# Whitley Bay Wins Three Wembley FA Vase Finals

> Whitley Bay, a ninth-tier club, won three consecutive FA Vase finals at Wembley in 2009-2011.
- Title: Whitley Bay Wins Three Wembley FA Vase Finals · BBC Sport
- Summary: Whitley Bay, a ninth-tier club, won three consecutive FA Vase finals at Wembley in 2009-2011. Whitley Bay, a non-league team, won three FA Vase finals in a…
- Keywords: whitley bay, fa vase, seahorses, ian chandler, paul robinson, non-league football, wembley, fa cup, moto neurone disease, sage software, sports, Whitley
- Source: BBC Sport — https://bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c6y4z21xelk4o
- Published: 2026-09-30T06:07:28.872+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: whitley bay, fa vase, seahorses, ian chandler, paul robinson, non-league football, wembley, fa cup, moto neurone disease, sage software, sports
## Whitley Bay's Record
Whitley Bay, a ninth-tier Northern Football League club, won three successive FA Vase finals between 2009 and 2011.
## The FA Vase
The FA Vase, a national competition for amateur teams, was established in 1974 and Whitley Bay is the only club to win it four times.
## Ian Chandler's Role
Ian Chandler, a former Whitley Bay player, became manager in 2004 and spent 10 years leading the team to success.
## Chandler's Strategy
Chandler focused on hotel bookings and scouting reports instead of work meetings to build team cohesion.
## 2007-08 Elimination
Whitley Bay lost 4-0 to Lowestoft Town in the 2007-08 FA Vase semi-finals, motivating the team to aim for history.
## Chandler's Superstition
Chandler developed a superstition of never giving pre-match interviews after the 2007-08 loss to Lowestoft Town.
## Team Motivation
Players wanted to prove their worth after missing out on Wembley in 2007-08, leading to three consecutive finals.
## Paul Robinson's Role
Paul Robinson, a former Newcastle United academy player, worked with Chandler both at Whitley Bay and Sage software.
## 2010 Semi-Final Win
Robinson scored a last-minute diving header in the 2010 FA Vase semi-final second leg to secure a 6-5 aggregate victory over Barwell.
## 2010 Final Victory
Whitley Bay won the 2010 FA Vase final 6-1 against Wroxham, with Paul Chow scoring the opening goal in 21 seconds.
## 2011 Final Win
Whitley Bay completed the three-in-a-row with a 3-2 win over Coalville Town in 2011, with Paul Chow scoring the 86th-minute winner.
## Fan Impact
Whitley Bay's success brought local pride to the north-east coast, with volunteers organizing ticket sales and community events.
## 2010 Trophy Lift
Whitley Bay lifted the 2010 FA Vase trophy with former teammate Mark Taylor, who had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
## Legacy
Whitley Bay's golden era ended in 2014, but the team remains a source of pride in non-league football.
## Key takeaway

Whitley Bay, a non-league team, won three FA Vase finals in a row between 2009 and 2011, a record in non-league football.