Chester's FA Cup trip to Southend United on Saturday may well rekindle memories of Football League clashes between clubs who regularly locked horns in the old divisions three and four.

The last meeting, however, was in March 2005, during Chester City’s first season back in the League. Michael Walsh and Ben Davies twice gave the Blues the lead but with five minutes left Freddy Eastwood levelled to earn the Shrimpers a 2-2 draw in front of a Deva Stadium crowd of 2,396.

Welsh international Eastwood is, of course, a Roots Hall hero after scoring 75 goals in 210 games during two spells at the club.

But even his status pales into insignificance alongside a man who played between the sticks for both Chester and Southend.

Tattenhall-born Harry Threadgold went on to become a true legend in his adopted Essex, making 343 appearances for the Shrimpers between 1953 and 1963.

After wartime service in the Royal Marines, Threadgold, who was also an accomplished boxing and cricketer, signed for Chester from Tarvin United in 1947.

He replaced Ted Elliott in goal for his debut in August 1950, a 3-1 win over Darlington in Division Three (North).

Despite the team being in the bottom half of the table, Threadgold’s performances over the next two seasons attracted scouts from top clubs to Sealand Road, as he made 83 appearances for the first team.

Free-spending Sunderland, then known as the Bank of England club, stepped in to pay the princely sum of £2,400 for his services in July 1952 and he immediately became a regular at Roker Park in a side that included British transfer record signing Trevor Ford and the maverick Len Shackleton.

But on September 1 of that season Threadgold played his part in creating an unwanted record when he conceded a 35-yard header from Aston Villa’s Peter Aldis, the record for the longest-distance headed Football League goal, in a 3-0 win at Villa Park.

On Wearside the money was failing to talk, the stars failed to gel and Sunderland, top in January, slumped to tenth. After a year as first-choice, Threadgold was sold to Southend for £750.

This was a life-defining move for him as he saw out a long and distinguished career as crowd favourite before taking on a seafront pub in the town.

Shrimpers fans remember him fondly as being eccentric, fearless and, bizarrely, “deaf as a post.”

Said one: “Harry Threadgold was the bravest goalkeeper I ever watched play the game. OK, he wasn’t the best but those who saw the horrible back injury he suffered diving at the feet of Ron Saunders against Yeovil in the FA Cup – and then for him to carry on outfield – will never forget it.”

The concussion he suffered then may well have come back to haunt him as his appearances were restricted after Southend installed floodlights in 1959, Threadgold saying he struggled to see the ball under their glare.

Harry Threadgold died in 1996. His ashes were scattered around the Roots Hall pitch.