By Ryan Makuch
After his successful stint playing collegiate, semi-professionally, and then professionally in the state of Michigan, James Vaughan has returned to England to apply his craft in the English football pyramid. And this weekend, he’ll be appearing in the top cup competition in all of England as his Eastbourne Borough get set to play in the First Round Proper of the FA Cup against EFL League One side Blackpool. An appearance in the match for Vaughan will make him the third ever AFCAA player to make an appearance in the prestigious competition, joining Jack Cawley (Heybridge Swifts) and Gary Ogilvie (Concord Rangers).
The experience has been something new, but also something very exciting. AFCAA fans will know Vaughan as a central midfielder, but back in England, he’s stationed at right back. On the new position, Vaughan said, “It was very alien to me, but I’ve been gradually understanding my new role and how I can implement my strengths into the role to help the team.” Similar to adjusting to the new position, returning to England after playing in the U.S. has also been a new experience. “Playing back in England is always nice, it definitely took some adjusting to, but I’ve been learning and trying to improve each and every game.”
In talking about differences between England and the U.S., Vaughan echoed some comments that the likes of Jack Cawley have given us in recent conversations, including the 2018 team reunion Zoom call, “I think the biggest adjustment is that English football is a lot more direct than playing in the US. Players are very technical here but teams understand that sometimes you need to play ugly in order to win the game.” Vaughan noted that sometimes the matches that went about this way may not always be the prettiest to watch, but it is often effective.
Entering the weekend of November 7th, Eastbourne Borough are currently sitting 6th in the National League South table, which is the sixth-tier of English soccer. Teams that finish 2nd-7th get spots in the playoffs to get promoted while first place gets automatically promoted. “I think anyone’s goal is to get promoted, but all we can do right now is just to prepare for the next game in the calendar and keep working hard to improve each week,” Vaughan said. Promotion is notoriously difficult in the lower stages of the English pyramid, especially as 22 teams in the National League South fight for just two promotion spots. Vaughan is pleased with his side’s start to the season as he says, “The season has got off to a great but hectic start, and with games coming thick and fast it’s hard to keep up, but the team is doing really well.”
In addition to the positive league start, The Sports also have had to go through three rounds of FA Cup qualifying, including a 3-3 thriller that saw them advance on spot kicks against a fellow National League South side, Dorking Wanderers. They are now in the First Round Proper for the first time since the 2016-17 season, and for just the fifth time in club history.
Vaughan and Eastbourne Borough have a massive task ahead of them with Blackpool. The former English Premier League side have seen a recent rough patch drop them to the third tier, but they are manned by Neil Critchley, a man who has not only managed a match in the FA Cup before, but did so with Liverpool FC, reigning English Premier League Champions, when the side needed a stand-in manager over a midseason break period. He is joined by players on loan from Premier League sides Liverpool, Arsenal, West Ham, as well as former Tottenham youth and Chicago Fire attacker Grant Ward.
Despite the exciting opposition, the messaging from Vaughan is clear, “At the end of the day it’s another game, we just have to compete in every minute!” He would also add, “It’s obviously going to be a great experience for myself and the rest of the team. The FA Cup is known for its upsets, so let’s hope we can be that team.”
The FA Cup, as Vaughan notes, is known for it’s “magic” as it’s an excellent opportunity for teams from lower in the football pyramid to have a chance to slay a giant. Eastbourne will get the chance to do so on live TV in England on BT Sport, and in the USA on ESPN+, at 9:30 AM EST on Sunday, November 8th. “It’s a great privilege to be in the FA cup, every kid in England wants to be a part of it one day and Sunday is my opportunity which is incredible,” said Vaughan. For Vaughan, this is another massive step forward in what is already a promising career.