Steve Jupp, BA11's Club Historian, looks ahead to Saturday's FA Trophy tie, a former rivalry and that winning run.
It's easy to be distracted by next week's Cup showdown at Plymouth Parkway but Frome Town have important FA Trophy business at Badgers Hill on Saturday when Cirencester Town will be the visitors.
The tie will be settled on the day, straight to penalties if level after 90 minutes with the winners pocketing a not-to-be-sniffed-at £1,500 and a trip to Westbury or Bemerton Heath in the next round.
The Robins and the Centurions went head to head for the league title a couple of seasons ago only for both to be pipped by Parkway and suffer play-off heartache. A late own goal salvaged a 1-1 draw for Frome at The Corinium Stadium early in that campaign while the return here was lost 2-0 in front of a bumper crowd of 690.
Cirencester were then moved sideways to Division One Central where they finished sixth last term and their four league games so far this season have yielded one win, two draws and a loss to go with an early FA Cup exit at Flackwell Heath.
After winning the Hellenic League in 1996, they have been a Southern League outfit ever since including three short spells in the Premier Division where their best final placing was seventh in 2005.
Ignoring the Bashley bashing twelve months ago, Frome have had some decent Trophy runs in recent years, taking the scalps of Premier Division sides Farnborough and Poole along the way and they were denied a big day at National League Maidstone in the Third Round (last 64) back in 2020 by the ravages of Covid.
Danny Greaves has had to shuffle his pack since the opener against Cribbs a month ago with 23 players already tasting action and just six games in, only skipper Sam Teale has played every minute.
They say a successful side is a settled side so great credit must go to the entire squad for racking up four wins on the bounce. Can they make it five on Saturday?
Tickets for our home fixtures this month, including Cirencester's visit on Saturday, are available to buy at the links below:
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