DID you know Chesterfield’s claim to fame in Bradford City history?

No, I didn’t either until prompted by renowned club author John Dewhirst.

With a nod towards his research, the Spireites hold the small honour of becoming the first club to knock the Bantams out of the FA Cup.

Eight years before City would go on to lift the famous trophy, Chesterfield ended their first excursion in the competition with a 2-1 win at Saltergate in the fourth qualifying round.

But forget 1903 and all that – there is one omen that points to a far more positive outcome as Stuart McCall’s current side begin their latest FA Cup campaign against the same opponents.

The teams have met only once before at this stage – but it would spark one of City’s most memorable runs since Jimmy Speirs picked up the grand prize 106 years ago.

Few would have imagined where it would lead when Chesterfield came to Valley Parade in November 1975.

The Bantams were languishing at the wrong end of the bottom tier; the visitors hardly pulling up trees in the division above. A crowd of 4,352 – which would have been the third-highest league attendance that season – turned up more in hope than real expectation.

Yet they would witness the first small step in an unlikely journey that would include victory at top-flight Norwich before a controversial quarter-final exit at the hands of eventual winners Southampton.

It defied the form book every bit as much as 2015, when Phil Parkinson’s warriors reached the same stage by knocking off Chelsea and Sunderland along the way.

City’s FA Cup history may have been littered with disappointment and early exits, so the prospect of facing the Spireites again provides an opportunity to wallow in nostalgic memories – and maybe dream of what could follow.

“Another cup run is certainly overdue,” admitted Ian Cooper, the left back in that original quarter-final team. “We’ve not done too well in it. I don’t think people generally have taken the FA Cup as seriously for the last 20 years. They should do because it’s a wonderful competition.

“I don’t know how many will be there today – 5,000-6,000? But if you win through a couple of games it suddenly opens up and you could have another 20,000-plus at Valley Parade in the third round with the right draw.

“That’s why the FA Cup is such a big competition. It has that special aura; at least it certainly did in our day.

“As a kid, it was the only football on TV. On cup final day, you’d be up at goodness knows what time.”

Turn the clock back 42 years and Fourth Division City’s unexpected FA Cup progress began from an equally unlikely source.

Don Hutchins was known for his flying forays down the wing and a powerful shot to match. His aerial ability was not in the same bracket.

But he risked his flowing locks to score the only goal against Chesterfield – “the furthest header I ever scored”, he would call it later.

Cooper laughed: “If I don’t remember too well, I’ll still know about it because he always reminds me.

“Don did score goals and he got quite a few during that cup run. He always had a sweet left foot. But he never scored many with his head because he didn’t want to spoil that hair.

“We were in a situation in the league at that time where we were always under pressure and needed to win games. The FA Cup gave us that release.

“We just seemed to play together and we always thought we had a chance – even if nobody else did.”

An outstanding 3-0 win at Rotherham followed and another victory on the road against Shrewsbury booked a fourth-round home clash with non-League Tooting & Mitcham. Hutchins scored twice to settle a tie he admitted had been the toughest so far.

The Bantams were back to rank outsiders for the last-16 trip to Carrow Road – a contest that would be put back because of a bug in the camp. Canaries boss John Bond’s call for them to be kicked out for the delay would only stiffen West Yorkshire resolve.

Cooper recalled: “I was one of those who was sent home. I was told to get some whisky, water and sugar down me and get myself to bed.

“Those who were able had gone to watch Norwich play Leeds and that gave us a lot of confidence. They won 3-0 but didn’t look that impressive.

“We weren’t all absolutely brimming with energy but just the occasion itself picked us up, especially after what Bond had said.

“The Chelsea game recently was far more convincing than ours but, crikey, the scenes in the dressing room afterwards were amazing. It was such a special feeling.

“We did fancy ourselves against Southampton as well but then they got that dodgy free-kick.

“A couple of weeks later, someone tried exactly the same thing but the referee blew up and didn’t allow it because the ball has to travel its circumference.

“It just rubs salt in the wound but it’s still a talking point. If it hadn’t happened like that, people wouldn’t still remember so clearly.

“But that’s the FA Cup. It gives you special moments and memories.”