York Acorn prop Eddie Prescott has laid over 200 metres of gas pipe already this year. Hull FC's Herman Ese'ese has laid none. Just one of several tongue-in-cheek posts from Acorn's social media team this week.

The biggest game in the club's history, the York outfit has filled over five buses for Saturday's Challenge Cup clash against the Black and Whites. And while the tie may be at Featherstone's Millennium Stadium and not the Acorn Sports and Social Club on Thanet Road, the National Conference League outfit is still set for a big and noisy backing.

Led by captain Matt Chilton, the Blue and Gold outfit will give it all they've got, even up against a young-looking Hull team that could hand out six academy debuts alongside four new recruits, most notably of all, John Asiata.

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But for head coach Antony Chilton, who is 'semi-retired,' the tie is going to have its own emotions, with the 32-year-old involved with Acorn for two and a half decades. His roots run deep.

Speaking ahead of the clash, Chilton said: "I’m in a few WhatsApp groups, and in each one I’m in, it’s the only thing getting mentioned—our game at the weekend. People are talking about it all over social media, which is great. It’s going to be a big day for our city. We're going to enjoy it.

"Our players have been looking at who their opposite numbers could be. We’ve got a lot of young players in our squad, so if they really want to propel themselves in the game, then they’ve got a really good platform to show it on this weekend."

Chilton continued: "For us, it’s massive. Not being able to host wasn’t ideal, but that aside, to get Hull or any Super League team at this stage during the season is great. It's the magic of the cup. Everyone's excited, and it'll help our club out massively."

As for the Challenge Cup, York Acorn are no strangers. They went on a strong run to the fourth round last year, beating League 1 outfit Cornwall along the way before meeting their fate at Halifax Panthers. The year before, they faced Bradford Bulls, losing both games 62-6.

"As long as I’ve played at the Acorn, the Challenge Cup has been great," Chilton, who may still pull on the jersey this year, explained. "It’s going to be a great occasion. I’ve been at the club since I was six. I tried retiring last year, but Josh (Mortimer) said I couldn’t just yet.

"It’s been going really well (coaching). A new coach and new coaching staff always give everyone a slight buzz. We’ve got a few new players as well, which is good.

"For me, it’s a transition. I’ve played open-age rugby league for 17/18 years, and this is the first year where I won’t be fully playing. I might play a few games later on this year if we’re short in any positions, but I’ve got my coaching role to focus on now."

And on Hull FC, the Acorn boss added: "Hull have only had one pre-season friendly this year, so they’re going to be treating our game as a friendly before the Super League starts next week. They’ll need to work their combinations out and how they play. They're showing us a fairly strong team, which is brilliant for our lads."

York 19-man squad: 1. Matt Chilton, 2. Clayton Shepherdson, 3. Ryan Gallacher, 4. Josh Parker, 5. Benjamin Husband, 6. Nathan Conroy, 7. Jack Green, 8. Eddie Prescott, 9. Nathan Hammerton, 10. Jack Byrnes, 11. George Hunt, 12. Jordan Myers, 13. Elliot Bulmer, 14. Danny Byworth, 15. Adam Speck, 16. Chris Rushworth, 17. Anthony Chilton, 18. Jordan Hyde, 19. Harry Brom