FOLKESTONE Invicta play arguably the biggest game in the club's 69-year history when they travel to meet Chester City in the first round proper of the FA Cup on Saturday.

It is the first time that Invicta have ever reached this stage of the world's most popular knockout tournament - and the first time a Folkestone side has reached the first round since 1982, when current boss Neil Cugley played centre forward for the old club in a 5-2 defeat away to OXford United.

The players are staying in a hotel in the Chester area on both Friday and Saturday night and the goals from the game will be shown on Match of the Day.

Chester are currently going well in fifth place in Coca-Cola League 2, although manager Keith Curle called the players in for extra training after a disappointing 3-1 defeat away to Shrewsbury Town on Saturday.

The Cheshire side are likely to field an attacking line-up against Invicta, including dangerous wide men Ryan Lowe and Ben Davies. Their most famous player is captain Michael Branch, a former England Under-21 international who made his name with Everton and Wolves.

A real threat is striker Gregg Blundell, the club's record signing during the summer from Doncaster Rovers.

But Invicta have players with cup pedigree.

Paul Lamb was a member of the Gravesend side which played away to Aston Villa in the third round back in 1995-96 and the Margate team which played Fulham in 1997.

Kevin Wwatson was captain of the Team Bath side which made history by reaching the first round in 2003 and fellow defender Steve Norman was at Dover Athletic when they lost 1-0 at home to Oxford United during the 2003-04 season.

And Invicta skipper Scott Lindsey was in the Welling team which lost 1-0 away at Reading in 2001.

Super-sub Shane Suter is eagerly awaiting Ramsgate's big day out against Nuneaton Borough in the present club’s first- ever game at this stage of the famous competition.

Suter and the rest of the squad have decided to forego an overnight stay in a plush hotel, in favour of their usual routine, and a pre-match pasta lunch.

He said: "We don’t want to change things just because it’s the FA Cup. We will leave at around nine. and hopefully get to the ground about one, which we do for all our other games. If we went overnight we would have all morning to kill."

Suter has saved all his goals for cup games so far this season, and scored twice in the club’s first win at Merstham back in August, before getting the vital second against Cirencester that killed off any hopes the visitors might have had of forcing a replay.

He added: "I have scored better goals, but it was so important for the team, and to do it in front of the fans including many of my mates was great. I am really looking forward to the Nuneaton game, but it will be a big test for us.

"Most of the boys are local, and there is a great team spirit in the dressing room which really helps us on and off the field."

Boss Jim Ward and chairman Richard Lawson travelled to Devon last week to see Nuneaton win the replay at Tiverton, thanks to an 88th minute winner.

Ward said: "They are a big strong side, everything you would expect from a top-three Conference North team. It is going to be my biggest and toughest test in management, They are a solid, well organised team with several quality players."

Nuneaton drew 0-0 against Stalybridge Celtic on Saturday, their seventh successive clean sheet in the league.