The magic of the cup! No matter what people say you just can’t beat the excitement of a knock-out competition, can you? As many of you know today is FA Cup Third round day, one of the undisputed highlights of the whole football calendar as teams up and down the country prepare to battle it out for glory - some trying to create a real upset whilst others look to avoid that dreaded banana skin, all no doubt creating a bit of history as they ‘March towards the famous Arch’.

It might not be the Road to Wembley but for those clubs who are lucky enough to be still taking part in minor cup competitions there’s plenty of local pride at stake (perhaps even more so in some cases!). As I set out towards King’s Lynn this afternoon for my chosen footy fix I imagine everyone involved in the eagerly-awaited Norfolk Primary Cup Quarter-Final tie between William Burt and Stoke Ferry is looking forward to the action just as much. Judging by the amount of recent website and social media activity on Facebook and Twitter they definitely are!     

William Burt Football Club plays its home games and uses the facilities at the rather well appointed William Burt Social Club (surprise, surprise) in the village of West Winch. Named after a local landowner and wealthy benefactor the brick built clubhouse was first opened back in 1974 (and later refurbished in 2007) to provide a focal point for local residents in West Winch, North Runcton and Setchey offering a wide range of community activities and social events including regularly weekly entertainment.  

The club is located only a couple of miles from King’s Lynn and found by turning left off the (northbound) A10 down Watering Lane where the main entrance is visible on the left hand side of the narrow winding one way road. There’s plenty of car parking space on site for visitors alongside the social club. Hoppers may also be interested to know that another local side, West Winch FC (also members of the NWNFL), share the venue for their matches too.

The players and referee change in separate changing rooms accessed at the side of the building. The large tree-lined playing fields at the back are enclosed by some local housing on the far end and by Hall Lane which passes close-by on the right. Although there is no dedicated spectator or player cover here, a number of wooden benches placed at set intervals around the perimeter are available for spectators. Today the game was played on the sloping (side to side) and un-roped pitch (one of two running parallel) closest to the changing room block. In keeping with the host’s colours the goal nets and named corner flags are printed neatly in blue and white for all to see. In the distance the large towers from the neighbouring Alexandra docklands can be seen straddling the horizon.

The match really appealed to me as it features sides from different competitions affiliated to the Norfolk County FA. Hosts William Burt currently lie in sixth place in the Second Division of the NWNFL. To reach this stage of the cup they beat Flitcham & Hillingdon by a whopping 11-0 score-line in the last round. By contrast opponents Stoke Ferry occupy ninth spot in the Central & South Norfolk League Division Three. Amazingly they have only played seven (yes, seven) league games so far which is half as many as leaders Attleborough Athletic who, by sheer coincidence, they defeated by virtue of a 4-2 victory in round four at the end of November to get here.

The game was essentially a poor one. With neither side having played for over five weeks due to the intervening festive period and owing to poor weather call-offs, the level of skill and fitness was clearly lacking and more evident as the game wore on. As a result few chances were created at either end. For the record it was William Burt who scored the only (crucial) goal of the game following a quick counter attack which saw Harry Bennett (7) cheekily chipping 'Ferry keeper Matthew Harrison from twenty yards out to take their place in the Semi-Final draw. Sadly both sides were reduced to ten players as tempers frayed very late on which saw visiting keeper Harrison dismissed for head butting Jonny Senter who then threw a punch in retaliation, in the dying seconds. It was a credit to RAF-registered referee Mark Inder who managed to keep a lid on things either side of the final whistle.

The match played in bright, sunny and mild conditions on a well drained, bumpy and sloping surface was attended by just over twenty fans. Several had made the short journey from Stoke Ferry including David Sewell keen non league supporter and member of the Central & South Norfolk League committee. He explained to me that one of the other ties being played today involved an all-C&SNL match between West End FC and Scarning FC ensuring the league would be represented in the forthcoming Semi-Final stage. Interestingly, last year’s NPC winners Castle Acre Swifts, are the current leaders of the C&SNL Premier Division.

I would also like to thank Shane Crown, the young, energetic secretary of the home side who confirmed the match details following my early morning check phone call. He’s a pretty versatile guy and should be applauded for his endeavour. He could be seen during the course of the afternoon taking up several other duties including club coach; assistant referee; physiotherapist and grounds person – who said that men can’t multi-task!! Cheers mate.

For those looking for more details about clubs competing in the Norfolk FA cups visitors can find plenty of information on the excellent county website. This can be supplemented by the local league sites which provide furher excellent contact information. Both the NWNFL and C&SNL are two of the better and more regularly updated websites available (see link below) making them valuable resources for ground collecting neutrals.

Local travellers may also be interested to know that the draws for all the local cup competitions are made on the airwaves of Radio Norfolk usually on the Friday evening football show. And finally, for the clubs who do progress to this season’s Norfolk Primary Cup Final I understand that it is going to be played at the brand new Norfolk Football Development Centre(FDC) in Bowthorpe, Norwich. I might just pencil that one in for my diary... ah the joys of attending local cup competitions continue...have fun wherever you go!