Twenty years ago Darren Peacock and Trevor Sinclair were part of a Queens Park Rangers side preparing for a Premier League visit to Manchester United.
Two decades on from the clash at Old Trafford and the pair are once again side by side preparing for an away trip, but this time they are in the dugout.
They are readying Lancaster City for their FA Trophy Preliminary Round replay against Bamber Bridge.
Bamber Bridge v Lancaster City
FA Trophy
Preliminary Round replay
7.45pm, Tuesday 28 October
Irongate Stadium
Winners receive £4,000 from FA prize fund
Peacock and Sinclair are the manager and assistant manager for the Northern Premier League Division One North side, with the latter joining the ranks in the summer.
For Peacock, who has been in charge of Lancaster City for 18 months, the addition of his former team-mate Sinclair has been a welcome boost.
“Trevor has settled in really well, he is a confident lad,” Peacock told TheFA.com.
“I obviously played alongside him during my career and we just bounce off each other really well.
“We try and get across what we have experienced as a player, as that undoubtedly helps the guys in training.
“Trevor and I have our ideas about how the game should be played and that means playing football.
“We want to get the ball on the deck and play, it is not about pumping the ball long for us. I want our side to be known as one which plays football the right way.”
During his career Peacock spent eight seasons in the Premier League, turning out for Queens Park Rangers, Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers.
The experience gained during that time means Peacock brings with him quite a reputation to Lancaster City, who are currently plying their trade in the eighth tier of English football.
And Peacock is insistent he be scrutinised for his success as a manager and not a player.
“At the end of the day Trevor and I are here to be judged as coaches and we can’t just rely upon our past experiences as players,” he added.
“It doesn’t matter who you are, if you start taking a few sessions and the players realise you aren’t that good then they will tell you.
“The Cup games are always special though. There is a different feel about the whole club on the day of the game.”
Darren Peacock Lancaster City manager
“Given the time we get with the players, every single session is important. It’s about making them happy and ensuring that they are enjoying training.
“Often at this level, it isn’t actually a question about skill. It’s about making sure the players have faith in their ability and that they believe they can succeed.”
As is often the case with clubs lower down the Football League pyramid the fixture calendar can cause a hectic schedule, with teams often required to play three times a week.
Lancaster have already played 18 games so far this term, and will compete in five competitions over the course of this season.
But despite that, Peacock says that The FA Trophy is a priority for the club and he will not look to rest players for the clash against Bamber Bridge on Tuesday.
“The FA Trophy is definitely in the top three competitions that we look to do well in, along with the league and FA Cup,” added Peacock.
“We are in a lot of competitions though this year, we are in five all together. It makes it very tough, especially as we have a small squad.
“The Cup games are always special though. There is a different feel about the whole club on the day of the game and you can see that the fans love it.”
