August 2000 News

31 August 2000
DISABLED SUPPORTERS ASSOCIATION
City fan Richard Wightman has started up a new Disabled Supporters Association at Chester. This association has been set up to give disabled people who go to the match a voice, just like any other supporters association. Richard has had the full backing both from the ISA committee and also the members of the association, and he want's to open this association up to non-isa members too.

He’s also had the verbal backing of Terry Smith (chairman Chester City). If people are interested in Joining the association or have any ideas, they can either contact Richard or Bill Brookes who is the membership secretary, he has also agreed to be membership secretary for the Disabled Supporters association.

Richard Wightman (who is Chairman of the new association) can be telephoned on 07966 462561. If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact him.

29 August 2000
ISA MEETING
There is an ISA members meeting tonight at the Royal Mail Club, Station Road, Chester. The meeting starts at 19:30hrs.

28 August 2000
MATCH BOYCOTT – THE ISA POSITION
A number of people have been asking me lately about the position of the ISA and whether we are advocating the boycotting of Home matches, can I just clear up any misunderstanding.

The ISA committee are definitely not asking people to boycott the home matches, we are in fact hoping that more and more people will support the team with all the enthusiasm and commitment that was shown so magnificently at all matches last season.

People have mentioned to me about subsidising the away travel again and it is something I will definitely be prepared to bring up at our next committee meeting with the understanding that it is very expensive, it cost us many thousands of pounds last season as we didn't differentiate between ISA members and non ISA members, but I am very happy to look at any means of getting more support for the team away from home, because as we all know it's at away grounds that promotion is either won or lost.

We have been accused in some quarters lately of being very negative towards the club, I can assure anybody reading this note that I would love to be more positive, I believe passionately in Chester City Football Club and that is why I took on the position of Chairman Of The ISA, I believe in supporters having a voice at their football club, and hopefully with the aid of the Trust Fund which is being set-up, we as Chester City supporters will one day have that voice.

People who know me well, know that I hate being negative in anything I do, and I truly believe know is the time to put any negative thoughts behind us, Graham Barrow seems to have got a decent side together, we had a bit of luck when we needed it Saturday scoring in the 86 minute with a penalty, we are up to 4th in the League, with a game against Boston and then the derby with Southport to look forward to.

I'm not looking at things with rose tinted glasses we all know there are problems at the Club, but we as Chester City supporters must be as one, we all want the same thing (promotion to the Football League) my Grandfather saw the first ever League match played at Sealand Road, my daughter saw the end of League football hopefully it will only be for one season.

Kevin Whitehouse Chairman Chester City ISA

26 August 2000
FORWARD ON LOAN
Chester have signed striker Andy Evans on loan from Barnsley. He's previously played for Cardiff, Aberystwyth Town and Mansfield (loan).

25 August 2000
CITY UNCHANGED
Graham Barrow names an unchanged side for tomorrow's visit of Dover Athletic to the Deva Stadium. The team will line-up: Greygoose, Lancaster, Woods, P.Beesley, Gaunt, Doughty, Carden, Blackburn, Ruffer, M.Beesley, Finney. Subs: Wright, Richardson, Fisher, Shelton, Kerr.

TICKET INCENTIVE
Chester have introduced a ten match season ticket. The cost for seats is £100 and terrace £80. A saving of £2 per game. Once again children under 12 will be admitted free to tomorrows game, 325 children took up the same offer for Tuesday's match against Doncaster and City will be hoping for a bumper Bank Holiday crowd.

HOW MUCH??!!
Adult replica away shirts are now in stock in the club shop. The cost of the shirts is £29.99, however if you want to purchase a shirt with a credit card be warned that it will cost you £39.99, a whopping £10 (33%) extra. If buying by post also add another £3 for p&p.

24 August 2000
REPLAY FOR YOUNGSTERS
City's Youth team drew 2-2 at Doncaster Rovers last night in the first round qualifier of the AXA FA Youth Cup, City were leading 2-0 at one point. Goals from Welsh youth international Lee Woodyatt and Chris Hopwood earned Chester a home replay. The eventual winners face a trip to either Rossendale United or Workington.

23 August 2000
FANS WANTED
BBC Radio 5 Live are doing a piece on life in the Conference on Saturday (we have only played 2 matches) they want four or five fan's to chat on the Radio. If anybody is interested please contact ISA chairman Kevin Whitehouse asap.

22 August 2000
EVE GIVEN NEW CONTRACT, BUT...
All very confusing this but Chester appear to have given Angue Eve a new two year contract and have also loaned him back to Trinidad & Tobago for the next 12 months!, so it seems uncertain if he will play at all for us this season. Eve, who was placed on the transfer list by City in the summer started nine games for City last season scoring four goals. Do the club have to re-apply for a work permit next summer?

21 August 2000
ISA TO LEAFLET FANS
The ISA will tomorrow night leaflet fans outside the ground prior to the Doncaster Rovers match in an attempt to make Terry Smith review his admission pricing policy for this season. Fans were angered several weeks ago when the chairman put admission prices back up to last season's only weeks after stating the club was on a sound financial footing. Chester have the most expensive matchday admission prices in the Conference.

18 August 2000
MOSS MISSES OUT
Defender Darren Moss is expected to miss the opening three games of the season after injuring his ankle in training. Chester will be turning out in pale blue shirts black shorts tomorrow as there's a clash of colours, wonder where that's appeared from? Four coaches of supporters will be heading to Irthlingborough from Chester with many more expected to make their own way for the first match of the season. Should have a following of around 500 so let's make some noise!

17 August 2000
EVE ON TARGET
Angus Eve was on the scoresheet for Trinidad & Tobago last night netting in their 6-0 home win over Panama in a World Cup qualifier in Port-of-Spain.

15 August 2000
TRIBUNAL SET BECKETT FEE

Chester will receive £150,000 from Chesterfield following the sale of Luke Beckett in the summer. The fee was set by a Football League tribunal at which Chester presented a letter they had received from York City offering a similar fee. Chesterfield have been ordered to pay £75,000 now with the balance after Beckett has played a certain (unspecified as yet) number of games for the Spireites. 20% of the fee must be paid to Beckett's previous club Barnsley.

NEW SIGNING?
Chester are having talks today with ex-Runcorn captain Carl Ruffer and he may become Graham Barrow's final summer signing. Ruffer has been on trial at the Deva in recent weeks. Meanwhile midfielder Scott Ruscoe is expected to resume training next week following a recent knee operation.

ISA MEETINGS
The next members meeting of the ISA will take place on Tuesday 29 August. The venue is the Royal Mail Club in Station Road and starts at 19.30hrs. The guest speaker will be confirmed a little nearer the date.

Dates have also been set for the following three meetings all starting at 19.30hrs and they are:
Monday 25 September
Monday 30 October
Monday 27 November

There will be a Christmas Dance on Friday 15 December, also at the Royal Mail Club. Guest artist Billy May. Details of tickets will appear here soon.

13 August 2000
TIME FOR THE REAL THING
Two goals in each half gave City a comfortable win in the heat at Stafford Rangers. A close range effort from Paul Carden and an own goal gave City a 2-0 half-time lead before Graham Barrow made wholesale changes to the team. Two further strikes from Mark Beesley and Andy Shelton brought to an end City's successful eight match pre-season run that has seen six victories and two draws. City will travel to Rushden on Saturday in good spirits for their first-ever game in the Nationwide Conference.

CITY FANS STUMP UP
The most expensive Conference matchday prices in the coming season will be at the Deva Stadium. Chester's £12 stand seat prices are £1.50 more that the next highest at Scarborough. The general admission at the Deva £10 is a full £2 more that the next expensive. Stevenage Borough are charging the most this season for season tickets, £200. Chester fans visiting Rushden & Diamonds' Nene Park for the first game next week will pay £8.50, £5 and £2 for seats and £7.50, £4 and £2 for general admission.

IAN ATKINS
City's former manager featured in an interview in Saturday's Daily Express. Describing his time at Chester he said: "I'm a young pup at 43, but I went into coaching at 32 and that's 11 years I've been doing this. They couldn't get anybody experienced to go to Chester at the back end of last season, but I wanted to work and have a platform to give my version of what happened to me at Northampton. And we nearly pulled it off, one point was the difference in the end. There were all sorts of things wrong at Chester. The American owner Terry Smith, had coached the side and we were talking tactics one day. ‘Jeez’ he said. ‘I never read that in the book’. That summed it all up for me.

11 August 2000
BROWN SIGNS NEW DEAL
Goalkeeper Wayne Brown has finally put pen to paper and signed a new two-year deal to stay at the Deva. City have also signed 'keeper Dean Greygoose on a short-term contract as cover for Brown at the start of the season. Greygoose is expected to play in City’s last pre-seaon warm up match at Stafford Rangers tomorrow.

BECKETT TRIBUNAL
Chester will find out on Monday how much they are to receive for striker Luke Beckett. Beckett was transferred to Chesterfield in the summer and the Spireites are believed to have offered a paltry £40,000 for the striker. Monday's tribunal will fix the price with a percentage of the sale going to Beckett's former club Barnsley.

SMITH BIDS TO BUY STADIUM LEASE
Chairman Terry Smith claims to have put in an undisclosed offer to Chester City Council to buy the lease for the Deva Stadium. "The lease on the ground only allows football to be played on the land, but if we want to compete with other clubs then we have to look at the possibility of using the ground for other purposes, such as rugby matches, firework displays or concerts. We own the club but not the lease and putting in an offer to buy the land to pursue these other interests was the only solution." A spokesman for the council this morning poured cold water on the suggestion saying that selling the lease of the football ground was a complete non-starter.

YOUTH TEAM EMULATE SENIORS
Like their seniors, City’s youth team remain unbeaten in their pre-season matches. Goals from Hopwood and Howell gave them a 2-1 victory at Colwyn Bay reserves last night.

10 August 2000
EXILES AGM
The Chester City Exiles annual general meeting takes place tonight at the Windmill, 6-8 Mill Street, London W1 starting at 19.00hrs.

9 August 2000
FANS' FORUM
Following the postponement of the ISA meeting with Terry Smith last week the club hastily arranged a Fans' Forum at the Deva which took place last night. ISA committee member Les Smith made notes at the meeting and you can read them on the ISA News page.

BLUES CARRY ON THE RUN
Chester's unbeaten pre-season run continued last night with a 4-1 victory at near neighbours Vauxhall Motors. Two goals from Mark Beesley, one from Nick Richardson and a goal from trialist Anthony Tarr brought City victory.

ISA PROTEST
The ISA have issued a press release following their peaceful protest before Monday's game.

[Press Release]
The ISA committee is simply registering a dignified public disapproval of the Chairman's U-turn over match day prices. We do not intend to watch tonight's game.

It is not the price per se that is the problem but the U turn. We were consistently told that the Club was in its best financial position for many years due to the Chairman's prudent control. Now his is quoted in the media as saying that the club faces administration if fans do not pay last season's prices. Terry Smith is the owner and Chairman of Chester City Football club and it is through his leadership that we find the club in its current position. As owner and Chairman we believe it is his responsibility, and not the supporters, to rectify the sudden reverse in the financial situation.

Many fans have already told us that they will only be following the club away from home this season.

Chester City ISA Committee Aug 7th 2000
[Ends]

Judging by Monday's match programme Terry may have performed yet another U-turn as the list of next seasons admission prices were at the original lower level. These prices were also printed in the Bristol City programme the week before. Unfortunately it's probably just a mistake.

8 August 2000
GOOD SHOW FROM CITY
Chester played out a 0-0 draw with Bolton Wanderers at the Deva last night. Another encouraging performance from the Blues particularly from Paul Beesley and Craig Gaunt in the centre of defence.

Tonight, City travel the short distance to play at Vauxhall Motors (19.30hrs), then complete their pre-season build-up away at Stafford Rangers on Saturday, kick-off 15.00hrs. With less than two weeks now to the start of the new season, manager Graham Barrow's priority will no doubt be looking to sort out the goalkeeping situation. Wayne Brown is suspended for the first three games and, as yet, City have yet to sign cover for him.

7 August 2000
WHEN SATURDAY COMES
The latest (September) issue of football fanzine When Saturday Comes contains an article on Chester-Wrexham rivalries. It is jointly written by Chester fanzine editors Colin 'Hello Albert' Mansley and Jon 'Onion Bag' Wainwright. Price £1.95

NEXT UP, BOLTON
Bolton Wanderers visit the Deva Stadium tonight for Chester's toughest pre-season fixture to date. Unlike last week, the game kick's-off at 19.45hrs. Admission is £10 adults and £5 concessions in any part of the ground. In accordance with their objection to the Chairman's u-turn over match day prices, the ISA committee intend to hold a peaceful and dignified protest outside the Deva Stadium prior to the game.

6 August 2000
UNBEATEN RUN CONTINUES
Chester's unbeaten pre-season run continued on Friday night as two goals by impressive new signing Craig Gaunt, and a great effort by Steve Finney helped City to a 3-0 victory over Bangor City at Farrar Road. Chester included trialist Tony Tarr from Port Vale at centre forward in their starting line-up.

ISA FOOTBALL
The following friendly match has been arranged:
Highfield Reserves. v. CCISA FC
On Sunday 13th August, Kick-off at 11 am at Blacon Arts College, Blacon.
Players to meet at 10.30am on the rear car park at the college.
This is a grass pitch, and the opponents are in our League.
Any queries please call Mark Howell on 01244 375264

4 August 2000
FRIENDLIES
Chester travel to Bangor City tonight for a friendly match which kicks off at 19.30hrs. Chester will be taking the first team squad and may try American Cole Bergman in goal. Bergman is a college graduate who is trying to establish himself in English football. Both Scott Ruscoe and Dean Spink are ruled out through injury with Ruscoe's injury looking worse than was first feared. "They don't look too good," said Barrow. "Scott's could be cartilage and we don't know with Dean, hopefully it will be good news." For Monday Sam Allardyce has promised to bring a strong Bolton side for the friendly at the Deva. Admission to that game is £10 adults and £5 concessions in any part of the ground. It appears that Chester's youth team should have played Holywell Town last Tuesday but due to an administrative error at Chester a team wasn't sent for the game!

3 August 2000
ISA MEETING CANCELLED
Tonight's proposed ISA meeting with Terry Smith at the Deva Stadium has been cancelled. The meeting was called off by the ISA following the Smith's decision to ban the press from attending. It is hoped that there will be a fans Forum next week.

GAUNT SIGNS FOR CITY
After impressing Graham Barrow during his trial period, central defender Craig Gaunt has signed a two year deal with Chester City. �He is a quality player, I�m pleased we�ve finally completed the deal.� said Barrow.

SPINK AND RUSCOE RECOVERING
Both Dean Spink and Scott Ruscoe are recovering after twisting their knees during Tuesday's 1-0 win over Bristol City. Spink sees a specialist tomorrow and will be hoping that his injury is not cartilage related, having had surgery during the summer. "I'm going to see Dai Rees in Gobowen tomorrow and, fingers crossed, it won't be bad news. When you come to a new club you just want to steer clear of injury. The last thing you need is to get injured again. I feel I've let people down." said Spink.

SMITH DENIES FINANCIAL PROBLEMS
Terry Smith has hit back at rumours of financial troubles at the club, following the resignation of director Paul Murray. "Chester City does not have any financial problems. We have spent £20,000 on new fitness and training equipment, £10,000 on improving the pitch and £15,000 on redecorating the stadium. We certainly would not have been spending this sort of money and carrying out this work if we had any financial problems" he said.

2 August 2000
ISA FC
The next ISA FC training session takes place tonight. Meet at 18.30hrs at the Castle Gates.

CITY EXTEND UNBEATEN RUN
Chester remain unbeaten in their pre-season build-up following a 1-0 win over a Bristol City reserve side last night. The goal appeared to be an own goal though Darren Wright seemed to claim it. However injuries to Dean Spink and Scott Ruscoe put a dampner on the result. City's next match is away at Bangor City on Friday night, kick-off 19.30hrs.

EXILES AGM
A reminder that the Chester City Exiles annual general meeting takes place on Thursday 10 August at the Windmill, 6-8 Mill Street, London W1 starting at 19.00hrs. All current and prospective members are urged to attend as we have a lot of things to discuss for next season. Details on the Exiles Meeting pages.

1 August 2000
BRISTOL CITY BRING THE RESERVES
According to the official Bristol City website The Robins are bringing a 'young reserve squad' for tonight's match. Originally it was going to be a first team fixture but manager Danny Wilson switched things round and played the first team at Dorchester Town last night (they lost!). Kick-off at The Deva is 19.00hrs. Admission to any part of the ground is £8 for adults and £4 for senior citizens and children.

BAN FOR TURNER
If you can't get along to the Deva tonight, don't expect any coverage of Chester City on radio Merseyside as journalist and radio reporter Neil Turner has been banned from the Deva Stadium by Terry Smith. Radio Merseyside have refused to relay any reports from the ground until this ridiculous ban has been lifted. Merseyside, along with the Evening Leader and Chester Chronicle is Chester's main source of publicity and this ban can do nothing except harm the club and its image.

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