April 2000 News

28 April 2000
TV PROGRAMMES
The Granada TV programme on Chester City is scheduled to be broadcast on Thursday 18 May. Meanwhile, according to the Chester Chronicle, BBC's Panarama are to do a programme comparing the finances between Manchester United and Chester City (hope that's not supposed to be top v bottom!).

TOMORROW
Jamie Robinson is City's only absentee tomorrow as Ian Atkins has a full squad to choose from at Cheltenham. Darren Moss, free after his four match ban, may return to replace Angus Eve.

Speaking in the Chester Chronicle, Director Of Football Ian Atkins said: "The players are expressing themselves and playing some excellent football and that gives me a big buzz. If we had had these players earlier in the season we could have been pressing for the play-offs. �If anyone had said two months ago that we would be the form team of the third division you would have laughed. We have clawed our way back and all credit to the players. They have done brilliantly. "Angus Eve will miss the last match of the season against Peterborough United as he is once again on International duty for Trinidad & Tobago.

23 April 2000
CHELTENHAM TOWN
Saturday sees our first ever visit to Whaddon Road home of Cheltenham Town. Prices for the away section on the Whaddon Road terrace are Adults: £9, Concessions: £6, Under 14s: £3 The ground is situated about 20 minutes walk away from the town centre, which itself, is another 20 minute walk from the railway station.

PETERBOROUGH TICKETS
City's final home game of the season against Peterborough is ALL TICKET, tickets are on sale this week. Vouchers for tickets were issued at the York City game, with the visitors being given 1600 tickets the game will be a sell-out.

SPONSORSHIP DEAL
The Football Club have signed a deal with the David Lloyd Leisure Centre at the Cheshire Oakes to use their training facilities.

ON THE BOX
You will have noticed a plethora of tv cameras at City's recent games. A fly-on-the-wall documentary about this season's events at the Deva is being put together by Granada. A major satellite channel is currently running a series of five 30-minute programmes on all aspects of life at Chester, while a film crew from the Caribbean is following the fortunes of Angus Eve.

20 April 2000
TICKET SALES
Up until late this afternoon Chester had sold @1400 tickets for the seats and the Silkman Terrace for Saturday's important match at Macclesfield Town; so it looks like our largest away following for a few years will be cheering on the lads. Let's hope for the fantastic level support that was seen at Orient last week, same results all-round would be nice too!. Angus Eve is back and it's reported that Jamie Robinson has recovered from injury.

18 April 2000
RATCLIFFE CASE
The Chester City/Kevin Ratcliffe tribunal case will be heard by the Football League on Monday 8 May. The former Deva manager, now at Shrewsbury Town, has claimed he is owed over £200,000 by Chester City.

15 April 2000
HILLSBOROUGH
This weekend is the eleventh anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. As a mark of respect City's game at Leyton Orient, along with all others in the Football/Premier League, will kick-off at 15.06 - the time of the tragedy.

14 April 2000
EVE AND KEISTER OUT
Angus Eve misses tomorrows important clash at Leyton Orient as he will be playing for Trinidad & Tobago. Meanwhile midfielder John Keister will miss the Macclesfield and York games as he's off to Africa next week to play for Sierra Leone.

MACCLESFIELD GAME
The game at Macclesfield Town on Saturday 22 April has been made all-ticket for Chester fans. City have been allocated 1800 tickets.

Tickets are on sale at the following times:-

April 18 Tuesday 10:00am – 8:00pm
April 19 Wednesday 10:00am – 5:00pm
April 20 Thursday 10:00am – 5:00pm

Prices are as follows:
Terrace Adults �10.00 Child/OAP �6.00
Seating Adults �12.00 Child/OAP �7.00

Tickets can be purchased at Chester City Football Club ticket office Deva Stadium, Bumpers Lane, Chester. CH1 4LT. During the above times only.

13 April 2000
NEXT ISA MEETING
Please note that the next members meeting is on Tuesday 25 April, and not Monday 24 as advertised in the latest newsletter which is Easter Monday. The meeting will be at the usual venue The Royal Mail Club in Station Road, Chester starting at 19.30. The guest speaker will be one Stuart Hicks.

12 April 2000
KEISTER FOUND GUILTY
The football club have vowed to stand by John Keister after he was found guilty of a 'road rage' attack back in January. Keister has been ordered to carry out 80 hours of community service and has been ordered to pay £200 compensation to his victim Declan Kavanagh and £188 costs.

Dan Brookes said: "This is not something which the club is proud of. We obviously want our players to be seen in the best possible light in the community. The club is however standing by John and believe his character will show through in his commitment to carry out his community service. We still believe he is upstanding and does a great deal of community work for the football club."

THE DRINKS ARE ON BENNO
Former City player Gary Bennett who was forced to retire through injury has bought a pub. The Village Inn public house in Skelmersdale. City fans are promised a warm welcome.

7 April 2000
FLAG DAY
The ISA are organising a Flag Day for tomorrows game with Carlisle United. They have 100 flags to distribute to help build-up the atmosphere. With Carlisle laying on free transport for their fans, City can expect their biggest gate of the season for the crunch game. Let's hope the decision not to make the game all-ticket is justified!

5 April 2000
DUO PRAISE FANS
City captain Stuart Hicks has thanked City fans following the exodus of over 800 supporters to last Saturday's game at Halifax. Hicks said: "The fans have been magnificent since I arrived. They have been right behind the team. Even when we were losing at Southend two weeks ago, we could hear them behind the goal urging us on. There's a great spirit in the dressing room at this club and there seems to be a great spirit on the terraces as well Those fans are as important to the cause as the players. They don't want to see us go out of the league." Atkins added: "The supporters have been superb to the players and myself. I want to thank them but they need to get behind the team like never before over the last six games of the season. The vocal support makes such a difference."

3 April 2000
THE PARROT

Who was Chester's impromptu mascot on Saturday! – all will be revealed in the June issue of the Match Of The Day magazine, on sale first week of May.

THE GREAT ESCAPE 2000
A big thanks to all those who took advantage of the ISA subsidized travel to Halifax. We are doing this because fans contributed money last season to keep us afloat, and this is a way of both repaying them for their support and helping Ian Atkins and the players. There is only so much we can do at this stage but it has been very much appreciated.

We have to remain positive and united. Six buses were filled and a total of about 800 Chester fans at the Shay made it almost like a home game for us. We outsung and outshouted them throughout and got the result we all went for. The Great Escape is still very much a possibility with the Blues being one of the form teams in the league. But we aren't there yet.

We need support like this for the remaining six games, home and away. With a display like Saturday, the players deserve it. We will sponsor coach travel for the Orient and Cheltenham games. Macclesfield is so near that we hope that people will turn up in numbers anyway.

The Great Escape 2000 T-shirt has almost sold out its first batch after this week's results. If anybody wants one they are �6 and we will get some more printed if there is a demand and sell them at all the remaining games. Email either Les Smith or Kevin Whitehouse stating size (M,L,XL) and colour (Blue or white).

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