News from Deva Stadium April 2016

29 April 2016
FREE CHILD ADMISSION FOR FINAL MATCH
Chester are offering children the chance to watch Chester for free in the final game of the season this Saturday against Gateshead (kick-off 17.30hrs) with spaces in the South Stand for families, schools, clubs and community groups up for grabs. The same offer proved popular earlier in the month against Welling United.

One adult per three youngsters will receive a free ticket with the offer which is being un by the Chester FC Community Trust. Additional adult tickets are available at a reduced rate of £10.00 each. To claim the free tickets please email community@chesterfc.com with the names of the children attending, their home addresses with postcode, and the name of the school, team or community group attended. Once ordered, the tickets can be collected from outside the South stand before the match.

Prior to the match there is a sponsored walk taking place form the ground at 14.30 to help raise money for the Youth Academy. There will also be a hog roast on site and a sale in the club shop as well as the launch of next season’s home strip which sees the club revert back to blue and white stripes following a vote by supporters.

28 April 2016
DEADLINE DATE FOR NEW MANAGER
The club have indicated that they intend to have a new manager in place for 12 May. Over 40 people applied for the job, recently held by Steve Burr, and this list has been shortened to four candidates one of whom is believed to be current caretaker boss Jon McCarthy. Interviews for tHe job will take place next week and an announcement made soon afterwards.

27 April 2016
DUO SIGN PRO CONTRACTS
Two players from the successful youth set-up, Matty Waters and Kieran Evans have signed professional contracts for next season. Both are defenders played for the first team in the Cheshire Senior Cup this season.

Caretaker first-team manager Jon McCarthy said: “I am delighted for both players, I was much older, 20, when I signed my first contract. I remember how special a day it is to receive the recognition. They have both proven themselves consistently in first team training over the last six months. The partnership with Swettenham Chemists (who sponsor the youth set-up) is such a valuable level of support.”

“It guarantees that in the future, academy players will get a first team opportunity which may not have been possible previously. It is a real incentive for everybody from the youngest age groups upwards to see what can be achieved at Chester FC. The club now provides a clear pathway from Academy to first team.”

26 April 2016
BLUES REACH SAFETY TARGET
A fine 2-1 victory at promotion chasing Grimsby Town on Saturday preserved Conference Premier football for another season for Chester. John Rooney, who has score some vital goals in recent weeks, opened the scoring early in the second half and the Blues doubled their lead through Ryan Astles. The Mariners pulled a goal back towards the end but City hung on for the three points which proved vital with other relegation candidates picking up points on an eventful day.

• League Table after Grimsby match

19 April 2016
HANNAH SCOOPS AWARDS

Ross Hannah picked up the Player of the Season award at the end of season presentation night at the Mollington Banastre Hotel last Saturday. He also won the Away Travel Player of the Season as well as the Golden Boot award as top scorer with 24 goals this season.

The Players Player of the Season was won by Ben Heneghan, while striker James Alibi picked up the Goal of the Season award for his equaliser at Kidderminster Harriers. The Youth Player of the Season award was presented to full-back Matty Waters.

Also picking up awards on the night were the Women's Player of the Season Lucy Evans, and Phoebe Graham collected the golden boot award.

The clubman of the year award was presented Conor Shaw, who is a volunteer in the club's media team.

Picture © Rick Matthews (Chester Leader)

EMPHATIC WIN EASES RELEGATION WORRIES

Chester’s 4-0 victory over Welling United on Saturday condemned the Kent side to the Conference South and put a little breathing space between the Blues and the relegation zone. One more point from the final two matches would guarantee safety.

Two goals from John Rooney and further goals from Kane Richards and Tom Shaw brought the first victory in nine matches, Rooney even missed a penalty in the opening minutes but more than made up for it with a goal either side of the break. All the players celebrated their goals with the temporary management duo of Jon McCarthy and Ian Sharps.

McCarthy, who has himself expressed an interest in taking on the manager’s role full time said: “The interesting thing for me now is that with a load of pressure off us Grimsby will be a proper test and if we put in a good performance there and show that we can go there and compete with Grimsby then that’s a great challenge and I’m looking forward to that.”

“We’ve had a look at fixtures during the week so there’s a lot of things that are in favour but we will go to Grimsby to go and get some kind of result and make it even more difficult for people.

“It will be nice to put in a good performance but we will go to win and when you see James Alabi and Kane Richards do what they do then you have a chance with that kind of pace and the structure behind it and a work-rate and a determination.”

“Obviously we respect that Grimsby are a good team but we might just catch them when they’re setting up and having a little look at the play-offs, who knows.”

• League Table after Welling match

Picture © Rick Matthews (Chester Leader)

14 April 2016
FREE CHILDRENS ADMISSION THIS SATURDAY
Once again Chester are offering children the chance to watch Chester for free this Saturday with spaces in the South Stand for families, schools, clubs and community groups up for grabs. The same offer proved popular at last months home game with Bromley. Saturday’s home game against bottom of the league Welling United is a must win game for the Blues as they look to pull clear of the bottom four relegation places.

One adult per three youngsters will receive a free ticket with the offer which is being un by the Chester FC Community Trust. Additional adult tickets are available at a reduced rate of £10.00 each. To claim the free tickets please email community@chesterfc.com with the names of the children attending, their home addresses with postcode, and the name of the school, team or community group attended. Once ordered, the tickets can be collected from outside the South stand before the match.

PLENTY OF INTEREST IN MANAGEMNT ROLE
Chairman Simon Olorenshaw has been delighted with the quality of applications being linked with the managerial role at Chester following last weeks departure of Steve Burr.

Without naming names Olorenshaw told the Chester Chronicle: “The calibre of applications we have received so far has been very impressive. There are managers who have managed in this division, some from the division above and others who are managing at a lower level but ready to make the step up.”

“We have had a lot of calls and emails from agents and people who represent managers but there are two or three names there already. We have asked everyone to send in their CVs and next week we will sit down and start sifting through the applications but the level of interest and the standard of managers has been very pleasing.”

“We’ve got excellent facilities here and we’re one of the best supported clubs in the division and I do think the fact we are fan-owned is a challenge that appeals to managers.”

Those believed to be in the frame include the experienced ex-Tranmere Rovers manager Ronnie Moore, Craig Harrison (The New Saints), Dave Challinor (AFC Fylde), ex-players Shaun Reid and Paul Carden and current captain Ian Sharps.

11 April 2016
DEFEAT FOR INJURY HIT CHESTER

The first game in charge for temporary management duo John McCarthy and Ian Sharps saw the Blues lose 2-1 at Lincoln City. Chester were forced to finish the final 20 minutes of the game with ten men after all their substitutes had been played and top striker Ross Hannah limped off with a hamstring injury.

The Blues fell behind seven minutes before half-time to a Robbie McDaid header but fought back to equalise through James Alibi on 73 minutes. Once again though Chester were unable to hold on and conceded the eventual winning goal just eight minutes later with George Maris finding the net.

McCarthy believed his side would have picked something up from the game but for the injury to Hannah: “We definitely would of got something from the game, we’d just gone 1-1 and we’d turned the game completely around and with the psychology of that everybody knows we were waiting for that.”

“It looked flat in the second-half and we were asking our players to find a spark and it started to come. There were little phases of play and we started to create some chances and then we got the goal. We talked about that in the dressing room, about creating that moment that would give us all the energy back and the belief and then we get it and we’re down to 10 men immediately and it saps us.”

“Goals shouldn’t affect games but they do and you would have seen Lincoln go under a little bit and our players grow an extra six inches and that we feel would have been chance to go on and win the game so I’m certain we would have took at least a point which would have been important.”

Other results affecting teams at the bottom of the table went Chester’s way on the day. Next up at home on Saturday are Welling United who sit next to the foot of the league a game Chester simply must win.

• League Table

7 April 2016
STEVE BURR IS SACKED
Manager Steve Burr has been sacked with immediate effect. His departure comes after a slump in form that has seen the Blues drop towards the relegation zone with just one victory in the last ten league matches. Burr was appointed manager after Neil Young left the club in January 2014. The club board issued the following statement at 20.00hrs tonight.

“Following a meeting earlier this afternoon, the board of directors at Chester Football Club have decided to terminate the contract of first-team manager Steve Burr with immediate effect.

We are sure that all our supporters and followers will appreciate that as a fan-owned club this has not been an easy decision for us to make.

However, given the recent extended run of poor form and results we believe this to be in the club’s best interests given our current situation.

The board have asked first-team coach Jon McCarthy to take the remaining four games alongside club captain Ian Sharps given their knowledge of playing staff.

Naturally, as a club we thank Steve for his contribution over the last two years and wish him well for the future.
We will announce arrangements for the appointment of Steve’s replacement in due course.”

6 April 2016
DEFEAT AT TORQUAY
Chester’s slump in form continued last night with a 2-0 defeat at one of their relegation rivals Torquay United. The Blues have not won since their 8-2 demolition of Aldershot Town six matches ago and now site just four points above the safely line, having played more games than most of the seven teams that lie below them.

I took The Gulls just three minutes to open the scoring with Nathan Blissett’s header from a corner giving Jon Worsnop no chance in goal. Chester failed to creat much in the opening half though John Rooney saw a free kick glance the crossbar. The Blues improved after the break and Ross Hannah saw a powerful shot saved by Brendan Moore but there was little other to threaten the home ‘keeper. Torquay secured victory with a breakaway goal in the final minute through Iffy Allen.

Manager Steve Burr said afterwards: “We got off to the worst possible start didn’t we. It was really disappointing and after the setback with that we got ourselves going and I thought it was reasonably even up to half-time but it was a terrible start for us. In the second-half I felt we had some good opportunities to get ourselves back in the game but it just wasn’t to be.”

“We didn’t test their keeper enough, not at all and that was disappointing. I think you could see again our final ball and our passing was poor and that confidence draining out of the team.”

“We’ve had a few words in the dressing room, we’ve got four games to go and we've got to stick together to get ourselves out of this predicament.”

Chester have just four games remaining now, first up is a trip to mid-table Lincoln City on Saturday followed by a visit from bottom four side Welling United. The Blues then travel to play-off hopefulls Grimsby Town before finishing the season with a home game against play-off chasing Gateshead. It looks like a minumum of four points may be needed from the matches to secure safety.

• League table after Torquay defeat

4 April 2016
LATE GOAL SEES TWO POINTS DROPPED
A last minute equaliser from Boreham Wood’s Harry White on Saturday saw the Blues drop two precious points in their fight against the drop to the Conference North. Chester led twice through John Rooney goals but were once again unable to finish the job off having to frustratingly settle for a point. The visitors were delayed in traffic pre-match with the game eventually kicking off 45 minutes late. There was more bad news after the game as defender Ben Heneghan looks certain to miss Tuesday’s trip to Torquay United after he left the pitch with a twisted knee just after half time.

“It was two points dropped, it was a real killer blow and really hard to take. We’d watched them and we knew what to expect so the first goal we conceded was disappointing because we made a great start and then in the second-half we got ourselves back in front which was good but when you’ve conceded like that at the death it’s hard to take.”

The midweek trip to Torquay takes on even more importance now as the Devon side lie just below Chester with a game in hand following their win at Gateshead at the weekend.

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