The Oystermen are back under the lights on Tuesday evening as Deal Town make the journey along the Kent coast for our latest Isthmian League South East Division fixture.

Whitstable head into the game on the back of an emphatic 5-0 victory over Newhaven in the Emirates FA Cup on Saturday, securing our place in the First Qualifying Round and providing a welcome boost ahead of the return to league action.

With familiar East Kent opposition arriving at the YMS Stadium and both sides looking to get their league campaigns moving, another competitive evening awaits at the Belmont.

Saturday provided an excellent afternoon for Lee Martin's side as the Oystermen produced a five-goal performance against Newhaven to continue our Emirates FA Cup journey.

Attention now quickly switches back to the Isthmian League, where Whitstable will be looking to translate that cup performance into league points.

Our opening two league fixtures have provided difficult tests against Peacehaven & Telscombe and Sittingbourne, with the latter edging a close contest 2-1 at the YMS Stadium thanks to a stoppage-time winner.

Deal have also endured a challenging beginning to their league programme. Their first league outing of the campaign ended in a 4-2 defeat away at Faversham Town, despite taking an early lead.

Tuesday therefore provides both sides with an opportunity to make their mark in the league and build some early momentum.

Known as The Hoops, Deal Town are another club with a long history in Kent football.

Originally known as Deal Cinque Ports, the club was formed in the early 1900s before adopting the Deal Town name in 1920.

Their history has taken them through the Kent League, Aetolian League, Southern League and Greater London League, before eventually returning to the Kent League.

Deal have twice been crowned Kent League champions, first in 1953/54 and again in 1999/2000.

That second title-winning season would become one of the most memorable in the club's history.

Deal enjoyed a remarkable FA Vase run during the 1999/2000 campaign, reaching the final at Wembley Stadium where they defeated Chippenham Town 1-0.

The victory saw Deal become the last club to win an FA Vase final at the old Wembley Stadium before its closure – giving the Hoops a unique place in the competition's history.

More recently, Deal were crowned Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division champions in 2023/24, earning promotion to Step 4 and a return to Isthmian League football.

They have since established themselves in the Isthmian League South East Division and provide another tough early-season test for Lee Martin's side.

Tuesday's fixture brings together two clubs who share a unique place in Kent football history.

Deal Town and Whitstable Town are the only two Kent clubs to have lifted the FA Vase.

The Hoops were the first to achieve the feat during their memorable 1999/2000 campaign.

Deal reached Wembley and defeated Chippenham Town 1-0 in front of more than 20,000 supporters, with Roly Graham scoring the goal that secured the trophy.

Their victory also carried an additional piece of history, with Deal becoming the final club to lift the FA Vase at the old Wembley Stadium.

For 25 years, they stood alone as Kent's only winners of the competition.

Then came the Oystermen.

Whitstable made their first trip to Wembley in May 2025 and came from behind to defeat AFC Whyteleafe 2-1 after extra-time, with Harvey Smith equalising before Ronald Sithole scored the winner to bring the Vase back to Kent.

That historic afternoon meant Deal finally had some Kent company on the FA Vase roll of honour.

There is plenty of familiarity between Whitstable and Deal beyond their Wembley successes, with the two clubs having shared numerous seasons in Kent football over the years.

Their respective journeys have now brought them back together at Step 4, making Tuesday another chapter in a familiar East Kent fixture – this time between Kent's only two FA Vase winners.

After Saturday's FA Cup success, we are back at the YMS Stadium just three days later for another evening of football under the lights.

The Scoreboard Shack will be open serving a range of hot food, while the clubhouse and bars will also be open offering a selection of beverages and drinks throughout the evening.

Kick-off is at 7:45pm and supporters are encouraged to arrive in plenty of time before the action gets underway.

Concession admission is available for disabled visitors, senior citizens aged 65 and over, and students with a valid NUS card.

Please provide proof of age and/or eligibility when claiming these benefits.

Under-14s will only be admitted when accompanied by a responsible adult.

Season tickets are valid for this fixture.

To make arrival as quick and easy as possible, supporters are encouraged to purchase their tickets online in advance.

Automatic turnstiles are available at both the Car Park entrance and Belmont Road, allowing supporters with online tickets to simply scan the QR code on their phone and head straight into the ground.

Belmont Road entrance:
Online tickets only via the automatic turnstiles.

Car Park automatic entrance – East Side of the Main Stand:
Online tickets only via the automatic turnstiles.

Car Park staffed entrance – West Side of the Main Stand:
Cash and card payments accepted on the night.

Purchasing online before matchday is the quickest way into the YMS Stadium and helps reduce queues at the turnstiles.

Purchase your tickets here(https://www.tickettailor.com/events/wtfc]here[/url)].

For those travelling by car, please use CT5 4LN for navigation. This will take you directly to the drive leading to the stadium car park.

Please note: All cars parked in the car park are left at the owner's risk.

First-team manager Lee Martin was pleased with Saturday's FA Cup performance but knows the focus must quickly switch back to league action against another familiar Kent opponent.

"Saturday was a really positive afternoon for us. To score five goals, keep a clean sheet and progress in the FA Cup was obviously pleasing, but the biggest thing now is making sure we build on that performance.

"The games are coming thick and fast and there's no time to stand still. We enjoyed Saturday, but our attention now turns straight to Deal and getting ourselves ready for another difficult game.

"They're a good side who have established themselves at this level and we know plenty about them. Being another Kent fixture always adds something to the occasion, so we're expecting a competitive game.

"We've spoken about continuing to develop as a group and Saturday showed some really encouraging signs. Now we want to take that into our league performances and start putting points on the board.

"The supporters were excellent again on Saturday and hopefully they'll be back in good numbers on Tuesday. Under the lights at the Belmont, with two Kent sides going at it, it should be a really good atmosphere and we'll need everyone behind us."

From FA Cup action to an East Kent league encounter in the space of three days – the early-season schedule continues at pace.

Saturday's 5-0 victory provided plenty of positives for the Oystermen, but Tuesday presents a different challenge as Deal Town arrive at the YMS Stadium.

There is plenty of shared history between the clubs and now another connection through two memorable Wembley afternoons.

Kent's only two FA Vase winners. Familiar local opposition. League points at stake. All under the Belmont lights.

Get down to the YMS Stadium, get behind the boys and help us build on Saturday's result.