Atherstone's MP Craig Tracey will this afternoon cast off his North East footballing roots to throw his "full weight" behind his adopted town club's most important game in their history.

The Durham-born parliamentarian, who as a youngster played in midfield for Northern Football League teams Chester-le-Street and Shildon, admits to being a "til I die" Newcastle United fan.

But this season he has taken more than a passing interest in the Adders and their ascent towards the Holy Grail of a Wembley final via the FA Vase.

Despite constituency business, he wants to make it for the 3pm kick-off of ATCFC's quarter-final clash against fifth-placed Northern Football League Division One side Consett AFC today.

"The postponement threw all my plans to watch the Adders," he told Nub News. "I have a prior engagement but I'm hoping against hope to be there – even if I don't make it until the second half."

The 45-year-old MP for North Warwickshire was in the stands for Adders' last-16 game with Worcester City FC which ended 1-1 at Sheepy Road a month ago as well as sponsoring their Boxing Day match last year.

"I've begun really following the Adders this year and you can't help noticing a great team and club spirit," he said.

Born in Durham – his mother was from the North East and his Irish father one of 15 children – the MP left school at 17 and worked in insurance but played football part-time. He made his debut for Chester-le-Street, the birthplace of Manchester United and England captain Bryan Robson.

Mr Tracey moved to Northern Football League Division One rivals Shildon who currently sit in second place , some 15 points behind runaway leaders Stockton – the team Atherstone beat 1-0 in the Fourth Round of the Buildbase-sponsored competition in January

After leaving school at 17, his day job saw him start his own insurance broker's business in 1996 at the age of 21. A year later he moved to North Warwickshire and settled in Shuttington.

Pride of place on the wall in his constituency office in Atherstone is a signed Magpies shirt and on a cabinet behind his desk, a ball – won in a raffle at the Bird In Hand pub at Austrey – signed by ex-Manchester United, Arsenal, Fenerbache and Feyenoord striker Robin van Persie who is the Dutch international side's leading all-time marksman with 50 goals, scored at a rate of a goal every two games.

But as revealed in Nub News the MP is already backing the Adders to beat Consett – themselves hoping for a Wembley final with Norther East rivals and Vase favourites Hebburn Town – after making a wager with North West Durham parliamentary colleague Richard Holden.

The bet involves a House of Commons bottle of wine as the spoils of victory which will be signed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The bottle will be auctioned for charity.