It’s Tuesday, and it’s what the non-League football world waits for – it’s the Tuesday Review. Yet another, meaty edition.
Bishops and a Chess Hunt
My FA Trophy trail to Wembley started at Hashtag United before continuing to Aylesbury United, Chipstead and two games as Bishop’s Stortford. Bishop’s Stortford’s emphatic 5-1 win over Leiston (see report) last Saturday means that they will be the visitors for the next step in my adventure at Cheshunt. It’s a local derby with the clubs only 14 miles
apart for a sober crow or 21 miles if you drive. While Bishop’s Stortford glided through their 2nd Round Proper tie, Cheshunt won 2-1 against National League South opposition at Chelmsford City. Curiously, I overheard a Bishop’s Stortford fan after their 1st Round Proper victory over Chipstead wishing for Chelmsford in the draw for the 2nd Round. Instead, they get the conquerors of Chelmsford in the 3rd Round. It should be a close game on 18 December with both teams in the top six of the Isthmian Premier Division.
Old Maids
What links Glenda Jackson and Susannah York to this week’s FA Trophy draw? Or, to give you an easy clue, what links them to the last tie in this week’s draw? Well, as any film buff would know, they appeared in the film The Maids. “So what?” you might think. Well, the last tie out of the hat was Maidenhead United vs Maidstone United. What were the chances of that? It’s tempting to say that it was a 1 in 64 chance, but Jason Anonymous would be sure to correct me and say that it was a 1 in 63 chance.
Concord not flying
Win of the week in the FA Trophy goes to AFC Totton, a club based near Southampton. They travelled to Concord Rangers from the National League South, two levels above, and not only won but won by five clear goals. After scoring three times in the first 22 minutes, AFC Totton ran out comfortable winners and now face Larkhall Athletic in the 3rd Round. Larkhall Athletic and AFC Totton both compete in the Southern League Division One South.
Head not on the block yet
My prediction for last weekend was that Stalybridge Celtic would win against the odds at Farsley Celtic. However, the weather was the only winner of this game, so I will have to wait until Tuesday evening to see whether I am right. I will report the outcome in next week’s review, although I have to confess that I feel less confident than I did last week.
Meaty teams
As I travelled to the Bishop’s Stortford v. Leiston game, I became obsessed with football teams with a meat in their name – like Birmingham City, Dagenham & Redbridge, Oldham, but I struggled to find meats other than ham. I managed a few creative efforts like Cowdenbeef and Port Veal, but then I realised there was a meat right under my nose. Liversedge, which sounds remarkably close to liver sausage, are still in the FA Trophy, playing their postponed game against Lancaster City this week, with the chance to face Morpeth Town in the 3rd Round. Come on, Liversedge! Any other meaty teams, anyone?
Ee bah gum
Before this week’s draw, I had picked the next step in my route to Wembley to be at Eastleigh. I was wrong, of course, but Eastleigh face Enfield Town in a battle of the Es. It would be a better story, I admit, if the game was taking place in Yorkshire, but, sadly, it isn’t. Similar ties in the next round are Barnet v Boreham Wood, Tonbridge Angels v Torquay United and, of course, the battle of the Old Maids. Some meaty ties there!
