Soham Town Rangers forward Ben Sawyer had to miss the recent derby draw against Sudbury not due to injury but because he was playing under the arch of Wembley stadium.

The forward, who is best known for his blistering pace, swapped the muddy grass of Julius Martin Lane for the hallowed turf of Wembley to play in a five-a-side tournament.

Qualifying via local and regional matches his side ended up reaching the semi-finals of the competition in London, losing 4-3 to the eventual winners.

Ben said: “Although we didn’t win, I was just happy to be there.

“We were given our own guide for the day and visited the Bobby Moore Suite.”

Asked what Soham Manager, Steve Fallon, said about his absence from the match, Ben said: “I got in trouble but he said congratulations and the team wished me luck. It was really nice.”

Ben said although he enjoys playing five-a-side when the season ends in the summer, he still prefers turning out for Soham on a Saturday.

Recovering from tonsillitis, which saw him miss the win against Witham Town, Ben hopes to back playing for the Greens again soon.