After our delve into the world of friendlies again on Thursday against Leek CSOB, the real world comes running up again this Saturday with league play continuing with yet another home game, this time against Tamworth FC. As this is a league game, FCUM Radio will have the coverage for those of us who are not fortunate to be there ourselves.

FCUM enter this league game sitting 20th in the table with 0 points, though the first two games certainly were spirited fights, unfortunately those fights ended with FCUM on the losing side of the battle in both instances. Can the Rebels turn that luck around against Tamworth on Saturday at 3PM at Broadhurst?

The Lambs, as they are known, were founded in 1933 after a previous Tamworth based club, Tamworth Castle, ceased its existence. Luckily, Tamworth FC was there to fill the void. In their first year of existence, they competed at the Jolly Roger ground, located next to the Jolly Roger pub, as part of the Birmingham Combination League (which was absorbed by the Birmingham and District League in 1954). After the first year, they moved into The Lamb Ground where they still play to this day.

After nearly two decades spent in the Birmingham Combination League, Tamworth took the step up to join the West Midlands League which later became known as the Birmingham League. During these first years in the West Midland League, The Lambs achieved arguably their greatest successes as they won the league in 1963-1964 and 1965-1966 along with winning the West Midlands League Cup, the Birmingham Senior Cup, and the Staffordshire Senior Cup during that same decade.

In 1972, after the success of the 60s, Tamworth were promoted to the Southern League but failing attendance and financial difficulties sent them back to the West Midland League until 1988 when they were again promoted to the Southern League. Shortly after that promotion, in 1989, Tamworth won the FA Vase for the only time in club history.

At the conclusion of the 2002-2003 season, Tamworth were finally promoted to the Conference, after narrowly missing promotion just a year earlier. They were nearly relegated to Conference North at the end of the 2005-2006 season, but they were spared when Canvey Island resigned from the league. However, at the conclusion of the 2007-2008 season, there was no one left to save The Lambs and they were relegated to Conference North where they quickly won promotion back to Conference National in the next season before being sent back down again at the end of the 2013-2014 season.

Tamworth FC finished 7th in Conference North last year.

Since we’re at home tomorrow, the stadium doesn’t impact us but we are interested in how have Tamworth FC have performed this season. The answer to that? Pretty darn good. They currently sit 5th in the table with two wins from two run outs, including an impressive opening day win against North Ferriby United who, from their performance on Tuesday, appear to be a very impressive team this year. Tamworth FC are not a team to be taken likely and look to be making their best efforts to return to the Conference National again in their second straight year of exile to the North.

So what should happen tomorrow? Make no mistake about it, Tamworth is a talented football club. This is the type of game that we all expected in Conference North and I expect Tamworth to put up a good show, much like Stockport County did on Tuesday. This is a talented team and certainly the type of team we want to be competing against to continually better ourselves.

However, while I say how impressive Tamworth appear to be, that is not defeatist by any means. Our boys have played tough clubs this season, especially in the friendly against Wrexham and the first two league games at Gloucester City and home against Stockport County. While those three games I mention produced one draw and two losses, our boys were in each and every one of those games and were every bit the equal of those three teams. Tamworth should be no different.

Buoyed by the home crowd, I’m excited to see yet another good performance from the boys and, hopefully, the beginning of some momentum and the first points of the season. While Tamworth are certainly an impressive club, much like the other teams I have mentioned above, there’s no reason that our boys should be intimidated and, with the home field advantage, this should be a very evenly matched game with everything for the taking. I expect to see a physical game with both teams leaving everything on the field, much like we saw with Stockport.

Here’s hoping this time, though, for a different result and a win for the lads of FC United.