And so to the Trade Tyre Community Stadium on Brownsfield Road, off Eastern Avenue, in Lichfield for an FA Trophy clash between Northern Premier League Division One West side Lichfield City FC and Division One East Matlock Town FC.
Originally formed in 1923 City played in the Birmingham Combination for 2 seasons. The new club was formed in 1970 as Lichfield FC, starting in the West Midlands League from 1976 and moving to Division One, changing name to Lichfield City FC in 1994.
In 1996 City resigned and moved to Sunday football before reverting to the Midland Combination Division 3 in 2008. Promotions from the new Midland League (established in 2014) saw Lichfield as Premier Division champions in 2025 - ascending to the NPL 1 Midlands, and after finishing 8th they moved laterally to West this term. City are bottom after four straight league defeats and were dumped out of the FA Cup 6-0 by Lye Town last weekend.
The away side, from the Proctor Cars Stadium on Causeway Lane, with stunning views of Riber Castle, was formed in 1878 as Matlock, and competed in the Central Alliance and then the Midland Counties League. After being four time champions in the 1960s, the Gladiators moved into a different arena, the Northern Premier League in 1969.
In 1975 the club won the FA Trophy beating Scarborough 4-0 at Wembley with all three Fenoughty brothers, Tom, Mick and Nick, scoring. 1978 saw the side win the NPL Cup, and this allowed them to play in the Anglo-Italian Cup in 1978/79 against Chieti, Pisa, Juniorcasale and Cremonese.
After relegation to the First Division in 1996, the club was promoted back to the Premier Division in 2003/04, and remained in the third tier of non-league, until relegation to Division One East in 2025. Runners up last time the Gladiators lost 2-1 to Bradford (Park Avenue) at home in the play offs. Three wins and two defeats after Tuesday's home victory against Pontefract Collieries leaves Matlock in 4th.
It's a very wet day as we plough down the M6 to Stoke. Numberplates today are W3NDY and 3 AHA.
Oatcakes again amidst Dampsure, Beeyoutiful, Dwa Koty and Spratts Canary Mixture and Spratts Bonio & Mixed Ovals. Then the Poste of Stone before our lunch break.
Moving on we go via Sandon and Burston, The Dog & Doublet, Pasturefields, Bishton Hall and Rugeley Power Station. That brings us to the city of Lichfield with its famous three spired medieval cathedral and a blue plaque commemorating Edward Wightman, a heretic, and the last person burnt at the stake in 1612 - just beyond The Quill and Scholar.
£10 - and a crowd of 315, with good away support - on the gate leads to a tidy ground housing two seated stands, one next to the clubhouse and the other on the popular side, and three covered terraces - two on the pop and one up top, adjacent to Woppa's Bench. The other side is open with the team benches and an electronic scoreboard in the corner, although the operator has to be reminded when a goal has been scored... And in the background the thrum of the West Coast Main Line....
Lichfield are in blue with a hint of white, sponsored by Blue Breaks, Matlock in a very ungladiatorial change pink, sponsored by Birchover Reclamation.
Initial signs from the Spiremen are positive - Matthew Barnes-Homer hits the post and Dylan Thomas is denied twice by Marcus Dewhurst. But the Gladiators start to create meaningful chances, with Manasse Mampala guilty of a bad miss on 19 and then forcing a good save from Tom Carter eight minutes on.
Zak Goodson has an effort deflected wide in the 38th minute and it isn't a surprise when his shot in the first minute of stoppage time is blocked that the rebound is scuffed home by Brandon Bradbury. Matlock lead 1-0 at half time.
Little surprise too that City collapse after the break. Five minutes in Mampala thrashes in from close range and on 53 Jed Abbey beautifully scores with a curling sidefooter to make it 3-0.
Lichfield's sole response is a rasping drive from sub Joey Buckley just beyond the post. But normal service is soon resumed....
On 73 Mampala unselfishly squares to Goodson from a two on none for four, and then six minutes from time Abbey touches in at the far post. That leads to an unseemly melee and two yellow cards but ultimately the Gladiators go through 5-0.
