This Tuesday we return to cup action with the Walsall Senior Cup. Our opponents are a bit of an unknown quantity as they do not play league games, but we obviously expect them to be good in the air, attack down the wings and bomb forward.
The RAF Senior Representative Team (SRT) are the men’s senior team for the RAF. They play the Inter-Services against the Army and RN every year in March/April. To prepare the players for the Inter-Services it was decided to try and get competitive football matches, instead of just friendlies. We play in the Walsall and Birmingham Senior Cups. Our home ground is RAF Cosford but we also use Shrewsbury Town FC for the home Inter-Services match. Our players and management team are all serving members of the RAF. Most play for other teams on a weekly basis with teams like Spalding Town, Thetford Town and Nantwich all benefiting from RAF commitment. Flight Sergeant Kev Barry who has had experience with Halesowen Town and Bromsgrove Sporting is the current SRT Manager and is supported by a full staff that are based all over the UK. This is the second time the RAF have competed in the Walsall Senior Cup. Last year they beat Walsall Wood in the first round and then lost to Lye Town in round 2.
As a representative side we can assume that they should be the elite of footballers within the RAF. It may be National, or it may be local as I am aware of a forces West Midlands League which includes Beacon Barracks Stafford and some RAF bases like Cosford. We almost played them in last season’s Walsall Senior Cup as they lost 2-1 away to Lye, the team who put paid to our Walsall Senior Cup run last season.
In any event we expect a tough game, but Rangers need to gain some confidence from hopefully a cup run, and with a Staffs Senior Cup game next week before our next league fixture, a win is paramount. Your support is appreciated to help the side win.
Games played 26th November this century
2005 Leigh RMI A 4-1 FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying round
2011 Rushall A 1-2 Northern Premier League
2013 Sutton Coldfield A 0-3 Walsall Senior Cup
