A TRIO of former England internationals will watch Tiptree United host Beckenham Town in the FA Vase third round.Teddy Sheringham, Jamie Redknapp and Darren Anderton will all be in attendance at Park Drive to cheer on the visitors in Essex.

Stuart Watson

A TRIO of former England internationals will watch Tiptree United host Beckenham Town in the FA Vase third round.

Teddy Sheringham, Jamie Redknapp and Darren Anderton will all be in attendance at Park Drive to cheer on the visitors in Essex.

Sheringham is a friend of the Kent league Premier Division side's chairman Chris McCarthy. He is officially registered as a Beckenham player and was signed to play a part in the club's Vase campaign this season.

The FA Cup, Premier League and Champions League winner is unlikely to feature today, but has instead used his contacts to bring in former international team mates as added support.

“I don't think Teddy will play this weekend but it's great to have him as an ambassador for the club,” explained club secretary Peter Palmer. “He will definitely be at the ground supporting the lads even if he can't put his boots on.

“With Redknapp and Anderton also involved it's a bit like a Who's Who of legends sometimes and we're very proud of that.

"It really does a lot to promote the club and 1,500 people came to a charity match over the summer with those guys playing as well as people like Matt Dawson and Phil Babb.

"That was great and we're going to do it again because for a club playing in the Kent League Premier Division it makes a massive difference."

Beckenham are fifth in the league but Palmer admits all the focus in recent weeks has been on reaching the fourth round of The FA Vase for only the second time in the club's history.

"We've only done it once before and that was nearly 30 years ago," he said. "We're desperate to be in the national draw and it would be some achievement, especially as we haven't been in the competition for the last few years."

Elsewhere today, Chelmsford City and Braintree Town are both in Blue Square South action. The Clarets travel to Hertfordshire to face St Albans City, while the Iron host Weymouth.

Chelmsford boss Glenn Pennyfather has been wrapping his players up in cotton wool this week after a handful picked-up either illness or minor knocks. City have lost just two games in the last 13 and moved up to fifth on Tuesday night with a win at Welling United.

Pennyfather has been trying to bring in a new player ahead of today's game, while transfer-listed goalkeeper Craig Holloway is unlikely to feature once more.