All you need to know: whether you're going to Tamworth or not...
WHERE? With an air of homely agriculture about it, the Lamb is in actual fact slap-bang in the centre of Tamworth, a large market town in Staffordshire which has a population of just over 70,000. Technically the ground is situated in the suburb of Kettlebrook, just 14 miles north-east of Birmingham.
HOW TO GET THERE? From the Maple Road car park, the Lamb is 80.4 miles away should you choose to take the most direct route using the M1, leaving at the Lutterworth junction and heading north-easterly on the A5. It takes roughly about 90 minutes. For the sat-nav savvy, the ground’s postcode is B77 1AA. If you’re coming by train, the railway station is a 10-15 minute walk.
BOBBING ALONG. As if you didn’t know, those friendly folk at the Bobbers Travel Club are running a coach to the Lamb. They leave the Maple Road car park at 11.30am sharp, and the fare is £19 for adults and £16 for concessions. To book your place on the coach call 01234 856542.
ALL-TICKET. Town fans travelling to the Lamb should be aware that the game has now been made all-ticket by Tamworth for this game.
TOWN TRAVELLERS. The 88 seats available to Hatters fans were like gold dust and were snapped up within days of going on sale. An initial 850 standing tickets were also purchased by eager Town supporters and, as we post this story on the official website (11am on Friday) we had sold 1,049 tickets. Tickets go off sale at 3pm on Friday - so be quick.
MAKE SOME NOISE. The Lamb ground (opened 1934) only has a capacity of just over 4,000 (with precisely 518 seats – hence the very, very, very, very limited numbers available to Town fans). However, the away terrace, behind the goal, has a low roof for Hatters fans to holler and huddle underneath.
ON THE SLOPES. Making a day of it in Tamworth? Want to prepare for those winter holidays you’ll be taking at the ski resorts of Austria and France? Well look no further than the Tamworth snowdome which lies just across the road from the Lamb.
WE’VE BEEN HERE BEFORE. The Town have a good record at the Lamb, winning on their last two visits to the Staffordshire venue. The Hatters failed to win their first two, drawing 1-1 in 2010 and losing 3-1 early in the following season. However, the Town won 3-1 in December 2011 thanks to two goals from Danny Crow and one from James Dance; and were victorious last season on a Tuesday night in September, coming back from 1-0 down at half-time to win 2-1 following goals from Yaser Kasim and Stuart Fleetwood.
HOW THEY DOING? The Lambs have endured an inconsistent start to the Skrill Premier season having won four, drawn four and lost seven of their 15 games so far. Dale Belford’s side have lost four of their last seven games, including a 2-0 defeat at Welling last weekend.
REMEMBER ME? There’s one current connection between the two clubs in the shape of Tamworth centre-half Wayne Thomas. The experienced centre-half arrived at Kenilworth Road in February but was restricted to just two appearances for the Town. His last game for the club ended before half-time as he was red carded on 34 minutes in the Hatters’ 2-0 defeat at Braintree. The former Stoke defender ended the campaign on-loan at Rochdale before signing for the Lambs in the summer. However, it’s unlike the defender will feature on Saturday as he is sidelined with a calf injury.
MILESTONES. Should Mark Tyler play any part of the game at the Lamb then the goalkeeper will have made his 200th appearance in Luton colours. In the 199 games he’s played for the Town so far, the 34-year-old has kept 80 clean sheets. Meanwhile midfielder Jonathan Smith is in line to make his 50th appearance for the Hatters since his arrival from York City last season.
FORM FACTOR. The Town go into the game unbeaten in their last seven matches which has seen five wins and two draws. Since the opening day defeat at Southport, the Hatters have lost just once in 14 games.
LEAGUE LOOK. Elsewhere in the Skrill Premier leaders Cambridge host fourth-placed Salisbury; Kidderminster – in second – take on Lincoln at Aggborough; Grimsby host Forest Green at Blundell Park.
TOWN TEAM NEWS. The Town boss has no fresh injuries worries ahead of the trip to the Lamb and is faced with a number of selection posers with a fully-fit squad who continue to impress him in first team and development squad matches. Only defender Danny Fitzsimons remains definitely unavailable with a knee injury.
LIVE & DIRECT. We’ll have all the news as it happens from the Lamb. Pre-match build-up, team news, live text and audio commentary, a report, reaction, photographs and interviews. Remember to keep it lutontown.co.uk, Hatters Player for live commentary and check out our ever-growing Facebook and Twitter feeds for all the news as it happens. Plus keep an eye on our Instagram, Vine and YouTube accounts too for good measure for all the behind-the-scenes images and videos #COYH.