This weekend’s FA Cup clash is a “dream tie” for Ernie Batten.

The Sheppey manager played for Hastings United during the early 1980s, scoring over 120 goals in four seasons, becoming a fans’ favourite and a key part of their history.

Batten remembers the club fondly but it will be purely business at 3pm on Saturday in the Preliminary Round tie at The Havill Stadium, Holm Park.

“There will be no love lost on the day,” said Batten. “I had some great years down there but we’ll be doing all we can to win on Saturday.

“If we can raise our game like we did in the last round, then we have a chance.”

Batten played for Hastings under the management of Peter Sillett, the former Chelsea and England right-back, although he admits he wasn’t keen to play for the Sussex team or a manager he didn’t know.

He was playing for Barry Watling’s Maidstone at the time but when they wanted Hastings player Wayne Peacock, Batten was offered in part exchange.

“I said no, I didn’t want to go,” said Batten. “I told Barry I wanted to stay and fight for my place.

“It was a long journey from Sheppey to Hastings, I had already been rejected by Charlton and to have Maidstone say they didn’t want me left me upset.

“Barry told me that I was stopping him getting a player, that I wouldn’t play for the team and would be in the reserves. After that I thought, ‘well, OK, I’ll show you.’

And he did. Under Sillett’s reign, Batten flourished.

“He was such a modest man,” said Batten, of his former boss.

“I remember going to his house in Ashford, not knowing who he was, then seeing these framed England caps on the wall. ‘I didn’t know you played for England, Peter’ I said.

“I was nine in his heyday and didn’t know much about him but I was fortunate to play under him.”

Stanley Matthews said he was the best full-back he had ever come up against and the only Chelsea defender to score more goals than him is John Terry.

“I learned a lot from him,” said Batten.

“His players knew their jobs and he kept it simple. He said just a few words before a game. In the years I was there I don’t think he said more than 50 words to me. There was no big tactics board or anything like that. It was all about getting the right team together and that was it.

“I scored eight goals in a week once, a hat-trick on the Saturday, two in midweek and then another hat-trick. He got the players to sign a matchball, which I still have, and he simply said to me ‘here, you can have that’.”

Among the highlights for Batten was scoring the winner in an FA Trophy tie against Malcolm Allison’s Yeovil Town. ‘Big Mal’ had just been sacked by Crystal Palace.

“He was like the Mourinho of his day,” said Batten.

A goal against Maidstone and his former boss Watling was another special moment.

“They had just beaten Charlton in the FA Cup and we played them in front of several thousand fans,” said Batten.

“I scored the winner and charged to the dugout, shaking my fist at Watling. It was a great night. The next season he tried to buy me back!”

Sillett’s team reached the FA Cup first round during Batten’s spell, for the first time in 21 years, but would lose out 2-0 to Enflield. Batten missed a penalty.

“It was a horrible one for me and the highlights were on the television that night,” Batten said.

“My missus recorded it on the VHS but the cassette went on the bonfire the next day!”