Chronicle Article 29 December 2000

Hope you have all recovered from the Christmas festivities, but probably not from Steve Whitehall’s delightful chip and match winning goal on Boxing Day at the Deva against Hereford United.

While the exiting prospect of playing Blackburn who are currently third in Division 1 looms ever closer we take a look and reflect on our time in our first season in the Conference. So often the football season is referred to as a term. Goodness knows why since there are usually three terms in an academic year. But then footballers are not normally regarded as academics.

Nevertheless if a season is a term then the half term report is definitely due this week. Twenty one games played and twenty one games left. Only four league defeats (all to teams above us in the table), the best defence in the league, but still paradoxically closer to the bottom than the top. Eighteen points behind the surprise packet of Yeovil and only fourteen in front of Kingstonian who are in the first of the three relegation spots.

Despite the chairman's confident promotion predictions reiterated as recently as last week, in statistical terms we actually have more chance of going down. Of course it is unlikely that either of these things will happen and most likely we will finish comfortably in the top half of the table. A shortage of goals in a number of drawn games against teams in the bottom half of the table has been the main reason for the sizable gap with Yeovil. Former striking duo, Murphy and Beckett, are each hitting the back of the net on a regular basis in Division 3. We could do with some of their goals now, but second best, we should ask whether any of the cash received can be made available to Graham Barrow to bolster the current strike force.

The club has been successful in recent years in bringing a number of youngsters through into the first team squad. This year Blackburn and Woodyatt have stepped up, following Moss, Doughty,Wright and Lancaster last season. Before that there was Matt McKay who went to Everton. The Chronicle recently published the league table for the Under 19 team of which is coached by Gordon Hill. Sadly Chester prop up the table with no wins to date which this is disappointing to say the least and causes concern for the future.

We wish the youngsters well for the New Year and hope that they can get that important first victory. Given our Conference status, the role of youth development becomes increasingly important to our future . We need to attract local talent in a business where success breeds success.

You don't have to look to far to see where it has been crucial as a clubs lifeline. Sometimes those mottos found at the bottom of desk calendars make good sense and are well worth adhering to. Among a selection that have been resolutely pinned up in full view as personal reminders for several years now is one that reads "You cannot build a reputation on things you are going to do". In closing this last ISA column for the year 2000 we would like to thank the Chester Chronicle for allowing us this space, we are very grateful.

Happy New year to everyone.

Other Articles
October		8 | 15 | 22 | 29
November		5 | 12 | 19 | 26
December		3 | 10 | 17 | 24 | 31
January		7 | 14 | 21 | 28
February		4 | 11 | 18 | 25
March		3 | 10 | 17 | 24 | 31
April		7 | 14 | 21 | 28
May		5 | 12 |
August		11 | 18 | 25
September		1 | 8 | 15 | 22 | 29
October		6 | 13 | 20 | 27
November		17 |
December		22 | 29 |
January		5 | 12 | 19