Take away Wigan Athletic's Roberto Martinez-inspired win in 2013, and Portsmouth's triumph five years prior to that, and the FA Cup is increasingly becoming a closed shop.

Yes, the runs of Lincoln City and Sutton United last season proved romance remains in the oldest cup competition in the world, but that is tempered by the fact that 20 of the last 22 finals have been won by the 'big five' in English football - Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United.

What's this got to do with Chester FC you may ask?

Even the most optimistic of supporter could not envisage the Blues winning the FA Cup. Heck, even a place in the third round seems but a distant dream these days.

But Chester do have a great chance of getting to Wembley for the first time in the club's history - in the FA Trophy.

The Trophy is almost exclusively won by National League clubs - very much in the same way that the FA Cup is almost exclusively won by Premier League clubs.

But the big difference is the teams at the top of non-league top-flight do not have a monopoly over the Trophy.

History proves that...

Reasons to be hopeful

21st. 21st. 10th (National League North). 2nd. 5th. 4th. 7th. 15th. 5th. 11th.

They are the final league positions in the season the last 10 winners won the FA Trophy.

Sure, no-one would want Marcus Bignot's boys to follow in the footsteps of the previous two winners, York City (2016-17) and FC Halifax Town (2015-16), and be relegated out of the National League in the same season as they tasted Wembley glory.

Former Chester FC striker Nathan Jarman in action for North Ferriby United in their FA Trophy final win over Wrexham

But the fact that only four of the last 10 winners - Cambridge United (second in 2013-14), Wrexham (fifth in 2012-13), York (fourth in 2011-12), Stevenage Borough (fifth in 2008-09) - have finished in the play-offs in the same season, should give the Blues hope.

As should the fact that it was not too long ago that National League North outfit North Ferriby United, featuring former Chester title-winner Nathan Jarman, beat Wrexham in the final (2014-15).

So what's Marcus Bignot had to say

"This football club has never been to Wembley and that is something that we as a group would like to change, certainly for our supporters.

"Obviously our main focus is ensuring we remain a National League side come the end of the season, and that will remain our priority, but we won’t be taking this weekend lightly and we want to progress."

Good to hear, but what's our recent Trophy record been like?

Not great.

The Blues have reached the last 16 only once since the club's reformation when they were knocked out by eventual winners Halifax in 2016.

And, in many ways, the most enjoyable run since Chester FC rose from the ashes of Chester City came in the 2011-12 campaign when Neil Young's Northern Premier League Premier Division table-toppers beat Ashton United, Stafford Rangers, Gary Hackett's Stourbridge and North Ferriby before going down valiantly in the second round to top-tier Ebbsfleet United.

Chester FC fans at the 2000-01 semi-final at Canvey Island

You have to go back to 2001-02 for the last time Chester reached the quarter-finals, while the club's best performance in the Trophy remains its semi-final appearance the season before that, when Graham Barrow's side were beaten over two legs by Isthmian League part-timers Canvey Island, who went on to win the final at Villa Park while Wembley was being redeveloped.

Canvey lived the dream that year - and what Blues supporters would give for that, too.

But, first things first, let's take care of AFC Fylde on Saturday.