Steve Jupp, BA11's Club Historian, looks ahead to Saturday's First Qualifying Round tie, cup hat-tricks and the reminiscences of a certain Clevedon goalkeeper.
The FA Cup takes centre stage at Badgers Hill on Saturday as The Robins host Western League Clevedon Town in a First Qualifying Round tie, hoping to continue their winning streak and add to that thumping victory at Falmouth a fortnight ago where hat-trick hero Ben Griffith joined an elite group.
That 6-2 scoreline was their biggest win in the competition for some six decades, when Mike Butt went on the rampage hitting FIVE goals in a 6-0 success at Glastonbury in 1962 and since then, only four Frome players, namely Griffith, Kane Simpson (v Bodmin), Dave Allen (four v St Blazey) and Colin Dredge (v Andover), can claim an FA Cup hat-trick.
Clevedon have made an impressive start to the season, winning five and drawing two of their opening seven games and should not be taken lightly. They were regular opponents until they stepped up to the Southern League in 1993 and the only league meetings since then came in our own promotion campaign of 2010-11, Frome winning 2-1 at home and 3-1 away.
There was barnstorming Cup replay back in 2003 at The Hand Stadium when The Robins clinched an extra time thriller 3-2, more about that in Saturday's match programme!
Three years after that setback, the Seasiders went all the way to the First Round where they faced League Two Chester City and in goal for them that afternoon was none other than our very own Danny Greaves who recalls some memorable times...
"It was a record crowd, something like 2,200 and we lost 4-1 in the end. Roberto Martinez was playing up front and I got a little friendly tap on the head and a "Well done keeps" when I made a save in a one-on-one.
A great experience, not only that game but the whole run. Beating Truro over two games with a last minute winner away down there, beating Hitchin on penalties after playing the last few minutes and all extra time with nine men when I was able to save a couple in the shoot-out and overcoming Welling of the National League South 3-0 on the way to the First Round.
We had a great team led by Phil Bater, the best manager I have worked with."
Tickets and relevant purchases for our upcoming cup ties including Clevedon's visit on Saturday are available to buy at the links below: