June 2003 News

27 June 2003
SUGDEN JOINS BREWERS
Good luck to striker Ryan Sugden who today signed for fellow Conference outfit Burton Albion. Sugden, who joined the Blues 12 months ago from Scarborough, made 29+8 appearances and found the net on 15 occasions last season for City. It means a drop down to part-time football for the striker who has previously had successful a loan spell at Eaton Park in the 2000/01 season but Brewers boss Nigel Clough said: “I don't think it’s any secret we’ve been admirers since he did very well for us on loan a couple of years ago. He would have liked to have stayed in full-time football but we’ve managed to persuade him to try it with us. He’s only just bought a house and settled in Chester and they’ve told him he can drop in for treatment or to top up his training.”

Meanwhile, another of last summer’s signings, striker Dave Cameron has had talks with newly promoted Tamworth and is expected to join The Lambs in the next day or so. Cameron signed for the Blues from Lincoln City and played 8+10 games for City scoring 3 goals. Chairman Steve Vaughan said: “Unfortunately, Dave didn’t quite make it with us, and while we wish him well for the future, we hope he won’t return to haunt us when we meet Tamworth at the beginning of the new season. Dave was a great character to have around the club, and we wish him well for his future in the game.”

25 June 2003
CONFERENCE GOALS ON THE NET
TFFC

From next season supporters will be able to watch 10 minute highlights of every game played in the Nationwide Conference on a new conference football broadband channel, the Footballers Football Channel.

Subscribers will also be able to watch new programme's, interviews and special features with a total of about three hours of new content every week. This is a subscription channel and will have content 12 months of the year starting at the end of July.

An annual subscription is £49.99, a six month subscription is £29.99 a one month subscription is £5.99 and a one week subscription is £1.99. All revenues are shared with the conference who will then divide it up with the clubs in the league. So as well as giving fans the opportunity to watch 10 minute highlights of every game played, it will also provide clubs with additional income which is very important in this day and age.

24 June 2003
FOSTER SIGNS
Ex-Kidderminster Harriers striker Ian Foster has agreed a two year deal with City. He told the Express & Star: “I’ve spoken to Chester a few times but we’ve not talked about money until the last week. I’m pleased to have it sorted. Chester were the only club to have really offered me something. A couple of other clubs made enquiries but none of them made offers.” The 26-year-old Liverpool-born striker scored 28 goals in 82+41 appearances for Kidderminster. “Mark Wright has been an admirer of Ian’s abilities for many a long day, and when he became available we moved heaven and earth to persuade him that his future should be at Chester. Ian will not be the last signing we make this close season, we have targeted other players, and we are working hard to try and clinch a few more deals” said chairman Steve Vaughan.

RESERVES
The reserves will be joined in the Lancashire League next season by Vauxhall Motors, Workington and Leigh RMI, while Farsley Celtic, who finished bottom last season, have resigned from the league.

LANCASHIRE LEAGUE DIVISION ONE 2002/03 FINAL TABLE
	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
Morecambe Reserves	28	21	2	5	122	45	77	65
Southport Reserves	28	17	6	5	96	41	55	57
Chester City Reserves	28	17	4	7	82	37	45	55
Chorley Reserves	28	15	5	8	62	55	7	50
Burscough Reserves	28	13	7	8	64	51	13	46
Marine Reserves	28	14	2	12	58	57	1	44
Lancaster City Reserves	28	14	2	12	58	57	1	44
Northwich Victoria Reserves	28	12	7	9	65	51	14	43
Bradford Park Avenue Reserves	28	9	9	10	49	62	-13	36
Bamber Bridge Reserves	28	10	5	13	47	58	-11	35
Barrow Reserves	28	8	7	13	53	83	-30	31
Accrington Stanley Reserves	28	7	7	14	53	60	-7	28
Ossett Town Reserves	28	8	2	18	70	63	7	26
Guiseley Reserves	28	3	7	18	36	139	-103	16
Farsley Celtic Reserves	28	4	2	22	33	94	-61	14

FRIENDLY CHANGES

City have made a number of changes to their pre-season series of matches. Danish Premier League side FC Nordsjaelland (formerly known as Farum Boldklub A-S) will visit Deva Stadium on Saturday 19 July, the match at Connah’s Quay Nomads will now take place on 30 July (instead of Nuneaton Borough). FC Nordsjaelland won through to the UEFA Cup on Sunday.

Chairman Steve Vaughan said: “Mark Wright, had a conversation with Jan Molby, who told him how good Farum Boldklub are. We’ve put ourselves on the map by agreeing to play two foreign clubs in pre-season and now I just hope our fans can turn out and enjoy our pre-season matches”. City will now travel to Buckley Town on Saturday 26 July, this game replaces the one scheduled at Runcorn. The Nuneaton Borough game is off.

•City Friendlies

QUALIFICATION
Chester have been awarded a FSQ (Football Stewarding Qualified) certificate, recognised by the Football League, Premier League and Football Association.

20 June 2003
SHREWS SWITCH
Chester’s game against Shrewsbury Town at Gay Meadow originally scheduled for Bank Holiday Monday 12 April has been moved to the following Tuesday night (19:45hrs) on police advice.

CITY LINKED WITH STRIKER
The Blues have been linked with 25-year-old striker Kevin Rapley, released by Colchester United at the end of last season. Rapley, who played against the Blues at Layer Road last November, is originally from Reading but has family connections in the north and seems keen to move back to the area. Scarborough, Barnet and Southend United have all been in contact with the striker who has had talks with the Blues and commented: “I have spoken to Chester and I was very impressed with what they had to say, I wouldn’t consider moving to the Conference unless I was convinced the club had ambitions to go higher.” Rapley made 24 appearances for the U’s last season, scoring two goals, and has previously played for Brentford, Southend United, Notts County, Exeter City and Scunthorpe United.

19 June 2003
FIXTURES ANNOUNCED
The Nationwide Conference fixtures for next season have been released today and City will kick-off the campaign on Saturday 9 August with an away match at Stevenage Borough.

Opening day fixtures:
Aldershot Town v Accrington Stanley
Barnet v Telford United
Exeter City v Halifax Town
Forest Green Rovers v Northwich Victoria
Gravesend & Northfleet v Burton Albion
Leigh RMI v Dagenham & Redbridge
Morecambe v Woking
Scarborough v Farnborough Town
Shrewsbury Town v Margate
Stevenage Borough v Chester City
Tamworth v Hereford United

•City Fixtures (with Cup/Trophy dates)

COLWYN BAY FRIENDLY
Chester will play a friendly at Colwyn Bay on Monday 4 August. The game at Llanelian Road will kick-off at 19:30hrs. Meanwhile City have denied reports in the local press that the friendly at Vauxhall Motors on 2 August has been switched to Deva Stadium.

16 June 2003
DEVA INTERNATIONAL

Chester have arranged a home pre-season friendly against Dutch Premier Division side, ADO Den Haag. The game is scheduled to take place on Wednesday 23 July at 19:45hrs and will be the Dutch side’s third game on tour after Sheffield Wednesday and Wolverhampton Wanderers. The club are still awaiting written confirmation from the Dutch side at present. Manager Mark Wright said: “This is a fantastic game for us. Den Haag will be playing the likes of Ajax next season and are obviously a quality side. It will be a huge test for us and I would like to think the game will attract a big crowd.”

Meanwhile City are also hoping to stage a home friendly with Liverpool prior to the start of the season on 9 August and are awaiting a response from the Anfield club.

SUPPORTERS TRUST AGM
A reminder that the Annual General Meeting of the Supporters Trust takes place at the Deva Stadium tomorrow (Tuesday) night. Doors open at 19:30hrs for a 20:00hrs start. Only paid-up members are entitled to attend the meeting, those who wish to renew lapsed membership may do so before the meeting.

14 June 2003
CONFERENCE AWARDS
Both Scott Guyett and Daryl Clare have been named in the Nationwide Conference Team of the Year at the recent awards ceremony at the Blackpool Hilton. The team in full, in 4-3-3 formation, is:

Chris Weale (Yeovil Town), Michael Rose (Hereford United), Tarkan Mustafa (Dagenham & Redbridge), Scott Guyett (Chester City), Terry Skiverton (Yeovil Town), Michael McIndoe (Yeovil Town), Darren Way (Yeovil Town), Stewart Drummond (Morecambe), Paul Barnes (Doncaster Rovers), Junior Agogo (Barnet), Daryl Clare (Chester City).

Yeovil Town’s Michael McIndoe got the overwhelming vote as the Nationwide Conference Player of the Year, with Doncaster Rovers’ Paul Barnes picking up the Golden Boot award for top scorer. Dagenham & Redbridge’s Gary Hill was voted Manager of the Year and the club also scooped the Programme of the Year award, while the winners of the Fair Play Award were Hereford United. Congratulations to them all.

QUAYLE FOR DAGENHAM?
It looks like City have some competition if they want to secure the services of striker Mark Quayle. Nuneaton Borough boss Alan Lewer says in today’s Non-League Paper that: “Dagenham are having a little sniff at Quayley and Lincoln are watching things”. Lewer is keen to take City’s transfer-listed Steve Brodie to Manor Park although the player want’s to stay playing at Conference level. “Everyone knows I'd like to bring Steve Brodie here – I bought him here in the first place and he was a big plus”.

11 June 2003
SENIGALLI A WEEKEND
Vigor Senigallia

Despite the pre-season friendly game being postponed a few weeks ago, around 15 City fans still made the trip over the weekend to Senigallia, Chester’s twin City on the Italian Adriatic coast.

With air prices to nearby Ancona available a few weeks ago at less than £12 return from Stansted it seemed a shame to waste the opportunity! There was no fans game arranged, and with temperatures consistently at 30°C+ it’s probably just as well there wasn’t; it was a shame though that there was no access arranged to the ground or the club office in town, with a quite impressive collection of trophies in the window.

• Pictures from a rather hot Senigallia

9 June 2003
CONFERENCE APPROVES WAGE CAPPING
At the Annual General Meeting of the Nationwide Conference clubs on Saturday, members voted to impose a spending limit on players wages/transfers next season. A rule was passed stipulating that clubs can only spend 65% of their income on players’ wages and transfer fees. The Conference chairmen also voted to introduce a maximum 12-point penalty against clubs going into administration, however this may change should the FA introduce a universal rule covering administration/liquidation.

Conference boss John Moules told the NLP: “We’ve been discussing financial criteria with the FA for over a year. The clubs’ budgets will be audited and agreed by an independent committee. The clubs have already provided us with all the financial data we require. I have full confidence in the change and I believe we will receive full co-operation from the clubs. We’ve already looked at weekly and monthly wage bills and have good experience on the subject.

We’re aware that club budgets can change during the year, so we’ve set up to key review dates in January and November. These two dates are to coincide with the FA Cup because we realise clubs can gain increased revenue from a good run. Clubs can also ask for a special review and the committee will respond to any such request within 14 days. The change will create an honest, level playing field for all the clubs in the Conference.”

3 June 2003
CITY SIGN MIDFIELDER
Chester City have signed 26-year-old Leyton Orient midfielder Andrew Harris on a three year deal. Harris started his career as a trainee at Liverpool in 1995 before moving on a free transfer to Southend United in 1996. He made a total of 78+2 appearances for the Roots Hall club before moving to Leyton Orient in the summer of 1999. He’s since appeared 166+7 times for Orient scoring two goals in the process.

Manager Mark Wright stated: “I’m only going to sign players who will make a major improvement to the Chester squad, and Andy Harris is one of those players. Andy is a leader and a no-nonsense midfield player. I’m hoping he will help pull defenders out and play the ball forward to release our attacking players. I feel we’re very fortunate to clinch a deal with a player of Andy’s experience. He’s fit, workmanlike, and a very good talker. He’s coming to Chester after establishing himself in the Orient team, and I feel he’s a major signing for us.”

“I was very impressed with the ambitions of both Mark Wright and the chairman. I am confident we can push strongly for top spot next season. Being from Liverpool, it is like coming home. Playing in different positions is not ideal as it is more difficult to gain consistency if you are always being moved around. I see central midfield as my natural position and hope to command the central area. I was a little surprised to be released. I was at the club for four years and had been a virtual ever-present for the past three. I think the manager (Paul Brush) and the chairman just wanted some fresh faces for next season.” said Harris, a self-confessed Evertonian!

BID REJECTED
City have had their second bid for Morecambe midfielder Adriano Rigoglioso rejected by the Lancashire club. The bid was believed to have involved cash as well as a City player as part exchange.

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