Ray Mathias, who has had a foot in both camps during his long career in football, remembers games between Tranmere Rovers and Chester FC had an 'extra edge'.

Mathias was a regular in the Football League encounters between the clubs during the 1960s through to the 1980s and managed the Blues on a caretaker basis in 2004.

"I always looked forward to those games against Chester, probably more than any other of Tranmere's league fixtures," Mathias said.

"Very often they were played at Christmas or Easter. There would be big crowds. For us as players you wanted to measure yourself against the professionals from just up the road. There were bragging rights at stake as well because both clubs were covered in the Liverpool Echo."

READ: Tranmere Rovers planning party to mark return of Chester FC rivalry

Mathias, now working as a scout for Bristol City, says he has "nothing but admiration" for the way the two clubs have picked themselves up after difficult times.

The Blues, a phoenix club who rose from the ashes of the defunct Chester City in 2010, quickly climbed the non-league ladder under supporter ownership.

While Tranmere lost Football League status after 94 years following a second successive relegation in 2014, owners Mark and Nicola Palios have revitalised the club's off the field operations and support remains strong among the Wirral public.

"What's been done at Prenton Park is absolutely amazing," said Mathias.

"It's an absolute credit to Mark and Nicola. You can see what they are trying to achieve on the business side and hopefully they will start building towards success on the pitch.

"These derby game is going to be a new experience for some of the younger supporters of Tranmere and for those Chester.

"The support for both clubs has been brilliant in spite of the struggles they've gone through over the years."