Before Hereford had even kicked a ball or signed any players, the bookies named them as favourites to win the FA Vase. They have not been proved wrong, with the Whites reaching the final. Currently BetVictor are offering:
Hereford 4/9
Morpeth 5/1
With the majority of people expecting Hereford to lift the Vase after 90 minutes on Sunday, how do both teams' seasons compare?
Morpeth Town
3rd - 77 points - 42 games - 24 won - 5 drawn - 13 lost - 89 for - 64 against - 25 GD
The Highwaymen's results suffered due to their cup run, regularly playing 3 times a week towards the end of the season, also being given an extension in order to complete their fixtures.
Having only lost 3 times in the league up until the end of April, they suffered 10 loses in the remaining 6 weeks of the season, totaling to a win percentage of 75% across the season in the league alone.
Morpeth are hoping to keep up the Vase record of Northern League clubs, with a team from the North winning the competition 6 years out of the last 7.
In order to get the FA Vase final, the Highwaymen entered the competition in the first qualifying round (Hereford entered in the second QR), but, like the Bulls, played 9 games due to their second round opponents 1874 Northwick withdrawing.
In the third round they beat South Shields 10-9 on penalties with the scores level at 3-3 after end of extra time.
Morpeth secured their place in the final in the 93rd minute of the second-leg against Essex-based Bowers and Pitsea, as Luke Carr guided the ball low into the bottom right-hand corner of the net.
Hereford
1st - 108 points - 42 games - 35 won - 3 drawn - 4 lost - 138 for - 22 against - 105 GD
After a shaky start to the season, Hereford went on a 34 game unbeaten run in all competitions from August - February, before a 2-0 loss at home to Highgate. After dropping points against Highgate, the Bulls finished the season with 22 wins, picking up 3 trophies along the way.
Sunday will be a day of firsts, primarily it will be the first time a Hereford side has ever played at Wembley - arguably the closest an Edgar Street side got was the Conference Play-Off Final against Halifax Town in 2006, but seeing as the Arch was still being constructed, the final was played at Leicester City instead.
Secondly, Hawkesbury Ronaldo, the bull owned by Westons Cider, will be paraded around Wembley at around 11.15am, an hour before kick off.
Westons' Farm Manager, Tom Manns, confirmed what will be happening: "He will be walking from the one corner of Hereford up to the half way line because the area by where the substitutes sit it wouldn't be wide enough for him without going on the grass. Obviously he mustn't go on the pitch.
Morpeth are hoping to keep up the Vase record of Northern League clubs, with a team from the North winning the competition 6 years out of the last 7.
In order to get the FA Vase final, the Highwaymen entered the competition in the first qualifying round (Hereford entered in the second QR), but, like the Bulls, played 9 games due to their second round opponents 1874 Northwick withdrawing.
In the third round they beat South Shields 10-9 on penalties with the scores level at 3-3 after end of extra time.
Morpeth secured their place in the final in the 93rd minute of the second-leg against Essex-based Bowers and Pitsea, as Luke Carr guided the ball low into the bottom right-hand corner of the net.
Hereford
1st - 108 points - 42 games - 35 won - 3 drawn - 4 lost - 138 for - 22 against - 105 GD
After a shaky start to the season, Hereford went on a 34 game unbeaten run in all competitions from August - February, before a 2-0 loss at home to Highgate. After dropping points against Highgate, the Bulls finished the season with 22 wins, picking up 3 trophies along the way.
Sunday will be a day of firsts, primarily it will be the first time a Hereford side has ever played at Wembley - arguably the closest an Edgar Street side got was the Conference Play-Off Final against Halifax Town in 2006, but seeing as the Arch was still being constructed, the final was played at Leicester City instead.
Secondly, Hawkesbury Ronaldo, the bull owned by Westons Cider, will be paraded around Wembley at around 11.15am, an hour before kick off.
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| Ronaldo at Edgar Street yesterday |
Westons' Farm Manager, Tom Manns, confirmed what will be happening: "He will be walking from the one corner of Hereford up to the half way line because the area by where the substitutes sit it wouldn't be wide enough for him without going on the grass. Obviously he mustn't go on the pitch.