Tranmere Rovers hope to create a family party atmosphere around the first derby encounter with Chester FC in a quarter of a century this weekend.

Supporters from the two clubs will be invited to mingle in a fan zone marquee in front of the main stand at Prenton Park ahead of the Vanarama National League fixture on Saturday (3pm).

The marquee will feature a DJ, food and drink stalls including a hog roast, attractions for children and live TV screens showing the lunchtime Premier League game between Everton and Chelsea. The first 100 Chester fans and the first 100 Tranmere fans entering the fan zone will enjoy complimentary food.

Chester's fans will be housed in the Cowshed Stand with more than 1,000 expected to make the short hop to the Wirral for the first competitive game between the clubs since 1991.

"We want to create a pre-match experience for supporters of all ages from both clubs to enjoy," said Tranmere's associate director Ben Harrison.

"We want to make this derby a special occasion once more."

Derbies between Chester and Tranmere were once a staple of the season during the years when the two clubs enjoyed Football League status.

READ: Ray Mathias recounts ‘edgy’ derbies between Chester FC and Tranmere Rovers

They last met as Division Three opponents in 1990-91, with Chester winning 2-1 at Prenton Park in October and Tranmere winning the return at Moss Rose in Macclesfield - where the Blues moved to following the closure of Sealand Road - 2-0 in March.

The two clubs followed very different paths to reach the same division once more, 25 years on from the last encounter.

The Blues dropped out of the Football League before being wound-up in 2010, however the fans reformed the club from the ashes of Chester City and won three successive titles to rise back to the fifth tier.

Tranmere, a Championship club between 1991 and 2001 and a League One club until 2014, suffered back-to-back relegations to drop into non-league at the end of last season.

Rovers manager Gary Brabin, who had a short but successful spell with Chester as a player, expects a competitive encounter.

He said: "One of the big pluses about this division is a number of derby games we're going to have this season. We have the first one coming up this weekend and it's going to be good for everyone.

"From the point of view of the players, every game we have had so far has been like a derby. The opposition really are up for it and I don't think it will be any different on Saturday for the lads. The atmosphere should be good from the fans' point of view."