There aren’t very many former Tonbridge Angels who have scored winning goals in Cup Finals at Wembley.
But one who has, has been looking forward to the Angels FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round tie with Taunton Town this weekend by reminiscing about the day that he was one of the Angels who came agonisingly close to the First Round Proper back in 1991 against the best Non-League side back in the day, Yeovil Town.
23 year old Roly Graham was one of the more experienced players in blue that day, before he moved into Kent footballing immortality by netting Deal Town’s winner in the 2000 Vase Final at Wembley that beat Chippenham.
“I’ve got a lot of footage and messages from back home after the 20th anniversary of the goal this year,” Roly told us from his home in Australia.
“It’s not something that I mention too much at work these days, but if someone mentions it, I’ve got the videos on my phone! More people know about it here than they used to!
“I’ll always be proud of that moment, but I have to admit that despite that, my time at Tonbridge were some of my best footballing days, under Phil Emblen, the set up with Longmead and the supporters we had made us the best supported club in the League.
“I had three of the best years of my career, three years of some of the best players that I played with without a shadow of a doubt with a very, very good manager.”
Recalling the Yeovil tie that is still spoken fondly about by the Longmead faithful, Roly said, “I know we lost two one but I remember we had a very, very good team, Phil had a lot of experienced players and some very good young players; a combination of a few ex Gillingham youth players, Lloyd Hume, Stevie Thompson along with Neil Emblen and myself.
“We had a very strong team. I can remember quite a few of the players but to have Neil Emblen playing in that team made a hell of a difference to that team. He was the best player that I ever played with, you could see that he was going to make it as a professional, he was that good, so good!”
“Getting to the Fourth Qualifying Round as a Kent League team was a hell of an achievement. We beat Croydon, Sittingbourne and then Hampton in a replay before we lost to Yeovil. I remember that they went two-nil up quickly, but I have to admit that I can’t remember who scored for us on the day. I know that we played really well and were really, really unlucky!”
“We had a few good chances towards the end – we were the better side in the second half, were hoping to get to the replay, taking the draw and the money that would have come with it like you do in the FA Cup.
“Just remember the gap in those days between the Kent League and the top of the Conference where Yeovil were at the time, it was huge, to be so close yet so far away was a massive credit to us. We were all disappointed, but we certainly came away with our head held high that is for sure!”
After Roly left Tonbridge his footballing journey included a spell at Herne Bay and was in the side tipped to go a long way in the Vase in the late 1990s and with Saturday in mind, his path ironically came across Taunton Town in the 1997/1998 competition.
The Somerset side crushed Tommy Sampson’s side 5-2 in their way to the last four, Taunton were at the beginning of an amazing run in the competition where they at least reached the last eight in five successive seasons before winning the Vase in 2001.
A year AFTER Roly’s wonder-goal had won the Vase for Deal Town against Chippenham. “That game at Taunton is one that I don’t really remember,” Roly laughed, “but I do remember that Herne Bay were strong at the time and for Taunton to put that many goals past us is a fair indication of what a quality side they were. To be honest,” he concluded, “I was glad to see that back of that game!”
“I’ll be looking out for the result this weekend and wondering if Steve (McKimm) and this Angels side can do what we weren’t able to and make it to the First Round!”