Littlehampton Town players told: Enjoy every second of this FA Vase adventure

Tommy Sampson was manager of Kent side Deal Town when they won the Vase in 2000 - the last final to be played before the old Wembley Stadium was demoilished.

He's known throughout the non-league world and is an acquaintance to many Sussex football figures, and he has been delighted to see Golds reach the last eight - in which they will host Northern League side and Vase favourites North Shields at the Sportsfield this Saturday in front of a crowd of around 2,000.

Littlehampton Town discover last-eight Vase opposition.

Sampson has been reliving his own dose of Vase glory and has told Town: "My advice to the players of Littlehampton is breathe in the atmosphere when you run out on to the pitch, then collectively get your game heads on - and you have to be prepared to die for one another

"I know from experience that North Shields are travelling to you fully expecting to win. Be strong and pro-active from the first whistle, their weakness will be complacency - use it against them.

"Good luck you are on the verge of rewriting Sussex football history don't waste the chance."

Golds issue Vase crowd warning.

Sampson is known to many in Sussex football circles. He added: "Despite living in Kent I still have many fond memories of working alongside former Littlehampton manager John Suter in 2005-06 at Horsham YMCA winning promotion to the Isthmian League South where where we finished just outside the play-offs.

"I could still quite easily pick up the phone to Sammy Donnelly or Danny Bloor or even young Dean Carden and Paul Falli, as well as Dave John."

Golds' Vase run turning into football fairytale.

Sampson joined Millwall as an apprentice at 15 in 1969. He made his first team debut in March 1973 at Leyton Orient in the old division two. Sapson later played for Dartford, Welling United, Bromley and Tooting & Mitcham and was then player/coach at Erith & Belvedere, playing 400 games in seven seasons. He became player manager at Tonbridge Angels before retiring from playing with knee trouble and taking up the reins at Sheppey United in the Kent Premier League.

A lengthy spell as manager of Herne Bay followed and in 1999 he became manager of Deal Town - where his day in the sun (literally) was to follow a year later.

Deal beat Eastleigh, East Preston (neighbours of Littlehampton Town, of course), Watton Utd, Crook Town, Met Police and Newcastle Town to reach the Wembley final, in which they played Chippenham.

Littlehampton are just two wins from Wembley in the Vase and Sampson can remember Deal's day of glory at what was then the Twin Towers as if it were yesterday.

"We stayed at the Burnham Beeches hotel just 30 minutes' drive from Wembley Stadium. The hotel was used by the England team during Euro 96. Roy Smith, my chairman, made sure my players felt like stars, sparing no expense to look after them. My first team coach and life long friend Colin Ford and I were two friends trying to guide Deal to become the first Kent team to win at the most famous stadium in the world.

"We had sold 12,000 tickets and Chippenham 8,000....20,000 people coming to watch two small town teams whose average home gates were no more than 250 on a good day.

"A big cheer came from the back of the coach from where the players had seen the twin towers. I admit I had to swallow hard as I too saw the towers - my whole body froze when I stood up to get a better look.

"It was incredibly hot. the fourth official told me his temperature gauge had registered 33 degrees On twelve minutes our left wing back had to be carried off with a very serious looking knee ligament injury. I made a terrible decision replacing him with a central defender.I look back and shake my head in disbelief.

"Into the last ten minutes we looked strong. With a few minutes left we won the ball on the halfway line, we're in we've caught them on the break we've got two players racing into the box totally unmarked a perfectly chipped cross sees Roly Graham volley that perfect cross into the top corner from 15 yards - as the net ripples the place erupts and Roly goes on the longest lap of honour in Wembley history. All I could see were a sea of black and white flags accompanied with deafening noise.

"The next sound I heard was the final whistle and as people pushed past me to reach the pitch and celebrate I only had thoughts for my oppo Tommy Saunders. He had his head in his hands sobbing such was the crushing blow we had dealt him. I turned him around, kissed him on the forehead and said to him "We will be friends for life" and we are still are.

"The final act of that weekend was an early evening Monday open-top bus parade around the town with an estimated 15,000 people turning out."

It was an occasion Tommy - and everyone at Deal Town - will remember for life. And that should be a fine bit of inspiration for the Golds as they walk out on to the pitch on Saturday.