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NEWS FROM DEVA STADIUM 2009

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JUNE
30 June 2009
CHALLENGE EXCITES WADSWORTH

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.”

“I want to re-establish Chester to a higher and better level and maybe one day surpass where it’s been in the past.”

Picture © Chester Evening Leader
29 June 2009
WADSWORTH TAKES CHARGE

Chester have appointed former Gretna manager Mick Wadsworth to succeed Mark Wright. He becomes the clubs ninth manager in he last eight years. Wadsworth has an experienced coaching background. Prior to the job at Gretna he managed at Carlisle United, Scarborough, Colchester United, Oldham Athletic, Huddersfield Town as well as two overseas clubs.

Wadsworth has also spent time coaching with the Football Association and held a coaching role with the national team at the 1990 FIFA World Cup.

Born in Barnsley, Wadsworth is 58-years-old and played for Scunthorpe United in the mid seventies.

22 June 2009
WRIGHT EXITS DEVA, AGAIN

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.”

Theres 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 cant, they cant and for the players around it will be a near enough impossible task.

I feel for Stephen Vaughan as hes 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

Picture © Evening Leader

17 June 2009
£25K FOR A SEAT ON THE BOARD

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.”

“The ISA, the Northern Supporters Association, the Supporters Trust, the Exiles, or any other individual is now being invited to join the board for a donation of £25,000 per season. I would then match any funds donated pound for pound into the club.”

Picture © Evening Leader
15 June 2009
INFLUX OF PLAYERS SOON

Club boss Steve Vaughan has stated that a number of players could be joining City before the end of the month. With the immediate future of the club secured, and a place in the Football Conference next season now guaranteed, Vaughan is to hold talks with manager Mark Wright as the team building for the 2009/10 season gets underway.

Vaughan said: “We have been in contact with a number of players who are wanting to join Chester, but they haven’t been able to commit themselves because of all the uncertainty about the club's future in the past few weeks.


“Now that we are out of administration I will speak with Mark Wright about our situation and then we will start to contact the players and I think everybody will start to see us sign players within the next seven to ten days. Mark Wright is the existing manager, but I’ll speak with him in the next day or two and we’ll decide which way we move forward from here. I would expect a big influx of new players in the next seven to 10 days.”

13 June 2009
CONFERENCE ACCEPT CITY

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

11 June 2009
VAUGHAN BACK IN CHARGE

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.”


As a result Steve Vaughan, as majority shareholder, remains in charge at Deva Stadium. The club are now expected to come out of administration.The Vaughan family now own 100% of the shareholding.

After the meeting Vaughan said: “It has been well documented that I was the only bidder before the creditors and shareholders meeting was held but it was good to see that the Chester City Supporters Trust gave us their full backing of the takeover and hopefully we can put our differences behind us now and move forward.


“The most important thing here is football in the city of Chester. We’ve now got to put the CVA proposal in place and have it accepted by the Conference League at their AGM.”

“It has been a difficult period recently, but we now must look forward and work towards a brighter future for the club. I want the people of Chester to get behind the club. I am still looking for potential investors to assist us, and hopefully the local business community will also get behind their club.”

“Obviously we must start to assemble a squad for next season, and I can assure our supporters that the process of acquiring players will start in the next few days.”

Picture © Evening Leader

D-DAY FOR CITY
One of the most important meetings in the club’s history takes place this morning as administrators Refresh Recovery hold a creditors meeting at Deva Stadium (11.00hrs). They are expected to recommend creditors accept a deal that will give them 15p in the £. Following this meeting the shareholders will be informed of the outcome.

The club entered voluntary administration on 17 May following their relegation from the Football League last month, and the extent of the club debt and details of creditors as well as any acceptable offers received for the club will be heard tomorrow.

Administrators Refresh Recovery have accepted a bid of £290,000 from Chester City Football Club 2004 Limited.

Following today’s meeting the Football League hold their AGM on Friday with the Football Conference holding theirs a day later.

10 June 2009
EXILES MEETING

Following the success of the recent Exiles meeting in London, the Exiles are holding a follow-up open meeting next week on Wednesday 17 June. This will be to discuss the outcome of this Thursday's creditors meeting at Deva Stadium, as well as any repercussions from the Conference AGM that takes place on Sunday.

The venue will be as before, The Rugby Tavern (upstairs bar), 19 Great James Street, London WC1N 3ES (nearest tubes: Holborn, Chancery Lane, Russell Square), starting at 19:30hrs.

8 June 2009
RULE CONTRACT EXTENDED
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

5 June 2009
PREMIERSHIP FRIENDLY
City will entertain newly promoted Premiership side Burnley a Deva Stadium next month. The date is to be finalised but will be either Tuesday 28 or Thursday 30 July.

Pre-season friendlies


EXILES HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
At an open meeting held on Monday in central London, Chester City Exiles agreed the following open letter to club owner Steve Vaughan, other supporters and potential investors in the future of professional football in Chester.

Letter to club owner Steve Vaughan


4 June 2009
TRUST SPEAK OUT AFTER JONES BID IS WITHDRAWN
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.

The Trust welcomes further discussion with Mr Jones should he wish to re-open dialogue with us but the conditions of entering into any association with him would remain the same.”

Supporters Trust website


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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