Afc Stoneham Face Cockfosters With Nagle Dreaming of Wembley

afc stoneham will meet Cockfosters in the 2026 FA Vase final at Wembley on Sunday, and Lewis Nagle could be in the middle of it. The 23-year-old defender has spent years picturing the ground from the outside; now he could step onto it as a finalist.

Nagle and Wembley

Nagle was at Wembley Stadium twelve years ago when Sholing beat West Auckland Town to win the FA Vase in 2014. He said playing there has been one of his dreams, but added that he did not know if he would ever get the chance as a semi-pro player.

That memory now sits beside a different reality. AFC Stoneham are preparing for a national cup final, and Nagle said the moment will feel real when the squad go to the stadium on Thursday.

Stoneham's Back Line

Nagle hopes to start in defence alongside Dan Miller. Miller won the FA Vase with Sholing a decade ago, giving Stoneham one of the few players in the group who has already handled this stage.

He said that should help. “We've got the likes of Dan Miller and Jake [Thomson] who have experience. Miller has been there and done it. That will only help us.”

Work, Support and Sunday

The final also reaches beyond football for Nagle. He works as a care co-ordinator in Eastleigh, nine-to-five Monday to Friday, supporting people who cannot look after themselves.

He called it a rewarding job and said two clients from the Swanton area will come to watch him. Nagle also said he will need a calm head on Sunday, especially if he starts as a young left-back in front of a really old back three.

For Stoneham, that is the point of the trip to Wembley: a family club taking part in a final, with players balancing football and work getting one rare night on the biggest stage in the game.