Centre-back Finn O’Mara had a message for Whitstable chairman Steve Clayton following their historic FA Vase victory - you might need a bigger stand!

Backed by thousands of fans at Wembley, the Oystermen won the competition for the first time as they secured a 2-1 extra-time success against AFC Whyteleafe last weekend, bringing the trophy back to Kent for the first time since 2000.

The Oystermen don’t regularly get those kinds of attendances in the Southern Counties East League Premier Division.

But they do get some of the best average crowds in their division.

O’Mara said: “Our crowds are good. We get 800 people sometimes but, Christ, I never thought I would see that.

“You might need to tell the chairman he needs to start thinking about building a bigger stand!”

O’Mara, who will hope those at Wembley will continue to back the team next term, was delighted to give the supporters such a memorable day.

“Some people I know through being involved in football don’t really care about the fans,” O’Mara revealed. “But that’s what football is about.

“We’re semi-professional footballers and we are seeing kids asking for our autographs. I’ve been sent things on Instagram. It’s just what football is about.

“It’s just lovely.”

Striker Ronald Sithole claimed the goal which will now be part of the Oystermen’s history books after Harvey Smith had equalised in the second period of normal time in his man-of-the-match display.

“Games like that and situations like that, it’s just about doing what you need to do for the team,” said O’Mara. “It doesn’t matter if you get the ball and shell it 150 yards and clear the stadium, just make sure that you do what you need to do for the team.

“That’s what he did and, in my opinion, that’s what made him man-of-the-match. He was working hard from minute one until the end of the game, defending, attacking and did his job.

“That’s all you can ask for.”

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Despite Whitstable having to come from behind, O’Mara was told the Oystermen deserved to win - by the dad of one of AFC Whyteleafe’s players!

He said: “It’s just an amazing occasion for me personally, for the team, for the fans and for the club. Everyone has put all their hard work in and we have pulled it off.

“It was tough in the first half, they’re a really good side, but I just think we showed our resilience. We showed our grit and the fact that we are a team.

“I saw Andy Ansah in the crowd - because his son, Zak, was playing for them - and I know Andy quite well.

“He said ‘Whyteleafe are a very good team, but I just think you were more of a team.’.”

O’Mara expects the Whitstable 2024/25 season WhatsApp group to live on for years to come, regardless of what happens now,

“I think that will stay permanently, even if boys go,” he said.

“You don’t know what will happen. Some of them might end up getting a good move or something like that.

“You get added into group chats when you join a team and, sometimes, you think ‘Oh, I won’t add him, I won’t add him.’. But every single person out on that pitch is added to my contacts list because I’ll always remember every single one of them.

“If I’m feeling down or something like that, I’d have no hesitation to give them a call because I know them.

“They’re all my mates and, really, they’re family now.”

While O’Mara is one of the older heads in the squad at just 26, he thinks their Wembley win will be hard to top.

He said: “I think it’s been the best day of my career - and I’ve still got a few years left. I think it’ll be hard to top it for a lot of the boys now.

“We’ve made history and got the medal and, now, we’ve got to enjoy it.”