Forty-five-year-old former Blues defender Chris Swailes became the oldest ever scorer in a Wembley final as he helped his Morpeth Town side to a 4-1 victory over Hereford to carry off the FA Vase this afternoon.
Swailes bundled home the Northern League club’s equaliser in the 33rd minute, Hereford having taken the lead after only 75 seconds. The Highwaymen went on to net three more times in the second half.
"It's a dream come true,” Swailes told TheFA.com: "It’s not just me out there — the lads gave a massive effort, especially after going 1-0 down within a minute and 20 seconds.
"We have come into the game after the first 20 minutes and then dominated. It could have been more than four I think which just shows you what a good group of lads we have got.
"It's just a bonus that we've come this far; the camaraderie we have got, the competitive edge, to turn up to the dressing room for the banter, I just want to keep on being a part of it.”
Swailes, who was named the man of the match, says he has plans to keep playing: "I’m a big kid at heart and I want to continue being a big kid.”
The centre-half, who is also understood to have become the oldest player to appear in a Wembley final, came through the youth system at Portman Road but was released and joined Peterborough United in 1991.
George Burley re-signed him from Doncaster Rovers for £225,000 in 1995 soon after taking over as manager and Swailes went on to make 39 starts and three sub appearances before moving to Bury as part of the 1997 deal which saw David Johnson join the Blues.
Gateshead-born Swailes has also played for his hometown club, Rotherham United, Oldham Athletic, Hamilton Academical, Boston United and Bridlington amongst others during his lengthy career.
Swailes, who has hung up his boots on two occasions before resuming his career, the second time after having heart problems which required four operations, was winning the FA Vase for the third time.
Meanwhile, another former Town man Tommy Miller is currently the assistant manager of FC Halifax, who face Grimsby in the FA Trophy final, also at Wembley later this afternoon (BT Sport Europe, from 3.15pm).
Miller, 37, who went one better than Swailes and had three spells with Town, is registered as a player with Halifax, who he joined earlier in the season, but has made only four appearances early on in the season.