FA Cup: Larkhall Athletic ready to host neighbours Bath City in 'biggest fixture ever'

A little over three miles separate Larkhall Athletic from Bath City, but the teams meet in the FA Cup for the first time on Saturday in a sold-out tie dubbed 'El Bathico'.

Larkhall compete in the eighth tier of English football, two divisions below National League South side Bath.

One thousand fans are expected at Larkhall's Plain Ham ground for the second qualifying round game.

Larkhall have won three matches to reach this stage of the competition.

"For the club it's the biggest fixture we've ever hosted in terms of numbers," Larkhall director Tracey Hill told BBC Points West.

"And for the community it's a fantastic opportunity to really make them aware of the football club in a way they possibly haven't been before.

"Before the draw came up we were all saying what would our dream be - Bath City - and we could not believe it."

Larkhall Athletic captain Sam Boulton said the crowd size will be a "fantastic" experience for the players

Despite their proximity, the two Somerset clubs rarely play each other outside pre-season friendlies or the Somerset Cup.

The village team usually attract about 150 supporters for Southern League Division One South games, but are preparing to welcome 1,000 this weekend.

"Everyone's pretty excited. We could have drawn anyone in the cup, it could have been anyone from our level, it could have been someone lower," said club captain Sam Boulton.

"Being a local derby it's a good opportunity for a lot of the locals to come and watch the game as well. The crowd we'll draw just from the local area will be fantastic."

Yet with their Plain Ham ground at the top of a hill at the end of a narrow lane, everyone - including the Bath City players - will have to take on the final part of the journey by foot.

"It's a very picturesque ground - a lot of people comment on that when they come here. It's a brilliant place to play football," first-team manager Ollie Price said.

"Most teams moan and groan about having to get dropped off at the bottom and carry all their kit up the hill.

"Any little advantage we can get, we'll take it!" he added.

Larkhall are approaching the match with the ambition of winning, regardless of the difference in the level the teams play at.

But Hill hopes that no matter what the result is, the club create a legacy from the match.

"I would hope that even if 20 new supporters come out of it, that would be a fantastic result for the club," she said.

Boulton added: "It's going to create a new rivalry off the bat. They're going to bring a few more fans than us, but just the experience of playing in front of that many people - everyone's going to be up for it on that prospect alone."

• Why did the US and UK invade Iraq 20 years ago? Gordon Corera speaks to those at the heart of the decision-making

• Dreams can't be built on suspicious minds: Doctor Foster sees her charmed life explode when she suspects her husband of an affair