What a weekend for Tamworth’s Jas Singh

jas singh makes save for tamworth against tottenham in fa cuo

It is not often that you play against a Premier League club in the FA Cup third round and also acquire a new member of the family in the space of 24 hours.

However, that was the case for Tamworth goalkeeper Jas Singh, who enjoyed a strong outing for the National League club against Tottenham on Sunday afternoon, having also revealed that his partner had given birth to his baby son just the day before.

In an interview after the game, Singh thanked his partner for allowing him to play in the massive cup tie.

The Midlands club held Spurs to a 0-0 draw in normal time. However, they were eventually defeated 3-0 by the north London club in extra time, courtesy of an own goal from Nathan Tshikuna and a strike each from Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson.

The National League team may have been beaten in the end, but they can take a lot from the game.

Who is Jas Singh?

Jas Singh is Tamworth’s veteran goalkeeper, who put on a fine display in 90 minutes to take the tie into extra time. His saves from Tino Werner and James Maddison were particularly impressive. Unfortunately, Spurs quality told in the end, and the underdogs were knocked out of the cup.

Singh, who is now 34 years of age started his career at Shrewsbury Town. He has spent the majority of his football career in the sixth tier of English football, having played a creditable 257 games in the National League North and 30 in the National League.

However, the game against Spurs was only his fourth-ever appearance in the FA Cup, having conceded five goals. The game also saw him keep the first clean sheet of his career in the grand old competition.

His clean sheet record in the National League North is solid, too, as he managed 90 clean sheets in the sixth tier of English football.

The goalkeeper’s efforts were rewarded in 2013, as he was crowned the Non-League Player of the Year at the Asian Football Awards.

Singh is a busy man, as he not only plays for Tamworth but also works full-time as a building surveyor. With an extra member of the family, the goalkeeper is now going to be even busier.

A big day for South Asian football

asian prime minister rishi sunak visits tamworth in 2023
Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visited Tamworth Football Club – The Conservative Party, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Not only was it a big day for semi-professional Tamworth and Singh, but it was also a big day for South Asian football. Few players of a South Asian background get the chance to shine at the top level of football.

Not only did he appear against a Premier League Club, but he also produced an eye-catching display, which was even better. A prominent member of South Asian football, Baljit Rihal, the founder of the Asian Football Awards, was delighted to see Singh shine on Tamworth’s big day.

Unfortunately, it may be too late for Jas Singh to play much higher up the football pyramid due to his age and evident other commitments.

Before the game, he was relatively unknown, but now, thanks to the magic of the FA Cup, Jas Singh can be considered a role model. Hopefully, his appearance against Tottenham will inspire the next generation of South Asian children to believe that they can one day make it as footballers.

Tamworth denied the chance of a money-spinning replay

Singh and his teammates deserve massive credit for holding a team worth hundreds of millions to a goalless draw over 90 minutes. Until this season’s competition, their hard work would have been rewarded with a money-spinning replay at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Unfortunately, due to demands from the clubs at the top level of the English game, FA Cup replays were scrapped, and drawn games are now just decided by extra time and/or penalty shootouts.

As proven by Spurs on Sunday, more often than not, the elite clubs will win in extra time simply because they are fitter and have better quality substitutes to bring on for extra-time period.

Some claim scrapping replays has taken some of the shine off the FA Cup. However, nobody can take anything away from Jas Singh and his Tamworth teammates, as they produced a display that did themselves and non-league football in general immensely proud.

By Bob