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30
June 2004
MATCH SWITCH
City’s away fixture
against Cheltenham Town on Saturday 9 October looks set to be brought forward
24hrs to the Friday night
to avoid a clash with the
England v Wales World Cup qualifying match on the Saturday. Both clubs have agreed
the change which will need Football League approval.
29
June 2004
FOSTER EXITS DEVA
Striker Ian Foster has been released
from the club. Foster, who signed last summer, made 14+10 appearances for the
Blues last season scoring 2 goals. He started the season partnering Robert Gill
and Darryn Stamp in the forward line but found it difficult to regain his place
after he lost it following the return from injury of Daryl Clare. Towards the
end of last season Foster had a loan spell at Kidderminster Harriers where he
notched 3 goals in 10+1 appearances. Good luck to Ian.
Meanwhile the players reported back for pre-season training yesterday.
24
June 2004
AWAY START FOR CITY
Chester City will begin
life back in the Football
League with an attractive away
fixture on Saturday 7 August against the League’s oldest member, Notts
County who were relegated from the old second division last season. The first
home game is against another relegated side Wycombe Wanderers on the following
Tuesday. The draw for the first round of the Carling Cup will take place on 8
July.
Full
fixture list.
LIVERPOOL
RESERVES TO LOOK ELSEWHERE
After
two years of staging their fixtures,
the Deva Stadium will
not be hosting Liverpool’s Reserve games next season. The club have stated
that Liverpool will have to look elsewhere after they apparently changed their
agreement to play City in a pre-season friendly with Chester. To make matters
worse the appear to have chosen neighbours Wrexham instead!
“The original reason given to us for the cancellation of the fixture was
that Liverpool were contracted to participate in a foreign tour, but yesterday
I learnt through a friend in the media that they were to play a friendly at our
neighbours Wrexham. That information was the straw that broke the camel’s
back.” said chairman Steve Vaughan.
Last season Liverpool paid City £500.00 per game at the Deva with the Blues
keeping all gate money on the night, thought they had to pay stewards, turnstile
operators and other staff. Vaughan went on to say: “I thought we had an
extremely good relationship with Liverpool Football Club, we certainly have bent
over backwards to make the relationship work, but I consider this latest episode
extremely shabby” Vaughan added.
City’s reserve team will play their midweek games at the Deva next season.
21
June 2004
HEARD RELEASED
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Jamie Heard has
been released by City. Heard signed for the Blues
from Hull
City last summer after impressing
during the pre-season when he made 4+3 appearances.
Heard made his debut in the opening game of the season at Stevenage Borough
and went on to make 28+1 appearances for City last summer and fought for his
place after turning down a loan move to Leigh RMI.
Good luck Jamie. |
18 June 2004
CITY SIGN STRIKER BELLE
The Blues have signed
Merthyr Tydfil striker Cortez Belle, without actually
seeing
the player
in action. Belle joined Merthyr Tydfil in August 2002
and went on to score 39 goals in 86 games for the club.
Belle
has turned down the chance of moves to Newport County
and Weymouth.
Belle
told the South Wales Echo: “It’s very surprising
given that neither Mark Wright nor his assistant David
Moss have seen me play, but they have had good reports
about me and they spoke to QPR who recommended me, he said.
But it's all about getting your foot in the door. It’s
just up to me now and Chester have told me I will have
to prove myself at that level, but I am confident I can
do so.”
Meanwhile the Blues are waiting to hear from Bradford
City regarding another striker, Danny Cadamarteri. City
chairman Steve Vaughan faxed an undisclosed offer to
the Bantams for the striker on Friday and it waiting
to hear news from the administrator in charge at Valley
Parade soon.
16 June 2004
NEW COACH JOINS BACKROOM STAFF
Jim Hackett has joined the coaching staff
at Deva Stadium. Last season Hackett was manager of Welsh
Alliance League Prestatyn Town, who finished third in
their league, and joins the Deva Stadium club in a full-time
post.
RESERVES JOIN PONTINS LEAGUE
City’s reserve
side will compete in the Division One West Pontins
League next season. The
League, which has increased from 10 to 12 clubs this
summer, was won last season by Wigan Athletic reserves.
Home games will revert to Deva Stadium from next season.
10 June 2004
LEAGUE GETS REVAMP The
Football League has changed the name of Division One to The Championship
for next season. In addition, Divisions Two and Three
will be re-titled League
One and League Two as part of the rebranding. League chairman Sir Brian Mawhinney
said: “The Championship is a term steeped in the history of the League.
Reclaiming it for our leading clubs will place a new enhanced emphasis on
its status at the pinnacle of our competition.”
Mawhinney added: “Not only is it a gateway to the Premiership, it is
one of Europe’s leading league competitions, in terms of the standard
of football being played, the high quality of stadia and the numbers of supporters
attending.”So promotion for City again!,
next season we’ll complete in the Coca-Cola Football League
Two.
9
June 2004
MIDFIELDER SIGNS
Chester City have signed 25-year-old
midfielder Andy Watson from Farsley Celtic. The Leeds-born
player began his career at Doncaster Rovers in 1999
where he made 55+58 appearances scoring 9 goals before
moving
to Tamworth in September 2003 where he made 7+1 appearances
scoring 2 goals. He moved to Farsley in December 2003.
8
June 2004
HOPE FOR CHESTER
York
City central defender Richard Hope has signed for
City on a two-year deal. The 25-year-old player
began his career as a trainee at Blackburn Rovers
in 1991 before a loand spell at Darlington six
years later wher he played 5+0 times for the Quakers.
He moved to Feethams on a permanent deal in 1997
where he totalled 60+3 games scoring 1 goal. In
1998 he played one game on loan at Northampton
before moving to Sixfields where he went on to
play a further 127+25 times scoring 7 goals. Hope
then moved to York City last August and played
39+0 times for the Minster Men, and scoring 2 goals
in their relegation season.
7 June 2004
BRADFORD CITY DENY BRANCH
MOVE
Bradford City have denied reports that Michael Branch has signed for Chester.
Bantams managing director Shaun Harvey told his
club’s website:“I'm
quite surprised at the reports. Michael is still registered with Bradford.
Chester were given permission to speak with the player, but that does
not
allow them to sign him.” He added: “We will be speaking with
them to see what their view of the situation is.”It’s
not quite clear what’s gone on but City chairman Steve Vaughan is hopeful
that a
deal
can still be struck. He said: “The
deal is not dead but we have some sorting out to do which involves talking
to Bradford, their administrators and the Professional Footballers’ Association.”
4 June 2004
BRANCH SIGNS
City have continued building
their side for next season with the signing of
striker Michael Branch on a three year contract
reports the Daily Post. “It is a huge signing
for us as a club to bring in a player of his pedigree.
This deal has been made possible by Michael’s
agent Dave Shearon, without whose assistance it
wouldn't have been possible.” chief executive
Dave Burford told today’s paper.
Branch began his career at Everton in 1995 making 17+28 appearances and
scoring 3 goals for the Goodison Park side before loan spells at Manchester
City 4+0, Birmingham City and Wolverhampton Wanderers where he made 11+0
appearances scoring 4 goals. He made the move to Molyneux permanent in
January 2000 when Wolves paid Everton £500,000 for his services.
He went on to make a further 56+11 appearances for Wolves, scoring 11 goals
before loan spells at Reading 0+2 and Hull City 6+1 with 3 goals in 2002/03.
He moved to first division Bradford City in July 2003 and made 30+5 appearancs
for the Bantams scoring six goals last season.
FRIENDLY MATCH
City have arranged an attractive
home pre-season friendly against Premiership side
Blackburn Rovers on Monday 2 August, kick-off 19:45hrs.
3 June 2004
GILROY FAILS TEST
The
official Scarborough website reports that winger
Keith Gilroy has failed his medical test at Chester.
It’s believed the Blues had offered a five
figure sum for the highly-rated young striker who
has been dogged with injury and played just 11
matches for the Seadogs in the last two years.
With defender Scott Guyett still not having signed his new contract for
next season, City are covering themselves. “I’m just waiting
for a straight answer – ‘yes’ or ‘no’ from
Scott. But he’s still in Australia and I can’t get hold of
him. We won’t be held to ransom and I’ve got two centre backs
lined up who I’ve been talking to if Scott doesn’t want to
stay.” said manager Mark Wright. One player believed to be interesting
the club is ex-Huddersfield Town, Kilmarnock and Blackpool defender Sean
Hessey. |
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AWAY TIE FOR REPLAY WINNERS Should Chester win their replay, they have been handed an away tie in the Fourth Round Qualifying of the FA Cup at Scarborough Athletic. |
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LAST
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STALEMATE Chester are held by Farsley Celtic as Nathan Woodthorpe is sent-off late on.
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