As Sunderland’s ten-year stay in the Premier League came to an end at Stamford Bridge, a former Black Cat was basking in the Wembley sun just over 10 miles away.
Julio Arca made over 300 appearances in the north east turning out for both Sunderland and Middlesbrough, but despite leaving the Riverside in 2013 he continues to wow the region after moving to South Shields in 2015.
And after dreaming of a Wembley final for many, many years, the Argentine’s first trip to the national stadium didn’t disappoint.
Arca, 36, was named in the starting XI as the Mariners set a fourth honour of the season in their sights, having already won Northern League Division One, the Durham Cup and the Northern League Challenge Cup.
But the FA Vase final at Wembley was the big one, as over 13,000 fans travelled south to back the Mariners.
And Shields were always in control at the home of football, with Arca pulling the strings as David Foley scored twice and Carl Finnigan and Dillon Morse were also on the scoresheet.
Speaking post-match, the former Black Cat admitted even he was overwhelmed by a day to remember, that was certainly worth the wait.
“I never thought this was going to happen in my football career,” said Arca.
“It’s fantastic to represent this club and have the opportunity to lift this trophy; It’s a dream come true for me.”
He continued: “A lot of people said it was going to happen but until you’re there, with the trophy in your hands, you never know.
"To lift that trophy after the game, it's hard to explain how happy I'm feeling.
"It's probably even more than what I thought it was going to be. It was all about winning and that's what we have done.
"To see that amount of people coming to support the team is incredible for the level we play.
"We paid everyone back for a fantastic season, but this is what we were looking for."
