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28 June 2002
FRIENDLY OFF
Chester's
high-profile pre-season home match with Athletic Bilbao
scheduled for Thursday 8 August has been cancelled. The
Spanish club will not now be using the Deva's facilities
for training. This will come as a major disappointment
to City fans looking forward to the first visit to the
Deva from an overseas side.
�We�ve been forced to cancel the Athletic Bilbao friendly
because of a worry of cutting up the pitch, but I�d rather
receive revenue from Liverpool from their reserve matches.
We�re obviously disappointed about losing the Bilbao game
because we were looking forward to it.� said chairman
Steve Vaughan.
TWO TICKETS TO BE WON
Win a pair of tickets including pre-match meals
for the forthcoming home friendly against Liverpool X1 kindly donated
by chairman Steve Vaughan.
This summer sees the 10th anniversary of the opening
of Deva Stadium and the club have line-up a number of attractive pre-season
friendlies. We have two tickets for the Liverpool X1 game on Tuesday
13 August to give away, all you have to do is select your greatest Chester
City goal scored at the Deva Stadium and send your entry in.
The closing date is 24:00hrs on 21 July and the winner's name (who will
receive both tickets) will be drawn at random from all entries received.
There's plenty of time to get your entry in, and, if you need to jog
your memory you can always check the fixtures from the last ten seasons
from the history pages on this site.
Enter the competition here.
NEW ROLE FOR JENKS
City defender Iain Jenkins who was placed on the
transfer list in the summer, has maintained his links with the club joining
the Youth Development Team as a coach.
RESERVES
The reserve side kick-off their Avon Insurance League
campaign next season with an away fixture at neighbours Wrexham on Wednesday
21 August. The return derby fixture will be on 8 January 2003.
27 June 2002
BILL WINGROVE
Former club chief executive Bill Wingrove has
taken up a post as Commercial Director at Wrexham. My time at Chester
gave me the taste for the game and while there were plenty of dark days
at the Deva Stadium, the passion and commitment of the people involved
in football can not be found in any other business. said Wingrove.
26 June 2002
LIVERPOOL FRIENDLY
The
club have arranged a home pre-season friendly against a Liverpool
X1. The game will take place on Tuesday, 13 August (kick-off 19:45hrs)
with all the Liverpool first team players who were not involved in
the FA Community Shield Match against Arsenal 48 hours earlier at
the Millennium Stadium, expected to play for a game that is sure
to attract a large crowd. The game will be all-ticket and details
will be available in a couple of weeks.
Club secretary Mike Beech commented: This is another great honour
for Chester City Football Club and Liverpool have promised to send a strong
squad to play against us. We are forging strong links with Liverpool Football
Club and, following the news that they are to play their reserve team fixtures
next season at the Deva Stadium, we consider this latest news to be another
great coup for us.
LANCASTER REINSTATED
Defender
Martyn Lancaster who was dismissed by the club following an incident before
the Dagenham match in April has been given a second chance and has reported
back for training with the other players. Talks to reinstate Lancaster
reached Board level.
Lancaster said I have apologised to the club about what went on at
the end of last season and I'm sorry it all happened. I love Chester City.
I've been here six years and it's my club and I'm Chester City through
and through. I'm grateful I've been given this chance and all I want to
do now is concentrate on playing football and focusing on getting the club
back into the Football League.
Manager Mark Wright added: Martyn has been apologetic to the club
about what he did. He showed a lot of improvement last season and we feel
he can improve again next season. He has apologised for letting the club
down with his behaviour and he knows he's on his last warning.
LDV VANS TROPHY
Chester have been selected to participate in next
season's Trophy providing the club can get the capacity of Deva Stadium
increased to 6,000 (the Football League minimum). Eleven other teams from
the Conference will also be entering the competition along with clubs from
the Nationwide second and third divisions. Chester have until 31 August
to comply with the ruling. The FA Inspection Committee will visit the Deva
Stadium on August 7 and subject to the ground receiving a grading the club
should be accepted. The full list of Conference clubs expected to be admitted
to the LDV Vans Trophy competition this season are: Halifax Town, Dagenham
and Redbridge, Yeovil Town, Doncaster Rovers, Morecambe, Stevenage Borough,
Scarborough, Chester City, Southport, Leigh RMI, Hereford United, and Woking.
SEASON TICKETS
A reminder to those who haven't taken advantage
so far that you have until Friday afternoon to claim your stand or terrace
season tickets for next season at the reduced rate. Over 420 fans have
so far taken up the offer.
20 June 2002
CITY SIGN STRIKER BRODIE
Chester have completed the signing on a two-year
contract of 29-year-old striker Steve Brodie from Swansea City. The player
has previously played for Sunderland, Doncaster Rovers (loan) and Scarborough
before moving to the Vetch Field.
Sunderland-born Brodie began his career with his home town club in 1991
making 1+11 appearances before moving on loan to Doncaster Rovers at the
start of the 1995/6 season when he scored once in five games. He moved
to Scarborough on loan in 1996 where he scored three goals in ten games
before signing on a permanent basis. Between 1997-2001 he played 187+6
matches scoring an impressive 52 goals. Brodie moved to Swansea City in
November 2001 and played 22+4 games for the Swans scoring two goals.
MORE FRIENDLIES
The club have set up a number of pre-season friendlies
for the reserve and youth teams. You can see them using the link above.
Meanwhile the match with Athletic Bilbao on Thursday 8 August (kick-off
19:30hrs) has been confirmed.
17 June 2002
DEVA ANNIVERSARY
This summer sees the 10th anniversary of the opening
of Deva Stadium. To mark this landmark, the club will be dedicating one
of its pre-season friendlies (probably Athletic Bilbao or Everton) to celebrate
the occasion. The club have asked that fans vote for their three most memorable
games (in any competition) played at Deva Stadium over the last ten years.
The top three most popular choices will feature in an article in a special
match programme to be issued at the anniversary match.
Please make your vote here.
We've had a terrific response to this; thanks to all who have taken
part so far. The poll will kept open until the end of the month so those
on holiday have a chance to vote. Three or four matches are featuring prominently
for top spot with over 30 different games placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd so far.
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE UPDATE
Parents of youngsters at Chester City�s centre
of excellence are invited to a meeting at the Deva Stadium on Wednesday
night at 19:00hrs. Club coach, Mike Newman said: �I�m keen to keep
parents informed of any developments within the centre of excellence
structure.�
13 June 2002
NEW FIXTURES
The Conference fixtures for next season
have been released (earlier than anticipated!), here
are Chester's. The Blues open their campaign on Saturday August
17 with a home fixture against newly-promoted Kettering Town followed
on the Monday by a trip to Telford United. Once again there are reverse
fixtures with local rivals Northwich Victoria over the Christmas/New
Year period. The season ends with a tough trip to Yeovil Town on
26 April 2003.
12 June 2002
CITY SIGN SUGDEN
Chester have completed the signing of
Ryan Sugden from Scarborough. The 22-year-old Bradford-born player
joined The Seadogs on a short-term contract from Oldham towards the
end of last season, scoring three goals. He is a six-footer
and quick, said Wright. Not many strikers troubled our
central defenders last season, but he was one of them. Expect
a couple of more signings before the season starts with a central
defender a priority (Guyett or Brabin?), however the transfer listed
players Andy Porter, David Brown, Iain Jenkins and Brian McGorry
may have to be off-loaded first.
11 June 2002
MARK GUTERMAN
Mark Guterman, the chairman who put Chester
City into Administration has officially taken over as the new owner
at Wrexham today. �The deal is done. I think you�re aware that I�ve
been paying the wages for the past few months and now everything
has been sorted out. I�ve been patient with this deal but that�s
my best virtue. But I must say that Pryce Griffiths has behaved with
integrity throughout the talks to buy the club.� Guterman took over
the chair at the Deva in February 1995 before placing the club in
Administration in October 1998.
�There were many things at Chester we did right,� Guterman told BBC Radio Wales. �But
there were certain times I got carried away spending money on players. In the
end, though, the only person who suffered was me.� so much for
the fans with a club left in administration then!
10 June 2002
PRESTIGIOUS FRIENDLY FOR CITY
City
have arranged a prestigious pre-season friendly against Spanish side Athletic
Bilbao at the Deva Stadium on Thursday 8 August. Bilbao are staying
in the Chester area and will be using the Deva to train, and the friendly
match is part of this arrangement. The club also have fixtures at Blackpool,
Leicester City, Huddersfield Town and Everton.
Chairman Steve Vaughan said: �Bilbao were looking for somewhere to train
during their stay and we offered them the Deva Stadium in return for playing
us in a pre-season match. Bilbao are staying in the Chester area during
their visit and they wanted somewhere with security to prepare for their
matches. They asked us how much the facilities would cost to use, but we
told them we�d do a deal if they could play us at the Deva, and they�ve
agreed. This news is a big plus for everyone at Chester and should send
us into the new season in the right frame of mind.�
EXILES SOCIAL NIGHT
The next Exiles social will take place this Thursday
13 June at the Knights Templar, Chancery Lane, London from 19:00hrs onwards.
Prospective members are especially welcome.
9 June 2002
CONFERENCE GET THEIR EXTRA PLACE
Football League club chairmen finally voted for
a second promotion spot into the League from the Conference next season
after passing through the proposal at their AGM on Saturday. Negotiations
have taken place all year over the deal which was thrown out at last years
meeting, but with new financial arrangements now in place, the clubs unanimously
approved the change. Under the terms of the FA deal, all 24 Division Three
clubs will receive £50,000 every August for the next five years.
The two promoted teams from the Conference will receive a £35,000
payment, with relegated sides receiving parachute payments.
This is great news for the Chester and other clubs in the Conference and
will keep interest going with many clubs right to the end of the season.
The teams who finish 2nd 5th will contest the second promotion spot
via a play-off system.
7 June 2002
CITY PLAN GROUND CHANGES
The football club have applied to the licensing
authorities to have their ground capacity extended from the current 5,814
to the Football League minimum requirement of 6,000. Increased stewarding
over recent months should help City's cause. Other changes at the ground,
to help bring the club in line with League standards, will see the dugouts
being extended to seat 11 people and an extendable tunnel to protect the
players as they enter/leave the pitch will also be in place for the start
of next season. The current away dressing room has been extended by eight
feet and will be used by City next season.
PLAYERS BACK SOON
The players will report back to training on 3 July
while the new fixtures are out on 20 June with the new season kicking off
on Saturday 17 August. |
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