Park to Wembley – A Story in development!

So here we are. Three mates; Sam, Will and Mike, have over 20 years of friendship, and not nearly enough time these days to just hang out together. Between families, work, and bills, the proper “lads’ days out” have become few and far between. That’s partly why Park to Wembley exists. It’s our excuse to get back together, do something we love, and hopefully share it with a load of you along the way.

Back in April, Sam had this lightbulb moment: “What if we followed the FA Cup all the way from the very start to the finish?” Not just tuning in when the TV cameras show up in January, but actually being there from the extra preliminary round—those park pitches, the tiny grounds, the die-hard fans—right through to the final at Wembley. Imagine standing under the arch in May, knowing exactly where that journey started months earlier. That’s the magic of this competition.

The FA Cup is, for us, the greatest club football tournament in the world. Where else do you get those stories? A pub team giving a scare to a professional club. A striker scoring the goal of his life in front of a few hundred people. Fans who follow their local side through thick and thin, dreaming of “one of those days” that will never be forgotten. Sadly, in recent years, things like the scrapping of replays have chipped away at that romance a little. But we think the heart of the FA Cup is still alive, real fans still cherish this competition and there are so many stories just waiting to be told.

That’s what Park to Wembley is about. We want to capture those stories, the real ones, from real fans and real communities. We’ll bring you along through our vlogs. We chose a starter club, a club that is close to you that enters the extra preliminary round, and you follow that whole journey. As soon as a team you are following loses, you follow the victor in the next round and repeat.

Every time we start following a new club, we will do a biography on that club and learn about the history and tell their story. It’s a platform where in the qualifying stages, we want to tell the local clubs stories. As the tournament progresses, you could be standing at Wembley stadium, and you know this journey started in front of a few hundred local fans before any league football kicked off. It’s about showing the side of football that doesn’t get the attention it deserves. 

As for motivation? Well, we’ve got two. First and foremost, it’s about us spending time together and having a laugh while following this mad journey. But secondly, we’d love to see this grow into something bigger. We’ve got a clear vision for Park to Wembley… and that is to make it a go-to football channel on YouTube. And down the line? Why not expand to the FA Trophy, the FA Vase, and maybe even other cups across the UK or beyond?

As much as telling the story of the FA Cup, we want everybody to get to know us as well. We are not special, we are three normal lads, normal lives with all the ups and downs you would expect.

We’re already sharing vlogs, club stories, and matchday experiences over on our YouTube channel Subscribe so you don’t miss a single step on the road from the first whistle in the extra preliminary round all the way to Wembley.

And if you fancy even more content, follow us on Twitter (X), TikTok, Instagram, Facebook
Wherever you hang out, we’ll be there, just search for Park to Wembley.

Every legend starts local. Ours starts here.

Editor’s note: I thought this was a great story, so made contact with Sam and he’s going to forward the updates from the various rounds so that you can also see them here on TheShirt. I have pinged O-M as this is exactly the community story he loves so much.

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