|
|
LATEST NEWS FROM DEVA STADIUM |
29
June 2007
JOHN MURPHY RETURNS TO CITY
|
Striker
John Murphy is back at Chester. The former
City striker who left Deva Stadium in August
1999 to join Blackpool has signed a two year
deal with the Blues after rejecting a new
offer from Macclesfield Town.
He had eight successful years with the Seasiders scoring 103 goals in 270+28
appearances. He moved to Macclesfield Town last January after an initial loan
spell. He scored 9 goals in 28+4 appearances for the Silkmen.
Prior to leaving for
Blackpool John, who began his career as a
trainee at Chester, mustered 21 goals in
75+44 appearances for Chester between 1995-99.
• Transfer
Activity
Picture © Evening
Leader
|
28 June 2007
ELLISON RARING TO GO
New signing Kevin Ellison
is hoping to carry on from were he left of at City when
he returns to training with the rest of the first team
squad on 5 July. Ellison said: “I can’t
wait to get started again. I will get back on July 5
and hopefully I can kick on from where I left off last
time. I am glad to come to a club where I am wanted.
I will just be glad to put the shirt on again and play
football. It has been a long summer and I can’t
wait to get started now.
I will just try and get in the team
at first and see how it goes from there. There are
a good few players here that I already know, so hopefully
it won’t take too long to settle in. I still
live locally, and while I have been away I have always
kept tabs on what Chester have been doing. I would
always look out for their results in the paper.”
Meanwhile former Leeds United
striker Ian Moore is considerig an offer from Chester.
Moore, son of Tranmere manager Ronnie, is the target
of several clubs and has had talks with City this week.
26 June 2007
WELCOME BACK KEVIN
|
The team
building for next season continues as Kevin
Ellison has agreed terms with Chester and the
28-year-old completed his move from Tranmere
Rovers for an undisclosed fee today. He’s
been given a three year deal and has become
Chester’s record signing.
Ellison scored 11 goals in 30 appearances for
the Blues between August 2004 and January 2005
before being transferred to Hull City for £100,000.
Last season he scored four goals in 25 matches
for the Prenton Park side.
Manager Bobby Williamson said:
“Kevin is an exciting signing for us,
he has pace, a sweet left foot, and will give
me balance on the left side.
With Ritchie Partridge signing
last week, and Kevin now agreeing to join us,
it gives us players who can get balls into the
box from both flanks, and I am sure they will
be favourites with our supporters.
Things are beginning
to take shape, and the players are looking forward
to pre-season and the build up to the new campaign.”
The Blues are also showing
an interest in 36-year-old goalkeeper Gavin
Ward, who was released by Tranmere last month
is expected to join on a player/coaching position.
Ellison is the third
signing made by manager Bobby Williamson after
Nathan Lowndes and Ritchie Partridge joined
recently.
Picture ©
Evening Leader | Kevin Ellison with manager
Bobby Williamson. |
25 June 2007
CHARITY CHALLENGE BY EX-DIRECTOR’S SONS
Matt and Mark Darlington, two
sons of former club director Derek Darlington are holding
a charity golf challenge on 6 July to raise money for
the Nightingale House Hospice who looked after Derek
in the last few days before he passed away last November.
Matt, Mark, Derek's youngest brother
Howard Auty and Darren Shire, a family friend, will
be taking on the challenge of "The Longest Day
of Golf" in his memory to support a cause that
was very close to him and the family. This will take
place where Derek used to play at Old Padeswood Golf
Club. Tee-off time is 05.00hrs and the four golfers
will complete their challenge of 72 holes, 16 miles
and numerous blisters an amazing 16 hours later at
21.00hrs.
The team hope to raise £5,000
for the Nightingale House Hospice and would welcome
donations towards their cause. To donate please visit
www.justgiving.com/derekdarlington
where you can safely donate by credit or debit card
and leave a message of support. you can also call Mark
Darlington on 07792 169 539 with your pledge.
BLUES IN TALKS WITH ELLISON
After finally agreeing
a transfer fee with Tranmere Rovers for former winger
Kevin Ellison, City officials will hold talks today
with the player to discuss personal terms over a move
back to Deva Stadium.
City chairman Stephen Vaughan told the Daily Post: “The
deal with Tranmere has been agreed, so we will now move
on to the next stage of the process, which is agreeing
a financial package with Kevin and his agent.”
Ellison scored 11 goals in 30 appearances for the Blues
between August 2004 and January 2005 before being transferred
to Hull City for a fee of £100,000.
22 June 2007
PARTRIDGE DEAL COMPLETE
City
have completed the signing of 26-year-old Rotherham
United wingerRitchie Partridge on a two year contract.
Partridge began his career as a trainee at Liverpool
in 2000 before loan spells took him to both Bristol
Rovers where he scored one goal in 4+2 appearances,
and Coventry City where he made 27+4 appearances for
the Sky Blues finding the net on four occasions.
In July 2005 Partridge moved to Sheffield Wednesday
where he scored one goal in 8+12 appearances for the
Owls. His last move to Rotherham United came last July
and he notched up 33+3 appearances scoring four goals
last season.
21 June 2007
MORE FIXTURE CHANGES
There
have been several changes to the fixture list which
can be viewed here.
19 June 2007
WAITING GAME
The
Blues are still awaiting a reply from Tranmere Rovers
after they made an improved offer for former winger
Kevin Ellison last week. Chairman Steve Vaughan said:
“We’re still waiting for an answer from
Tranmere Rovers after making a revised bid for Kevin
Ellison If we can agree a fee with Tranmere for the
player then we will try and agree personal terms and
conclude a deal.”
City are also hoping to finalise a deal in the next
day or so that would bring 26-year-old Rotherham United
winger Ritchie Partridge to Deva Stadium. Partridge
was released by the Millers last week and has held talks
with Chester.
Vaughan is keen that both signings can be completed
sooner rather than later. “We have put together
what we consider to be an attractive financial package
to Ritchie. Hopefully we will see a positive conclusion
to our talks this week. It would be a big boost to get
two League One players to join us like Kevin Ellison
and Richie Partridge. If we can sign Ritchie Partridge
to fill our right side and Kevin Ellison to take up
our left wing role I feel we’re only then looking
to sign a midfield general and a striker before the
season starts.” said the City chairman.
16 June 2007
FIXTURE SWITCH
No
surprise really, but the official Wrexham website states
that our home fixture with them has been put back to
the following day and will now take place on Sunday
9 March 2008. The game will be all-ticket and kick-off
at 12:00hrs.
14 June 2007
HOME KICK-OFF FOR BLUES
City
will kick-off the new
season on Saturday 11 August with a home game against
newly relegated Chesterfield.
NEW FRIENDLIES
AFC
Telford United have confirmed a pre-season home friendly
against Chester City for Tuesday 17 July at the New
Bucks Head, kick-off 19:45hrs. The Blues will also send
a side to play Jim Hackett’s Connah’s Quay
Nomads on Thursday 26 July (19:30)
13 June 2007
CARLING CUP
|
City have
been drawn at home to Nottingham Forest in the
first round of the Carling Cup. The game is scheduled
to take place the week commencing 13 August.
Of course the two sides met recently in the second
round of the FA Cup in December 2005 when two
goals from Ryan Lowe, and Marcus Richardson gave
the Blues a 3-0 victory. Manager
Bobby Williamson told the Evening Leader: “It
will be a very difficult home tie against a club
that play one division above us. I’m ever
the optimist, but I know full well that Nottingham
Forest will be still smarting from missing out
on promotion. There’s always hope in games
like this and sometimes they throw up a few surprises
– hopefully that will be the case when we
play Forest.” |
SLOVENIAN INTERNATIONALS TO TRAIN
AT CITY
Two Slovenian U21 international
players are to join in with City in pre-season training
and may take part in some of the friendly fixtures.
They are Defender Luka Zinko and goalkeeper Igor Nenezic.
City chairman Stephen
Vaughan told the Daily Post: “Both players are
extremely well thought of in their own country and they
have both indicated that they would like to play in
the Football League. Of course as Slovenia is a member
of the EU, work permits would not be required.
Luka Zinko played for NK Domzale, who have just won
the Slovenian championship whilst Nenezic is an agile
and commanding shot stopper. We have signed ‘lock-out’
agreement with the players’ agent which means
that we have first refusal on the players’ signatures.”
8 June 2007
CITY TARGET PARTRIDGE
Chester have targeted another player in their hunt to
build a squad for next season. He’s Rotherham
United’s 26-year-old Ritchie Partridge. Partridge
began his career at Liverpool before moving on to Sheffirld
Wednesday in 2005 after two loan spells at Bristol Rovers
and Coventry City.
City chairman Steve Vaughan said: “A letter has
gone in the post to Rotherham requesting to speak to
Ritchie Partridge. If Rotherham give us permission,
it will just be a case of sorting out personal terms.”
Another player interesting Chester, Oldham Athletic
left winger Paul Edwards has today signed for Port Vale.
6 June 2007
CARLING CUP DRAW
The
draw for the first round of the Carling Cup will take
place at 10:00 on Wednesday 13 June, with ties being
played week commencing 13 August.
CHANGE STRIP
The away kit for next
season has been unveiled and will be a yellow shirt
with blue trim and sleeves, with yellow shorts and socks.
5 June 2007
TRAINING DEAL FOR CITY
City will be training nearer
to home after securing a two year deal to use the facilities
at Chester’s Catholic High School in Handbridge.The
first team, youth and centre of excellence teams will
all be holding their sessions there. The first team
had previously been using the facilities at the Castrol
Sports Club in Ellesmere Port while the CoE had been
using Abbey Gate college in Saighton.
Chairman Stephen Vaughan
said: “Centre of Excellence manager Mark Newman
and chief executuve Bob Gray have worked long and hard
at securing the deal which will see the Blues have a
firm base for the future on a quality facility with
plenty of room for all.”
2 June 2007
CLUB CONSIDER PRE-SEASON TRIP
The
club have announced that they are considering taking
up an invitation to partake in a pre-season trip to
North Cyprus that will involve a friendly against Nottingham
Forest. North Cyprus is not the easiest desitnation
to travel to, it is under Turkish control and is not
recognised by the United Nations!
Chairman Stephen Vaughan told the Chronicle: “We’ve
had request from a multi-national company to go out
there and now we’re just waiting on Uefa approval.
Our pre-season programme has already been put in place,
so if we don’t get permission to go it won’t
be any particular problem.”
1
June 2007
FIRST SIGNING FOR WILLIAMSON
City
manager Bobby Williamson has made his first signing
of the summer as striker Nathan Lowndes joins the Blues
from Port Vale. The 29-year-old forward scored 7 goals
in 44+23 appearances for the Valiants since signing
for them in November 2004 and has joined Chester on
a two year deal.
Salford-born Lowndes has played under Williamson before
at his time with Plymouth Argyle. He began his career
in 1994 as a trainee at Leeds United before making a
move to Watford a year later where he made 3+8 appearances.
In 1998 he moved north of the border to play for St
Johnstone. He made 38+39 appearances for the Perthshire
side scoring 18 goals. In 2001 Lowndes signed for Livingston,
scoring 3 goals in 7+18 appearances. A short two game
loan spell at Rotherham United was made before a move
back south to Plymouth Argyle in the summer of 2002.
In his two years at Home park Lowndes made 29+30 appearances
scoring on 12 occasions. In November 2004 he made his
last move to Port Vale.
Manager Williamson said: “I am delighted that
Nathan has agreed to join us. He is a classy player,
works hard and will be a valuable addition to our squd,
Nathan played for me when I was the manager of Plymouth
Argyle. He has pace and is extremely mobile.”
“I am aware that things didn’t work out
as he would have liked during his spell at Port Vale,
but he has an eye for a goal and I know he will become
a favourite of the Chester fans.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
LATEST
NEWS |
NEW DATE The away match at Leamington has now been rearranged for Tuesday 10 December. |
more » |
|
LAST
MATCH |
LATE BURKE GOAL SAVES BLUES A late Harrison Burke equaliser rescues a point for Chester at Warrington. |
more » |
|
|
CLUB
HISTORY |
Everything you need to know about the club’s history, honours, records and kits. Complete list of fixtures from 1885 and much more. |
more » |
|
SUPPORTERS |
EXILES BLOG
The Exiles have set up a blog to provide away match information and articles for Blues fans living away from Chester. You can read it here |
Exiles » | ISA » |
|
|
|