But this year was like the last...and the last....and all the FA Cups, actually, running backwards until the Millenium.

Whereas Chester's cup dreams continues, a tie, away at their League Two counterparts, is less than desirable given the potential money spinning opposition which awaited the Blues in the third round hat.

And their cup luck has not been all that much better in recent years...

2004/5 Ian Rush's Chester won away at Stafford Rangers 2-to-the-good in Round 1, followed by another away trip to Halifax in the 2nd round. A brace by Michael Branch and a goal by Kevin Rapley took them through to the 3rd round, where they were joined by the familiar likes of Manchester United and Liverpool. However, the luck of the draw, or lack of it drew Chester against AFC Bournemouth. Another familiar site; the opposition came out of the hat first, and even Kevin Ellison's second half goal did not send Chester home in happy spirits; the final score: 2-1

2003/4 Mark Wright's Chester won promotion from the Football Conference, but were beaten at home on this rare occasion, to a single goal by Gravesend in just the 1st round. Chester beat Blyth Spartans in the Qualifying Rd 4 thanks to a goal by Daryl Clare, but could not progress past the side whom they beat 4-0 early in the Conference season

2002/3 Three more away ties greeted Chester in 2002; Chester were paired with Radcliffe Borough Qualifying Rd 4 (4-2), Colchester United in Round 1 (1-0), before Morecambe knocked the Blue Army out in a 3-2 win in the second round.

2001/2 In 2001, Barrow came up against Chester, and walked away winners by one goal. The competition hadn't yet reached the 1st round proper.

2000/1 And so, Chester fans must go back all the way to 2000, before the cup draw bought them any luck. 478 turned out to see Easington Colliery beaten 2-0. A home draw against Plymouth in the 1st round proper forced a replay, which Chester won 2-1. And then City recorded a contender for the result of the season, after coming back to win at home to Oxford, who had taken a 2-0 lead, as Mark Beesley and Steve Whitehall (2) got the Blues into the third round hat. The draw paired Chester with a big day out at Blackburn, and 15,000 turned out to watch City beaten 2-0.

So perhaps Chester can look at this tie, which will pocket the winners £40,000, as a simpler passage into the 4th round, than playing Championship or L1 opposition. The potential for premiership opposition will be greater, and IF they win, Chester will be within touching distance of recording one of their best FA Cup runs.

City's best FA Cup seasons have been in the 1970's, when they reached Rd 5 (last 16), and even Rd 2 back in the 1890/1 season was enough to see them through to the last 16 competitors.

1890/9 You'll be doing not-too-bad to remember this one. 115 years ago, Chester swept aside all four qualifying rounds, and beat lincoln 1-0 in Round 1. In the same season they went to Wales and beat Wrexham 1-0 in the league!...Chester were eventually overturned by Blackburn Rovers; 2,000 turned out to see Chester well beaten 7-0 in Round 2.

1976/7 The teams competing in the 70's had well expanded to those in Chester's 19th Century success. Hartlepool (Rd 1; 1-0), Grimsby (Rd 2; 1-0), Southend (Rd 3; 4-0) fell to Chester, before more than 10,000 home fans roared Chester to victory over Luton in Round 4 (1-0). Almost 40,000 turned out next to see Chester narrowly beaten by Wolves in Round 5, another 1-0 scoreline.

1979/0 Ian Rush complimented 13 league goals with another 4 in City's long FA Cup run to Round 5 of the competition. Workington (Rd 1; 5-1), Barnsely (Rd 2; 2-0), Newcastle (Rd 3; 2-0) and Milwall (Rd 4; 2-0) went crashing out of the cup thanks to goals by Rush, Henderson, Storton, Jones, Raynor and Sutcliffe. Ipswich proved to be Chester's downfall - just - as they made their home advantage count, and won 2-1

Chestercity.Co.nr