After the euphoria of Saturday’s FA Cup win at Potters Bar Town, it’s a cup tie of a rather different flavour tomorrow evening as Boro entertain West Essex in the Peter Butcher Memorial Trophy, the Essex Senior League’s second cup competition after the Errington Challenge Cup, which was previously the more prosaically named League Cup.

This competition title honours former Romford Recorder reporter and Sports Editor Peter Butcher (pictured below), who was with the paper until 2008, after which he took on the role of Publicity & Communications Officer for the Ryman League, and then became secretary of AFC Hornchurch, combining that with serving as Registration Secretary for the Essex Senior League. He died in May 2018.

The competition was won last season by Redbridge, who beat Stansted 2-0 in the Final at Saffron Walden.

Before being named the Peter Butcher Memorial Trophy, this competition was known as the Gordon Brasted Memorial Trophy (which Romford won in 2004), and prior to that, the Harry Fisher Memorial Trophy.

Our opponents:

The club was established in 1989 by West Essex Cricket Club member John Spinks to give the cricket club members a winter pastime. They initially played in the Ilford and District Football League, then progressed through the Essex Business Houses League and the Middlesex County League before joining the Essex Senior League in 2016. In their debut season they finished 13th, and the following season (2017-18) achieved their best finish of 7th

Previous Meetings:

Romford have not previously met West Essex in a competitive fixture. The only game between the sides to date was a pre-season friendly at the start of the 2017-18 season, which ended in a 3-1 defeat for Boro. Ben Clarke – who had impressed for West Essex in that game – joined Romford shortly afterwards.

West Essex came in 13th last season, the third time in four seasons that they have finished in that position. Leading scorer was Cameron Gray, who bagged 11 goals.

Last season:

West Essex came in 13th last season, the third time in fours seasons that they have finished in that position. Leading scorer was Cameron Gray, with 11 goals.

In the FA Cup, a 4-4 Extra-Preliminary Round win over Saint Panteleimon was followed by a 3-0 defeat at Barton Rovers, while in the FA Vase, West Essex suffered a defeat on penalties at the hands of Stansted in the Second Qualifying Round.

This season:

West Essex lead the way in the Essex Senior League, having won five of their six league games. Their only defeat was at the hands of Redbridge, where they lost 2-1. Last Saturday they won 6-2 at Halstead Town, the second time they have scored six this season as earlier in the season they beat Buckhurst Hill 6-1.

In the FA Cup, West Essex beat Crawley Green 2-1 in the Extra-Preliminary Round before losing by the same score at Dunstable Town in the Preliminary Round. West Essex will be back at Mayesbrook Park on Saturday for an FA Vase tie, having beaten Harwich & Parkeston on penalties in the 1st Qualifying Round.

There are two other ties in the competition this week:

Tuesday: Saffron Walden Town v White Ensign
Wednesday: Clapton v Stansted

The winners of tomorrow night’s tie will be away to Halstead Town in the 2nd Round.