Tamworth Manager Peaks Anticipates Regional Excitement for FA Cup Derby

Tamworth manager Andy Peaks anticipates that his team’s FA Cup second-round derby tie against Burton Albion will generate significant excitement throughout the entire area, following Tamworth’s victory over Huddersfield, which was secured by an own goal from goalkeeper Chris Maxwell, resulting from a long throw by Tom Tonks (left). The non-league Lambs are scheduled to make the 17-mile journey to the Pirelli Stadium for round two, having eliminated another League One side, Huddersfield Town, in Friday’s televised TV tie. This fixture will be a repeat of the 2006 FA Cup derby between the two clubs, a match Tamworth won 2-1 at the home of their Staffordshire rivals in round one. Peaks shared his thoughts with BBC Radio WM, stating, “I live in Kettering and didn’t want to draw them because I know all the people there, but when Tamworth came out at Burton, I’d just had a feeling.” He further noted, “I hear a lot of Tamworth fans talk about the rivalry with Burton, so it’s certainly going to catch the imagination of the area.” Peaks, however, remains elated following his National League side’s unexpected win over the Terriers in front of the BBC cameras. “I love the FA Cup because there will be a shock somewhere,” he added. Peaks elaborated on the recent win, saying, “We had to try and make it happen at The Lamb, it did happen, and the atmosphere from when I got there was brilliant, with the TV crews and people arriving, and to win it like that capped a fantastic night.” Managerless Burton secured their place in round two with a 1-0 victory over Scarborough Athletic. However, their position at the bottom of League One, 17 places below Huddersfield, provides Tamworth with optimism for achieving another upset. “We’ve got some important league games before (that) so I’ve got to get their feet back on the ground,” said Peaks. He continued, “That’s our priority but the FA Cup is never a bad distraction when you’re doing OK in the league. The league games will take care of themselves and then we’ll be up for Burton and give it our best shot with a lot of supporters behind us.” The day after Tamworth’s victory, Peaks attended a match with his son to watch Leeds United take on Wayne Rooney’s Plymouth. He expressed a desire for a return to Elland Road in the third round, should the Lambs advance to that stage for the first time since 2012. He further mentioned, “We go to Leeds when we can, obviously it’s difficult because the fixtures tend to clash with Tamworth’s but when we walked in a couple of people shook my hand and congratulated me.” Peaks recounted, “They said ‘we hope you’re going to be back here in the third round’, I said I’d love to be but obviously we’ve got a game before that.” The second-round matches are scheduled to take place between 29 November and 2 December.