Chester FC make the trip to Kidderminster Harriers this weekend bidding to make the first round proper of the FA Cup for the first time since 2014.

For both the previous and current incarnations of the football club, it is the ninth time that they have entered the competition at the fourth qualifying round stage.

It’s hardly surprising to find out that we have been drawn away for eight of them.

Chris Blackburn at Easington Colliery

Easington Colliery 0 Chester City 2 - October 28, 2000

Having been relegated from the Football League in the May, Chester found themselves in the unfamiliar position of having to qualify for the first round of the FA Cup having dropped into non-league circles.

A trip to the North East and a windswept Welfare Ground to take on minnows Easington Colliery was the task that faced manager Graham Barrow and his side.

A professional 2-0 win followed thanks to goals from Steve Whitehall and Mark Beesley earned safe passage through to the first round and a clash with Plymouth Argyle.

The game will always be remebered, though, for then owner Terry Smith standing on top of the Easington clubhouse leaning into the wind in order to get a better vantage point.

Chester went on to beat Plymouth 2-1 in a replay after a 1-1 draw at the Deva, defeating Oxford United 3-2 in round two before a memorable clash at Blackburn Rovers in round three where a valiant display wasn’t rewarded as they went down 2-0 at Ewood Park.

Chester team: Brown, Lancaster, P Beesley, Woods, Doughty, Carden, Blackburn, Ruffer, Porter, Whitehall, M Beesley.

Former Chester City chairman Steven Vaughan takes some abuse against his old club Barrow in 2001

Barrow 1 Chester City 0 - October 27, 2001

Having just bought the Blues from Smith, Stephen Vaughan had to hurriedly transfer his majority shareholding ahead of this game after being threatened by the FA over a potential conflict of interest.

At Holker Street Vaughan was persona non grata and blamed for almost sending them to the wall. And such is the way of football it was inevitable that the two teams would be thrown together at the first opportunity.

Fans turned out in their droves - mostly to boo Vaughan. And boo they did, however, rather predictably, Vaughan seemed to revel in it.

A miserable performance from Chester ended with a 1-0 loss and marked the first time that the club had failed to play in the first round proper.

Chester team: Brown, M Rose, Porter, Ruffer, Blackburn, Lancaster, Spink, Halford, Haarhoff, Ruscoe, Kerr.

Chester City's Ryan Sugden against Radcliffe Borough

Radcliffe Borough 2 Chester City 4 - October 26, 2002

Revitalised in their first full season under manager Mark Wright, Chester breezed into the first round proper and a trip to Colchester United thanks to a Ryan Sugden hat-trick.

Dave Cameron was also on the mark for the Blues in the win and they would go on to beat Colchester at Layer Road with a last-gasp Chris Tate strike before going out in round two after a 3-2 loss at Morecambe.

Chester team: Brown, McIntyre, Guyett, Hatswell, Davies, Sugden, Carden, Bolland, Brady, Clare, Collins.

Ben Davies breaks away from Blyth`s Gareth Williams, during the FA Cup match

Blyth Spartans 0 Chester City 1 - October 25, 2003

Daryl Clare scored the only goal of the game as Chester edged past Blyth Spartans - a side with a fine FA Cup pedigree as giant killers.

A clash with Gravesend & Northfleet followed and Chester were beaten 1-0 at the Deva, although promotion back to the Football League at the end of the campaign would more than make up for the early exit.

Chester team: McCaldon, Collins, Ruffer, Heard, Davies, Foster, Carey, Twiss, Bolland, Stamp, Clare.

Mark Beesley on the receiving end of a strong tackle by Barrow captain Paul Jones

Chester City 0 Barrow 4 - October 27, 2009

The two sides drew 1-1 in the first encounter to force a replay at the Deva. It would be Chester’s final FA Cup game before they were wound up at the High Court.

The results from this season were expunged, at it was just as well. Jim Harvey’s Chester side were destroyed by Barrow in front of 1,287 fans.

Chester’s season would go from bad to worse, winning just two more games before the club was expelled from the Football Conference and later wound-up

Chester team: Danby, Roberts, Ryan, Barry, Lea, Ashton, Keltie, Coulson, Beesley, Flynn, Kay.

Craig Lindfield in action for Chester against Gateshead

Chester FC 0 Gateshead 1 - October 30, 2013.

A superb strike from Gateshead centre-back James Curtis put paid to Chester FC’s hopes of an FA Cup run in their first appearance in the fourth qualifying round since their 2010 reformation.

Unable to play in the competition for the first two years after reforming, Chester were knocked out at the third qualifying round the previous season by FC Halifax Town, and hopes of a first-round appearance were dashed by the Heed.

It remains Chester’s only home draw in the fourth qualifying round.

Chester team: Danby, N Turner, Killock, Higginbotham, L Turner, Kay, Lindfield, Kay, Titchiner, Reed, Seddon.

Heneghan celebrates scoring Chester's fourth goal against Stockport County to send the Blues into the first round of the FA Cup
Heneghan celebrates scoring Chester's fourth goal against Stockport County to send the Blues into the first round of the FA Cup

Stockport County 2 Chester FC 4 - October 26, 2014

Pantomime villain Sean McConville took the star turn in an enthralling FA Cup classic that produced six goals and two red cards.

Chester were well in control with a two goal lead at the end of the first half after goals from McConville and Matty Hughes.

County stormed out of the traps in the second period and had cancelled out that lead within four minutes through Kristian Dennis and Scott Spencer.

McConville restored the lead with his second and Ben Heneghan headed home a fourth as the Blues wrestled back control.

Tempers flared late on with McConville again involved, copping a punch to the face that led to the aggressor Dennis and Michael Kay, who took the law into his own hands, being dismissed.

It set Chester off on a memorable run in the competition that saw them beat League Two side Southend United 2-1 at Roots Hall and then drawing 0-0 at Barnsley in round two, losing the replay 3-0 at the Deva.

Chester team: Worsnop, Heneghan, Kay, Charnock, G Roberts, Mahon, Rooney, James, McConville, Hughes, Hobson.

Action from Altrincham v Chester FC. Kane Richards climbs highest in the box.
Action from Altrincham v Chester FC. Kane Richards climbs highest in the box.

Altrincham 1 Chester FC 0 - October 24, 2015

Damien Reeves’ strike six minutes after half time settled a turgid FA Cup clash in miserable wet weather at Moss Lane.

There was to be no repeat of the previous season’s heroics and Steve Burr’s Chester side could have no complaints at the result after a miserable display.

Chester team: Worsnop, Heneghan, Sharps, Kay, Higgins, Shaw, Mahon, Rooney, Hunt, Hobson, Hannah.

Action from Southport 1 Chester 0 in the FA Cup

Southport 1 Chester 0 - October 15, 2016

The dreams of an FA Cup run were put on hold for another 12 months after Burr got the better of his former number two Jon McCarthy after Dominic Weeks’s first half deflected strike was enough to send them into the hat for the first round proper.

Southport were bottom of the National League at the time and Chester were roared on by 738 away fans but the Blues defence conceded their first goal in over 700 minutes of football when Weeks struck on 32 minutes to settle the encounter.

Chester team: Roberts, Vassell, Astles, Hughes, Hunt, Lloyd, Mahon, Durrell, George, Alabi, Richards.