New Blues manager Mick Wadsworth has spoken of the challenge that lies ahead of him. City return for training tomorrow and his first task will be to add to the squad that currently stands at a meagre nine players building that up to a total of about 20 required as City start the new season in the Football Conference on minus ten points.

Wadsworth told the Daily Post: “I’m used to challenges and tough situations and this job excites me,” said former Newcastle United and Southampton assistant manager Wadsworth, who was part of the England coaching team under Bobby Robson and Graham Taylor.

“We’re already 10 points behind all the other teams in the league but we’ll get our heads around that and work very hard to overcome it. We’ve got a lot of recruitment to do and it’s going to be hard work, but I will not be found wanting in that respect – I’m a workaholic. We will recruit as quickly and as wisely as we can and in the most economical way that way we can.”

Manager Mark Wright has finished his third spell at Deva Stadium after he left the club today by mutual consent. Wright, appointed in November 2008 following the dismissal if Simon Davies, wasn't able to turn round the clubs fortunes after a disastrous start to the season that saw their eventual relegation in May.

On his departure Wright said: “Although I have managed to successfully get Chester City Football Club out of the Conference League on a previous occasion, the difficulties faced by the club in relation to the position it now finds itself in has made it impossible for me to create the type of team that I would wish to take forward.”

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Chester and I wish the chairman, the staff, the players and most of all the fans the very best of luck for the future.”

Wright was first appointed in January 2002 and in his first season helped City survive the drop out of the Conference. The following season the Blues reached the play-off’s before losing out to Doncaster Rovers. In May 2008 he guided City, along with his assistant Bleasdale, to the Conference Championship.

On the eve of the return to the Football League came the bombshell that Wright has also departed the Deva saying: “It was my decision. The position was untenable. I did not want it to happen, but it has. It’s not the right time and I apologise for that. It’s a very sad day. I know the side is a good side.”

Wright returned for a second spell in charge in February 2006 following the departure of Keith Curle and remained in charge until April 2007 when both he and his assistant Graham Barrow were sacked following a series of poor results that saw the Deva crowds drop off dramatically.

Last week Wright told Radio Merseyside: “The difficulties faced by the club made it impossible for me to create the type of team I would wish to take forward.”

“There’s still a lot of players there that are on way too much money for what Chester will be able to handle. If they can handle it, they can handle it, if they can’t, they can’t and for the players around it will be a near enough impossible task.”

“I feel for Stephen Vaughan as he’s put so much money in, and put a lot of heart and soul into it and things have not gone well over the past two years.”

“I think I deserve to be in the Championship now for what I know and what I’ve done. Do I want to be in the Conference? No.”

• Previous managers

Steve Vaughan has offered the various supporter associations a seat on the Deva board, at a price. The official supporters club, the Supporters Trust, the ISA and the Exiles can all have a representative in the boardroom for £25,000 a year. Vaughan says he will match each donation pound for pound.

Vaughan told the Evening Leader: “People have questioned the club's declarations in the past and criticised us for not keeping everyone fully up to date with any developments.”

“As the club owner I now want to provide an opportunity for the various supporters groups to have a representative on the board.”

At today’s Football Conference Annual General Meeting, Chester were formally accepted into next season’s League. They will however start the season on -10 points due to the fact they entered administration. The official Football Conference website states that the new fixtures will be released on 3 July with the new season kicking off on Saturday 8 August. • Football Conference

Following today’s meeting with the creditors the following statement has appeared on the official club website.

“Chester City 2004 LTD are the new owners at the Deva stadium after meetings held today. In a brief statement owners called upon all supporters to unite behind the club as the footballing future is secured within the City. Season ticket offers previously advertised will be available for a further week ending on Friday 19th june 2009.”

One of City’s promising youngsters Glenn Rule is to remain at Deva Stadium after the club extended his contract. The former youth team player broke through to the first team towards the end of the 2007/08 season and was given a one year professional contract the with the option of that second year then. Last season he made 18+4 appearances for City. Picture © Evening Leader

It would appear that one of the potential bidders for the football club, Germany based David Jones, has withdrawn his £290,000 offer for the club. The Supporters Trust have been in contact with David Jones since he first expressed an interest in the club back in November 2008 and yesterday issued the following statement on their website:

“As an interested prospective buyer of the club the Trust has been in contact with Mr Jones since last November when he first declared his interest on an internet message board. His bid for the purchase of the football club was to be funded by an American-based consortium and that Mr Jones’ interest was that of agent for the consortium. Mr Jones was adamant that a single fans’ group would be an important part of his plans for success and was pleased to hear that the process had been commenced to bring together the groups under one umbrella. Mr Jones’s bid was unsuccessful at that time.

Mr Jones has kept in distant contact with the Trust since that time and again contacted the Trust when he heard about impending administration for CCFC. On Monday, 1st June 2009, the Trust and David Jones had a telephone conversation where David Jones confirmed that he would be tabling a bid for the club in the sum of £290,000, the same amount as Chester City Football Club 2004 Limited had bid.

Tom Jones, Trust Chair, was informed that the investment consortium from last November was not now part of his bid but would the Trust assist in seeking local investors to aid the bid. Tom clearly stated that David Pickering had already been in the local press bemoaning the lack of local investors ready to join him in purchasing the football club. Tom was also asked to engage the services of professionals required to assist in the bid, namely an accountant and a solicitor. David Jones gave the Trust the impression that he would not be funding the bid BUT would expect others to.

When further pressed by David Jones, the Trust confirmed that David Jones had tabled a bid for £300k of someone else’s money and that there was no business plan in place as yet. The Trust questioned who was responsible for settling what would be substantial charges from the solicitor and accountant?

David Jones this morning sent a message via PM on the Devachat message board to Trust Chair, Tom Jones, complaining that he thought his integrity was being questioned and that he would have to take a day or two to speak to his advisors to reconsider his and David Pickering’s interests in the bid for Chester City Football Club.

Within a couple of hours of this message being received, David Jones had withdrawn his bid and cited the Trust’s questioning of his integrity and motives as a major reason for his decision. His withdrawal has been published on the Devachat message board early this morning.

Chester City Supporters Trust make no apologies for questioning the feasibility of Mr Jones’s bid for the club as Mr Jones himself clearly has shown that he wanted the Trust to work alongside of him in the event of a successful bid.