The atmosphere generated by Chester FC 's first home league encounter with Tranmere in a quarter of a century on Sunday should be fierce enough to make some rival fans forget how much the clubs have in common.
These days they are pulled together by membership of the National League, after Rovers joined the Blues in dropping out of the Football League last May.
Other connections go back further, including one for which there is a reminder emblazoned above the fans who gather at the home end of the Lookers Vauxhall Stadium. It bears the words 'The Harry McNally Terrace'.
Former manager McNally, who died in 2004, is one of the most popular figures in Chester's history. He led the club to promotion from the old Fourth Division in his first season in charge and, equally impressively, kept Chester in the Third Division during a time, at the start of the 1990s, when they had no home ground and were playing matches at Macclesfield some 40 miles away.
The Yorkshireman's place in the affections of supporters also has much to do with the bizarre incidents and stories of free-spirited behaviour which punctuated his seven years at the club.
Soon after leaving Chester, McNally joined Tranmere as chief scout, and worked alongside manager Johnny King between 1992 and 1995.
McNally spoke with enthusiasm about sharing King's passion for football played with daring and flair.
He worked behind the scenes at a time when Tranmere were pushing at the gates of the Premier League, reaching the play-offs in the division now known as the Championship in three successive seasons.
King spoke of the value of a man with one of the widest range of contacts in football across the north west.
The word amongst professionals was that everyone knew Harry and just about everyone had their own tale to tell about a night on the town with one of the game's most incorrigible characters.
The stories were always related with affection and admiration. Here are a few.
Harry's Anglo Italian wine challenge
Tranmere's Anglo Italian Cup trip to Atalanta in September 1994 allowed McNally to indulge his passion for red wine to the full.
At the first night dinner at the team hotel in Bergamo, McNally discovered that the wine bottles on the table for the Tranmere directors with red tape at the top were of superior quality to the wine with the blue tops on the tables of the coaching staff and media.
Harry had a quiet word with a waiter, a bottle of the red label wine quickly appeared at his side and he immediately pronounced it much superior.
He was the saying much the same thing two or three bottles later, by which time Tranmere's assistant manager Ronnie Moore had switched the labels on the bottles, so McNally was once again drinking blue label wine.
He was past caring. McNally suffered a painful fall in a hallway and later in the bathroom. He was fortunate that his roommate, physiotherapist Les Parry, was on hand to administer first aid and take him to local hospital.
A bandaged McNally appeared at the bar at lunchtime the next day asking for 'Big Water' and explained ruefully that a quest to taste the strong local Amarone wine had been abandoned.
Post match rant lands Harry in hot water
McNally was furious after Chester conceded two late goals in a 4-4 draw with Bury in 1987.
He stood and yelled at his players, ordered them to leave their muddied kits on, then proceeded to take off his own clothes.
Bemused, the players continued to soak up the abuse as Harry undressed, then he explained: “I’ve worked harder than you lot tonight. I’m getting in that bath and you can watch me!”
The dressing room attendant had failed to tell Harry the bath water was boiling and hadn't yet been topped up with cold water.
Harry jumped in and jumped straight out. After rolling around the dressing room floor he was taken to hospital with third degree burns to the soles of his feet.
Inspiring a comeback
Earlier that year, McNally astounded spectators during a Freight Rover Trophy tie away at Wrexham. Frustrated as Chester trailed 1-0 with time ticking away, he hauled an injured Chester player to his feet, saying they should be prepared to die for the cause. The move did the trick as Chester equalised and went on to record a derby victory in extra time.
Pumping out an Anfield memory
McNally recounted the following two stories in a magazine interview in 1998. The first concerned a Chester players' Christmas party that got out of hand.
"We went for a meal and the lads wanted to go on for a drink," McNally said. "After a while I agreed, just so long as they were discreet.
"The last thing I remember before passing out was (striker) Keith Bertschin shouting: 'This is how I scored the winner at Anfield' before launching himself full-length across the bar.
"When I came around I was in hospital, as was Keith. Both of us had to have our stomachs pumped."
Bus journey put Harry's team "In The Mood"
The next concerned a journey home on the team coach from away game.
McNally said: "I remember returning from Darlington and we had a right good session. The drink was flowing and someone put on a Glenn Miller tape. Soon all of the lads were on their feet, dancing around and playing imaginary instruments, like a crazy big band.
"The Stoke City bus went past us and someone later told me they looked across at us and (manager) Lou Macari says: Blimey, Chester must have had a good result today.'
"Someone piped up from the back: 'no they didn't, boss, they lost 3-0."
