Venables has the buzz again as Wembley FC reveal new additions

In May of this year, Terry Venables was named as technical director for the non-league side who currently play their football in the Combined Counties Premier Division and today the club announced a list of past stars would be joining him at Vale Farm.

Ex-Arsenal league and FA Cup winners Ray Parlour and Martin Keown, Graeme Le Saux who also won the FA Cup with Chelsea and the league with Blackburn Rovers, former Fulham and USA player Brian McBride as well as Claudio Caniggia who played for Glasgow Rangers and Argentina will all play for the Lions in their cup campaign this season. Former Arsenal and England no.1, David Seaman has also been recruited as goalkeeping coach.

Venables, who has won the FA Cup as a player and a manager with Tottenham Hotspur, admitted that he is thrilled at being involved in the project.

“Well, it gives you the buzz again, watching the FA Cup as a kid is my first memory and I think that is something we probably all have in common. Growing up, all I used to say was that I wanted to play in the FA Cup; it wasn’t the League or the Champions League. Although those competitions are sensational, it’s the FA Cup that always gives me that buzz.”

Parlour also commented on the importance of the FA Cup and his experiences of playing and scoring in the final when Arsenal beat Chelsea in 2003.

“My dad was a big FA Cup fan, he made all my brothers watch every single FA Cup final, and it was always a big day in our family. So to play in one was extra special, but to score in one was unbelievable.”

The additions will be available to play for Wembley from the extra-preliminary round of the FA Cup, while Seaman has already started coaching at the club.

Arash Kowkabzadeh

Watch the news conference here