The Northern Premier League appear to want all their sides to progress as far as they can, as they have cancelled some midweek fixtures to give side time to prepare. So, no trip to Atherton Collieries this Tuesday and our next fixture is the FA Cup tie at Stourbridge.

Some may think this is a great gesture, but it means we are falling behind in our fixtures. We have already had 4 games, plus a league cup tie cancelled, and the situation could get worse if we have a cup run and a bad winter. However, the reverse is that due to sponsorship through Emirates Airline we have amassed £11,250 in prizemoney to date. We double that should we win, while the loser receives £3750. If our FA Cup run ends this weekend, we will still have made £15,000, but we do not want that as we want to keep on winning. Not only does the prize money increase for the 4th (and final) qualifying round, but the big boys from the National League now enter the fray. We need to keep that hope alive.

Due to the reorganisation of the league a couple of years ago, the Stourbridge game ceased to be a league fixture as they now play in the Southern League Central. Recent league fixtures with Stourbridge were in season 2016/17 and 2017/18 with the 2 away games giving us a 2-0 loss and 0-0 draw. When the leagues changed some of our players “jumped ship” and Jordan Brown, Keiron Morris and Robert Thompson-Brown all joined Stourbridge. Rob has now returned to us while Jordan Brown remains.

Stourbridge were founded in 1876 and are known as the Glassboys due to the town’s link to the glass industry. Stourbridge have a very proud recent FA Cup pedigree which came under Gary Hacket’s. In 2009-10 Gary he became the first Stourbridge manager to take the club to the 1st, losing 1-0 at home to Walsall. In 2011-12 the 1st round was reached again and following a 3-3 draw at Plymouth the Devon club were beaten 2-0 in the replay reaching the 2nd round for the first time, but the run ended with a 3-0 Stevenage win. Stevenage beat Stourbridge in round 2 the following season. 2015-16 saw another remarkable run in the F A Cup, which included victories over non-league sides Kidderminster and Dover to put Stourbridge in the Second Round for the 3rd time in five years before going down 2 – 0 to Eastleigh. 2016-17 Stourbridge beat Northampton Town 1 – 0 to reach the 3rd Round for the first time, but Wycombe progressed with a 2-1 win. Last season Stourbridge beat Kidderminster before losing at Guisley in the 4th qualifying round.

I know league form goes out of the window for FA Cup games, but Stourbridge lie 4th in the Southern League Central (play off place) with 19 points. Their home record is won 3 and lost won, beating Stratford 3-1, Bromsgrove Sporting 2-1 and Leiston 5-1, their only defeat at home being inflicted by Hednesford 3-0.

Monday 30th, Stourbridge are in Birmingham Senior Cup action against Lye, so I image they may put a weakened side out in preparation for our game on Saturday. Lye I expect to put out a full-strength side as Lye Youth team are playing our Youth Team Monday night in the FA Youth cup.

So please come to Marston Road on Monday night to support our Youth team and then report in your Droves to Amblecote on Saturday a see us, hopefully get into the 4th Qualifying round.

 Games played on 5th October this century.

2002 Welling H 1-1 Southern League
2004 Kettering A 1-1 F A Cup 2nd qualifying round replay
2013 Frickley A 0-2 Northern Premier League