Tamworth vs. Tottenham Preview: Another magical tie
Today at 07:00 AM
For the second time in five seasons, Spurs will travel to a non-League side in the FA Cup.
Like the fabled trip to Marine in 2021, Tottenham Hotspur will get another memorable experience this weekend after being drawn against Tamworth FC in the FA Cup Third Round. Tamworth sits in the fifth tier of the pyramid and has only progressed to this stage in the competition four times. Needless to say, this is the biggest event in the club's history.
The Lamb Ground has seen Stoke and Norwich arrive as visitors, but even in a down year, Spurs are surely the most notable attraction this stadium has ever seen. That fixture against Marine ended 5-0, and this one should be lopsided as well, but hopefully it goes down as another fun event that will be fondly remembered by both sides.
Third Round: Tamworth vs. Tottenham Hotspur
Date: Sunday, January 12
Time: 7:30 am ET, 12:30 pm UK
Location: The Lamb Ground, Tamworth
TV: ESPN+ (USA), ITV1 (UK)
Tamworth, which sits 14 miles outside Birmingham, currently plays in the National League; only other non-League side, Dagenham & Redbridge, remains in the competition. Its FA Cup journey includes a victory at home over Huddersfield Town and an away win over Burton Albion on penalties — both opponents are competing in League One this season.
Obviously, Tottenham is the overwhelming favorite, even with a completely rotated side (though is that even possible given the number of injuries that are still outstanding?). The Magic of the Cup can yield crazy results, but despite infuriating performances over the past few months, no one should realistically predict an upset on Sunday.
Spurs have not had much success in the FA Cup recently. After four straight exits in the Round of 16 — to objectively weaker opponents — they advanced to just the Round of 32 last year and fell to City. However, League Cup performances this season — against legitimate opposition — are making the case for some faith in Ange Postecoglou in these competitions.
Warranted fanfare
The match itself could bring some excitement, whether it be due to an unfortunately close result or from a great showing by the Tottenham youth, but most of the spectacle will be on everything around the event itself. There has been plenty written about the size of the ground and the accommodations needed, and just like against Marine, it is always fun to see Spurs in this sort of environment.
Over recent seasons, many supporters have seen the cups as a hindrance of bigger goals, as Tottenham continues to fight its way into the top echelon of the league. While this year is a big step back in that department, it does provide the silver lining of more importance on the auxiliary competitions, which offer a hope for something to achieve instead of just fixture congestion.
Postecoglou is still fighting for support, and runs in both cups would be big justifiers for his project. A date against Tamworth was just about the perfect draw for his side that is still very depleted. But while moving on to the next round is paramount, hopefully this weekend will add another memorable chapter into this club's history as well — which will be even more special should Spurs make a deep run in this tournament.
