Having spent a large part of his footballing career trying to get the same result as Steve Burr, Chester FC boss Jon McCarthy is aiming to get one over his former boss this weekend.
The Blues travel to Southport in the FA Cup fourth qualifying round on Saturday (3pm) with a prize in the first round proper and a financial boost at stake.
Former Chester boss Burr, who took over the Sandgrounders last month, will go toe-to-toe with his former apprentice this weekend for the first time as opponents.
McCarthy played for Burr at Hucknall Town and Northwich Victoria before joining him as number two at Chester back in January 2014.
And with so much at stake this weekend there will be no old pals’ act from either side.
“I have only ever been trying to get the same result as Steve in my career,” said McCarthy, whose side are on a seven-game unbeaten run in the National League following Saturday’s 1-0 home success over Torquay United.
“I don’t know if people realise, I played for him in a title-winning team at Hucknall, I was at Northwich with him for three years. I was with him four years.
“Then I went away and did my badges and he went off to Kidderminster. Then I came back here and was with him for another two-and-a-half/three years. That is a long time you are in a dressing room trying to get the same result.
“I have the utmost respect for him and everything he has done for me. I have learnt so much from him and some of what I do, with my own spin, has been learnt from him.
“But I’ll be professional about it make sure this group carries on.
“But I know how important this result is to the football club and what it can mean to the club to get to the next round.
“He knows an awful lot about our players so I will have to throw something different into the mix.”
Southport currently lie bottom of the National League and Burr, so far, has been unable to turn around their fortunes.
But the FA Cup has long proven the great leveller and McCarthy is well aware what the competition means and to expect the unexpected.
“The FA Cup is strange,” he said.
“You have to be prepared for something different. It can throw it your way from nothing or it can be really cruel and take it away. We have to be ready for anything we have ever seen.
“Here at this level there is that feeling.
“You would only get the FA Cup final and England games live on telly when I was a kid. I used to ask my dad if I could stay up to watch it and you’d always hope for a replay so you could see another live game. It wasn’t like it is now.
“But lower down, for the likes of us it’s huge. The magic is still there but in the early rounds and that is what we are involved in so that is great for us.”
The draw for the first round proper of the Emirates FA Cup will take place live on BBC2 on Monday from 7pm.
