The Blues Online caught up with Carl Chenery, Carl Vincent, Andy Crisp and Steve Cooper to talk about the FA Cup run ten years ago. Before we reminisce, let's look back at that glorious FA Cup run: -

Extra Preliminary Round: - Leiston 2-1 Blackstones. (Cunningham, Saker). Att: - 124.

Preliminary Round: - March Town United 1-3 Leiston. (Boardley (pen), McGlone, Cunningham). Att: - 170.

First Round Qualifying: - Cornard United 0-5 Leiston. (McGlone (3), Girling, Cunningham).
Att: - 50.

Second Round Qualifying: - Carshalton Athletic 1-2 Leiston. (McGlone, Sillett). Att: - 311.

Third Round Qualifying: - Leiston 1-0 Coalville Town. (Boardley (pen)). Att: - 418.

Fourth Round Qualifying: - Leiston 1-1 Lewes. (Cunningham). Att: - 847.

Fourth Round Qualifying Replay: - Lewes 1-3 Leiston. (Boardley (2), Eagle). Att: - 363.

First Round Proper: - Leiston 0-0 Fleetwood Town. Att: - 1250.

First Round Proper Replay: - Fleetwood Town 2-0 Leiston. Att: - 2010.

Carl Chenery and Carl Vincent spoke first to the Blues. They helped manage the side between 2007 and 2010. Here is what they had to say: -

'We would both like to mention the support from the supporters and the support, especially away from home was superb. We had a great mix of players. The games away to Carshalton Athletic and Lewes were two of the best performances you will see from players at this level. The shoes off song was started and was sung a lot on the evening of the Fleetwood match. Danny Cunningham was probably one of the best players we had seen on the non league seen at that time, and he made a name for himself on that FA Cup run. Lewes away will always stick in the memory, the team reacted brilliantly on what was a memorable night for the club in the Replay. Our team talk had changed from when we arrived at the ground and the players got a standing ovation from the travelling Leiston fans and also the home fans, which is not something you see very often in football at all levels. We had a great team helping in the dug out that season, with Smithy (Ian Smith), , Mick Lowe and Coops (Steve Cooper). Times change and move on but you can't take away what everyone achieved at that time. The club and town can be proud of what it achieved 10 years ago, and it will live long in the memory for all involved. It was great to get to the televised stages of the FA Cup and if it wasn't for a wrongly disallowed Lee McGlone goal against Fleetwood at home, we would have most probaly been live on TV at home to Hartlepool United in Round 2. Finally, the local players was something we always felt strongly about and they came up trumps alongside the Ipswich based players'.

Carl Vincent added: - 'I personally would like to say thank you to Leiston FC for giving me the chance to be part of such an amazing experience. It's a time in my career I'll never forget, and we often talk about it'.

Steve Cooper has been involved with the club since 2002. Here are his version of events: -

'I’m not really into stats, so I shall carry on with what I remember. We started the season brightly, scoring fairly freely and conceding very few, the team had a great mix of lads local to Leiston and the rest coming from the Ipswich area.
Anyway, let’s get back to the Cup run. What you must remember is that we started in the earliest round, the Extra Preliminary Round. Two games had to be won before the 1st qualifying round, which is where we start now. Anyway, 3 games on and we go to Carshalton in the 2nd Qualifying Round. I believe they were around 5-6th in the Ryman Premier, two levels above ourselves, so a very tough game. Carl and Smithy done their homework. Smithy had been up and watched them, so between them they made a couple of changes and we won 2.1. Lee McGlone and Chris Sillett were our scorers. Our defence were immense and Jud Chenery gave their centre backs no time on the ball. One of the highlights was a stunning volley by Dev from the half way line from there keepers drop kick, the ball just clearing the bar. What a day that was, I can remember like yesterday their manager throwing their sandwiches out of their changing room and going crazy after the game!!
The excitement was now building within the changing room, the club and the supporters. Carl’s back room team consisted of Ian Smith, Carl Vincent, Mick Lowe and myself and what fun we were having.
The supporters were fantastic and the crazy ‘shoes off’ song was born from somewhere.
We then got a bit of luck in the next two rounds, both were at home and both Coalville and Lewes missed penalties, but as they say, you make your own luck.
The Replay at Lewes was so memorable for many reasons, I won’t talk about one of them, but this is how I remember it. Carl and Smithy had to make a late change, with young Luke Eagle in for Dev (Danny Cunningham).
The late problems we had seemed to just drive everyone on. They were magnificent - Eagle marked their best player out of the game and scored, and Boards scored two great goals, his second causing absolute mayhem in our dugout and the supporters throwing shoes everywhere - fantastic. The Lewes fans gave us a standing ovation, and our players go to our supporters under the massive scoreboard, what a night to remember!
It’s now very serious, local papers, TV and radio are now in full swing leading up to the Fleetwood match, the town shop windows are turned blue. The FA cup sponsors are installing their advertising boards and the real FA cup balls are delivered. This is where I must mention how hard our Chairman and his team are working, and Michael Edwards, our club secretary, were working overtime, with Jimmy our groundsman getting the pitch ready, but everyone absolutely loving it.
What a day it turned out to be in front of a huge crowd - yes, the bloody floodlights failed! No worries though, I grabbed some fuses from Jeff and Donna’s, the steward’s bungalow, and away we went.
Although we earnt a well-deserved draw, we really could have won it. Lee McGlone’s very harshly chalked off goal sent us up to Blackpool for the Replay where we would finally go out instead of playing Hartlepool, which would have been televised.
My main memories from that game were firstly my good mate Mick Lowe leaving the sock tape in the changing rooms, and me going back for it. The game was then starting so I had to walk behind the goal in front of the Fleetwood supporters - not fun I can tell you!
That night we were looked after by Titus Bramble and Jermaine Wright with young Dan Morphew borrowing the bus drivers driving licence and a pair of old glasses to get him in the clubs!!
In the hotel later, we had Spider-Man and other super heroes causing chaos, AKA Blake Saker, Macca, Boards and friends - you had to be there I suppose - great memories’.

Finally, Andy Crisp spoke to the Blues Online. Andy has been Chairman for nearly 20 years.

'One of my fondest memories as Chairman of the Club was our fantastic FA Cup run back in 2008, wow 10 years since the heroics of Carl Chenery’s teams unbelievable achievements. Playing at step 5 in those days meat our first tie was in the Extra Preliminary Round so getting to the First Qualifying Round would have been a realistic target but little did we know what lied ahead. The Qualifying Rounds are every two weeks and from a personal point of view it seemed like we coasted past teams and at the time we were unaware of our success. I recall the trip to Carshalton. It was an extremely warm afternoon and I was overwhelmed at the size of the ground with stands all round, a Boardroom full of history with cups and shields aplenty in big glass cabinets. After winning the game I like everybody else were celebrating as the players left the pitch and I remember saying to myself I must go and congratulate the managers and players so I ran towards the changing rooms pushed the door open and went ‘yes get in there lads’. At that point I realised I had accidentally walked in the home changing room just as their manager was kicking the table up in the air and all the cups of tea went everywhere. After making a sharp exit I joined our players and congratulated them all on their success. Hayden Bird was the Carshalton manager back then and I recall apologising to him in the bar for going into the wrong changing room. Hayden was fine and full of praise for our players and he wished us all the best in the next round. It was nice to bump into Hayden again 8 years later as he was managing Merstham FC who we played for a couple of years in the Isthmian Premier League. I became quite good friends with Hayden and yes we did have a laugh looking back to the Carshalton match.
Next up in the Fourth Qualifying Round was Lewes FC. After pushing them to a Replay we made the long trip South on a Tuesday evening. All roads lead to the Dripping Pan. The stadium had real character with the pitch almost like in a bowl with a very distinctive electric score board at the far end. Again the players did themselves proud and a fine 3-1 win was the result after a hard fought match. I don’t recall too much of our trip home but I think we got back to Leiston around 2am but hey who cares we are in the first round of the FA Cup!! After a brief lay in the following morning I remember picking up the EADT off the door mat and there on the front page was Leiston FC celebrating our famous victory. The main picture was a lovely shot of Jamie Stannard (our goalkeeper) with the big electric scoreboard in the background showing the scoreline, that’s something that’s etched in my mind forever it seems.
So after the eagerly awaited 1st round draw we are drawn at home against Fleetwood Town who were at that time playing in the Conference North. The week building up to the game was manic as we had to seek ground safety certificate and a temporary additional stand to accommodate the demand for tickets. Ipswich Town sent their stadium safety officers to advise us on segregation and ground capacity which was set at 1250. The press and interviews seemed almost constant but I have to say I really enjoyed the build up to the biggest match in the clubs history. The game finished all square and wow we came so close having some really good opportunities to win the match after one of their centre halves was dismissed. A trip to Blackpool was our next challenge and this time it was an overnight stay so again lots to arrange for all included at the club. We took two coaches, one travelled on the day but the players and officials stayed right on the seafront on a fresh Blackpool evening. Unfortunately we were second best on the night but once again the players did themselves proud. In all, we played 9, yes, 9 FA Cup matches that season. That was more than any other club that season and at the time we were only the second Step 5 club to reach the First Round Proper so that was some achievement I have to say. There have been a couple of others since and coincidentally one of those actually defeated Leiston two years ago and that was Westfields FC'.
Great memories!!

Part 2 to come very soon!!