only Step 5 and 6 teams can play in the competition. That meant we didn’t reappear in the Vase until 2024/25, winning two ties against Hoddesdon Town (on penalties), then higher division Stansted before losing to another higher division side Thetford Town on penalties.
In the First Qualifying Round this season, we beat another team from our own division Enfield Borough 4-1 in a tie switched to the Old Spotted Dog Ground.
FA Vase round dates
First Round Qualifying: Saturday 23 August 2025
Second Round Qualifying: Saturday 20 September 2025
First Round Proper: Saturday 18 October 2025
Second Round Proper: Saturday 8 November 2025
Third Round Proper: Saturday 6 December 2025
Fourth Round Proper: Saturday 17 January 2026
Fifth Round Proper: Saturday 7 February 2026
Sixth Round Proper: Saturday 28 February 2026
Semi Final first leg: Saturday 28 March 2026
Semi-Final second leg: Saturday 4 April 2026
The Final: Sunday 17 May 2026
FA Vase prize money
First round qualifying Winners £550 Losers £160
Second round qualifying £725 £225
First round £825 £250
Second round £900 £275
Third round £1,125 £350
Fourth round £1,875 £600
Fifth round £2,250 £725
Sixth round £4,125 £1,350
Semi-Final £5,500 £1,725
Final £30,000 £15,000
About the opposition
The old Brimsdown Rovers – famed for former player David Beckham – merged with Enfield 1893 FC in 2010. Three years later, Brimsdown FC was formed as a successor, playing in the Spartan South Midlands League, as well as an academy and 8 youth teams. Owner Ahmet Toygun hopes to bring Brimsdown FC back to the Enfield area and own their own ground.
Form guide
Brimsdown’s charge up the table has seen them beat May & Baker, Basildon Town, Barkingside and FC Romania. Clapton meanwhile are up in the play-off places though the last two games have seen a win and defeat.
Previous meetings
Last month’s 3-2 away win came courtesy of two goals from Sam Cook and another from Fred Taylor, sealing a comeback win after being 2-0 down.
Our first meeting came in the Eastern Counties League in September 2023 – a rather drab 0-0 away draw. The reverse fixture in December 2023 saw us edge it 1-0 with a rare goal from Bailey Pryce.
Player/s to watch
A big part of their recent revival has been the form of Emmanuel Olasehinde, our own Development Team striker who has joined Brimsdown this summer. He is now captaining the side aged just 18 himself and even played at centre-back against us in the meeting in August.
Admission
Standard admission is £7, concessions £5, U18 £4 and U12 free.
Transport
The nearest station is Broxbourne, which is on the National Rail and Overground lines, meaning you can get there direct from a whole host of London stations, eg Liverpool Street, Stratford, Lea Bridge, Hackney Downs, Seven Sisters, Tottenham Hale.
From Broxbourne station it is a very pleasant 32 minute walk via riverside and countryside to Wormley’s ground, or a 12-minute bus journey.