COALVILLE boss Adam Stevens has fond memories of Grimsby Town – especially the "skimpy black shorts!"
The Ravens welcome the Mariners to Owen Street Sports Ground tomorrow for their FA Trophy First Round clash.
It will be the first ever meeting between the sides, who are currently three levels apart in the non-league football pyramid.
However, it isn't Stevens' maiden encounter with Town, having played for the club's Under-16s more than 20 years ago as a teenager.
"I'm really looking to tomorrow's game because I was at Grimsby back in 1991," he told the Telegraph.
"I headed up there every weekend for a couple of months, playing for the Under-16s but I didn't get taken on and offered an apprenticeship.
"Arthur Mann was the Youth team manager then if I remember right.
"It was the year they got promoted into Division Two when Alan Buckley was the boss and I really enjoyed it.
"Those were the days! I was looking at a picture recently and we used the old Nisa kit with the skimpy black shorts, which still makes me laugh!"
"So for me personally, it was a draw I really wanted.
"I see Grimsby, Luton and Wrexham as perhaps the three biggest teams in the Conference, so for us to get Grimsby was a fantastic result – especially at home."
The Leicestershire club are expecting a bumper crowd at their 2,000-capacity home – in contrast to last week's Westerby Cup clash against Kirby Muxloe, watched by only 43 supporters.
But don't be fooled into thinking Coalville haven't had their share of big cup matches either. Almost 9,000 fans were at Wembley to watch their FA Vase Final defeat to Whitley Bay in May 2011.
"This is perhaps the biggest competitive fixture we've ever had at home because we've come a long way in a very short time," Stevens continued.
"It will be a great occasion for the players to experience and the town of Coalville will come out and support us – they're usually out in force for the big games.
"We've had a few big matches at our place like the FA Vase semi-final a couple of seasons ago when we got to Wembley.
"I though the Grimsby fans were top draw at Scunthorpe and I imagine that plenty of them will visit us on Saturday.
"It's only a small ground and they are certainly not Football League facilities but we'll give the Grimsby players, staff and fans a good welcome.
"We've all been working hard this week to get the ground ready and hopefully the Grimsby contingent will enjoy their day – but not too much!
"One thing's for sure, it will certainly be a different kind of atmosphere for the Grimsby lads."
Stevens' side have already battled through four rounds of the competition – with wins over Stratford Town, Stafford Rangers, Marine and Solihull Moors.
And they head into tomorrow's clash in superb form, having won 12 of their last 15 matches in total and risen to second in the Northern Premier League Division One South table.
He continued: "We've had some very good scalps on the way through the FA Trophy.
"We went to Solihull Moors and played on a carpet of a pitch there, and thoroughly deserved to win against a tough Conference North team.
"We're in cracking form and we've got some good players here who can really push us on.
"They're all dangermen – we've got goals all over the pitch, but I'm keeping my cards close to my chest on that, and it would be unfair to single anyone out.
"You only have to look at the league table to see that we score plenty of goals, and they can come from all areas of the pitch.
"We're on a fantastic run. If you go into a game like this having lost a few on the spin then the mind-set can be very different but the boys are confident they can compete and put on a show."
So, would Stevens and his players be content with a draw tomorrow and a replay at Blundell Park?
"That would be a great experience, no doubt, but I know with my lads that they will give everything to win it on the day," he concluded.
