By Pete Oliver

I want Histon to be the top club in the area, but with us catching Cambridge rather than them catching us Histon boss Steve Fallon

Just one-and-a-half miles and a handful of league placings separate Histon FC from Cambridge United.

Historically the gap has been much wider, but on Saturday the two sides meet competitively for the first time in over 40 years in the first round proper of the FA Trophy.

For Histon in particular, it will be a momentous day as they finally get the chance to compete on a near level footing with their hitherto more illustrious neighbours.

"Since I have been here we have been looking for that draw," Histon boss Steve Fallon told BBC Sport.

"To get Cambridge United is the ideal draw.

"It was a bit of struggle to get there, because of the prize on offer, but now we have made it everyone is looking forward to it."

And none more so than Fallon himself, who was a Cambridge legend during his playing career at the Abbey Stadium.

With more than 400 games for the U's to his name, only Steve Spriggs has made more League appearances for the club.

"I went there at 18 and they were the best years of my life," said Fallon, whose first-team coach at Histon is former Cambridge boss John Beck.

"We had a lot of success and went up a couple of leagues to play against the big boys in Division Two, or the Championship as it is now.

"We played the likes of Chelsea, West Ham and Leeds and managed to stay up there for a while.

Teams from outside the Conference have a good record in the Trophy and we want to go as far as we can Histon boss Steve Fallon

"Like most clubs of Cambridge's standing we eventually went back down but then John Beck went there and picked them up again and they were one game away from the Premiership.

"We had some fantastic times but you always have to have a few bad times as well and Cambridge are going through that at the moment.

"But they have arguably the best supporters in the country, because they rarely give out stick and are very patient, and it would be nice for them to turn it round and go back into the League."

Cambridge's fall from grace saw them relegated to the Conference in 2005 and they have hardly found it plain sailing since then, currently occupying 16th place.

Histon, on the other hand, are on a sharp upward curve under the guidance of Fallon, who has been in charge at the Glassworld Stadium for seven years.

Under the 50-year-old, who cut his managerial teeth as player-boss of Cambridge City after injury ended his League career at the age of 29, Histon have climbed from the Eastern Counties League to Conference South.

Last season, their first at that level, the Stutes reached the play-off final and they go into Saturday's game, which they reached with a win away in a delayed third qualifying round tie at Northwood, at the top of the table.

They have aspirations to keep climbing, but Fallon hopes not at the expense of his former club who are trying to rebuild under recently appointed manager Jimmy Quinn.

Fallon added: "I want Histon to be the top club in the area, but with us catching them rather than them catching us.

"We want to go as high as we can and we did not want Cambridge to be pulled down to our level. We wanted to catch them up as a League club one day.

"A city needs a League club and we are no different. It generates interest in football and we all get the spin-offs. We want them to do well, but not on Saturday."

It is a sentiment shared by Beck, whose first spell in charge of the U's saw him take the club from the basement division to challenging for a place in the top flight.

"John did a magnificent job for Cambridge and he loves the club," Fallon added.

"He went back there and maybe you shouldn't do that, but he had some great years and achieved great success.

"He wants the club to do well and to drag us up there with them."

Histon knocked Shrewsbury out of the FA Cup in November 2004

Despite his affection for Cambridge, Fallon, who combines managing with running his own sports coaching and teaching business, would have no qualms about knocking them out of the Trophy.

As well as local bragging rights, �4,000 in prize money and a place in the last 32 are on offer.

And such is the shift in footballing power in the area that local bookmakers have made the home side favourites for the tie which looks likely to attract a near sell-out crowd of 3,000 at Histon's ground, which will be upgraded in the summer to accommodate the Cambridgeshire FA.

"There is no sentiment for Saturday. I am desperate for our club to do well," Fallon said.

"I have lots of memories of Cambridge and when I was at Cambridge I was only for Cambridge. Now I'm at Histon I am only for them.

"They are the Conference (National) club, but we are going well. We have a lot to do and we will have to play well. But if we do we have a very good chance.

"We have had some good runs in the FA Cup but we went out at the first time this season, which was a big blow to everybody. This is a bit of a bonus to have this game but it's also a competition we want to do well in.