After our cup exit on Tuesday night we find that our next fixture is also a cup tie. I mean no disrespect to the Walsall Senior Cup but Saturday’s fixture with Rushall Olympic is in the FA Challenge Trophy, and thanks to sponsorship from Buildbase there is much needed prizemoney at stake. It is therefore very important that the fans turn up in big numbers to support Steve and his team as we try to get back onto winning ways.

For many younger fans, the FA trophy is just a national cup competition for non-league clubs with the opportunity of playing at Wembley. Okay, a step 3 may not win the trophy, but everything in football is possible. Just like in the seventies when us older fans enjoyed three trips to that iconic stadium. Just think if we could get a run going to grace the new Webley 40 years on from our last visit when we beat Kettering in 1979.

Standing in our way is Rushall Olympic. Rushall was a small mining village, but over time has now become engulfed into a suburb of Walsall. Football was first played in the village in the 1890s’, and the team had successful times in local leagues and cups. In 1977, they grew in stature as land was leased to form their current ground and they joined the West Midlands League. Steady progress made till changes in the non-league system saw Rushall Olympic move into the Northern Premier League family. 201011 was there major success when Neil Kitching and Nick Ammos (where have I heard those names before) masterminded their promotion to step 3 of the Northern Premier League.

Our recent history with Rushall is not to promising with only one win, 4 draws and 5 defeats. Thankfully our only win was last season when we came away from Rushall with a 2-1 win. Cup football is a bit different and we have had wins in the League cup and Walsall Senior Cup here at Marston Road. However, their last visit to Marston Road saw them end our Walsall Senior Cup involvement.

I will not dwell too long on our current form but see that until recently Rushall were not setting the Southern League Central alight. They lie 13th with 14 points from 3 wins (two in their last two home games), 5 draws and 4 defeats. Seeing some of the teams they have played makes you wonder just how close the boundary was for us and Hednesford to be playing the likes of Biggleswade, Lowestoft and Needham Market. Where we must take optimism, is the cup form of Rushall this season. League Cup defeat to Redditch, FA Cup defeat to Sutton Coldfield and a Birmingham Senior Cup defeat to West Brom sees them without a cup win this season. Let’s hope that can continue with the FA Trophy.

We have played on this date this century 27th October

2001 Canvey Island away 1-5 FA Cup 4th Qualifying round
2007 Cambridge Utd home 1-1 FA Cup 4th Qualifying round
2009 Ilkeston away 3-2 Conference North
2012 Ramsbottom home 3-0 FA Trophy 2nd Qualifying round
2015 Gresley away 1-0 Northern Premier League Division 1 South