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Non-league Tamworth’s clash with Premier League giants Tottenham has all the makings of a “proper” FA Cup third round tie, and the minnows have a “torpedo” of a weapon that may cause one of the biggest upsets in the competition’s history.
Tamworth are 16th in the National League, the fifth tier of English football, and will host a Spurs side packed with international stars such as Son Heung-min on their sloping astroturf pitch at The Lamb, in a true David vs Goliath encounter.
The visit of the eight-time FA Cup winners is the biggest game in Tamworth’s 91-year history, with a local pub even offering a lifetime supply of beer for a home match-winner.
Tamworth’s journey to the third round included a 1-0 victory over League One outfit Huddersfield, with their winning goal coming from a not-so-secret weapon that opposition players say is “more dangerous than a corner”.
Tom Tonks, a tough-tackling midfielder who runs his own sandwich business, may claim to have English football’s longest throw since Stoke City’s Rory Delap’s trebuchet of a delivery sparked chaos in Premier League defences.
He claims to have discovered his rocket of a long throw when at primary school and keeps himself ready by doing specific exercises in the gym to boost his power, although he says timing is more important than strength.
The 33-year-old is able to produce a highly unusual trajectory on the ball when chucking it long – generating a flight that goalkeepers find unusual – and he is able to reach the six-yard box from the touchline from as far as midway into the opposition’s half.
Part-timers Tamworth have no objections to getting it launched, either, under manager Andy Peaks.
Against Huddersfield, Tonks sparked panic in the defence when the non-league team piled bodies onto visiting goalkeeper Chris Maxwell and he aimed his throw under the crossbar. Tonks’ throw found the back of the net as Maxwell flapped at his punch.
“It’s difficult to defend because the trajectory of the ball is something you’re not used to,” Tonks told Football Focus.
“We’re lucky at Tamworth because we have four or five six-foot-plus blokes who want to head the ball.
“What kind of preparation can you do for a Premier League team? We know they are all going to be excellent players.
“We actually fancy our chances against anyone at home. It’s different to what they are used to, the portacabins, the artificial pitch. Funnier things have happened in football.”
