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26
June 2008
FIXTURE CHANGE
The home fixture against
Port Vale has been changed and will now take place
at 12:00 on Sunday 19 October. This will mean two
games in three days for City who must travel to
Rochdale the following Tuesday.
ACCRINGTON PAIR SIGN
Chester have given two year
deals to Accrington Stanley midfielders Jay Harris
and David Mannix. Both are Liverpudlians, Harris,
21, started his career at Everton and 22-year-old
Mannix began at the Liverpool Academy.
SEASON TICKETS
Supporters have just four
more days now to take advantage of the second level
season ticket offer equivalent to five free games.
• Ticket
details
25 June 2008
SQUAD BUILDING CONTINUES
Following a meeting between
the club and officials from the Football League
it’s being reported that the transfer embargo
placed by the PFA is not recognised by the League
and City are able to deal in the transfer market
as they rebuild their squad for the forthcoming
season. City owner Steve Vaughan told the Liverpool
Daily Post: “We had a very frank and open
discussion, and the League’s officials
were receptive of our stance.
“It has been extremely
well documented that we have a dispute with two
of our players, Tony Dinning and Paul Butler,
our stance is that they have acted outside the
remit of their contracts, and the situation is
in the hands of our legal people.
“Unlike a lot of clubs
we don’t have any footballing debtors, the
players we have released are to be paid in full
on the due dates, and the loan from the PFA which
was received following my resignation as a director
is to be paid from our basic award payment from
the League, as previously agreed. We have been told
that we are not embargoed as was stated by the PFA,
and as such we are free to bring in players within
the current wage capping rules that apply to all
clubs in our division.”
23 June 2008
VAUGHAN HITS BACK AT PFA Club
owner Steve Vaughan has hit back following the statement
by the PFA of Friday that stated the majority of
players were receiving late payment. He said:
“I am extremely angry about this article and
I am determined to find out why it was written and
who authorised it. We are in dispute with Tony Dinning
and Paul Butler who we consider have acted in a
way that is outside the remit of their contracts.
This is what has possibly prompted the article.
All the parties involved are aware that the matter
is in the hands of our solicitors, who are dealing
with the issues.”
“However,
I think it is extremely disingenuous of the PFA
to highlight this case on a public website and insinuate
that all of our players have not been paid, which
is totally untrue.We will be seeking an urgent meeting
with the PFA and ask them for an explanation of
why they see fit to place this information into
the public arena.”
21 June 2008
TRANSFER EMBARGO PLACED ON CITY A
transfer embargo has been placed on Chester following
action from the Professional Footballers Association
(PFA).
A statement on the PFA website staded that: “The
majority of the players currently at the club have
not received any payment for two months, or more.
The PFA have, therefore, advised the Football League
of the monies outstanding to the players, and the
Football League has applied Regulation 46.1 and
placed an embargo upon the transfer of any registration
by the club until such times as the payments due
to the current playing staff are made.”
The club hae been quick to respond with a statement
from managing director Bob Gray this morning, he
said: “All the current players who are contracted
for next season have been paid up to date. It has
been widely publicised that we are in dispute with
Paul Butler and Tony Dinning and we have made arrangements
to meet officials of the Football League to sort
out this shambles.”
“I think it is shabby that the PFA have seen
fit to release a statement on their website, when
they are in full possession of the details of our
proposed meeting. We have taken legal advice and
we shall vigorously defend our stance in the Butler/Dinning
dispute.”
• PFA
statement
19 June 2008
BARRY SIGNS FOR BLUES The
club have made their first signing of the summer
as 22-year-old midfielder Anthony Barry joins from
Yeovil Town. The Liverpool born player began his
career as a trainee at Everton before moving to
Coventry City three years ago. He moved from there
to Accrington Stanley in 2005 where he made 26+0
appearances (no goals) before his final move in
January 2006 took him to Huish Park where he scored
one goal in 52+22 outings. Barry has been given
a two year deal by City.
The new signing told the Chester Chronicle: “I
started out at Everton youth where I knew Laurence
Wilson and I moved to Liverpool where I got to know
Richie Partridge, I grew up as a boy playing football
with Stephen Vaughan Jnr and James Vaughan. My career
has taken me to Coventry and Yeovil and I wanted
to come home and see my family a bit more, it all
contributed. But now, with the staff here and the
plans the manager has, I would expect us to be making
a serious challenge in the league next season. That
is my main aim.”
FRUSTRATED DAVIES WAITS ON
TAYLOR Chester
manager Simon Davies has expressed his frustration
as the on-going talks with Vauxhall Motors frontman
Paul Taylor and his agent drag on. The two clubs
have agreed a transfer fee but the player has yet
to agree personal terms. Davies has laid the blame
on lack of progress with the agent, he told the
Evening Leader:
“The talks with Paul Taylor’s agent
have been frustrating. People say that no news is
good news, but I’m not so sure in this case.
The longer we talk the more I think the Paul Taylor
deal won’t happen. The agent is making progress
very difficult and that has been frustrating because
I feel signing Paul would be good for Vauxhall Motors,
good for Chester City, and good for the player.”
“But if we don’t manage to sign him
I won’t be too alarmed. We’ve still
got a big centre forward in John Murphy and I’m
confident in both Chris Holroyd and Paul McManus
doing well when the new season kicks off.”
16 June 2008
AWAY START FOR CITY Chester
will kick-off the 2008/09 season with an away trip
on 9 August to Dagenham & Redbridge, this is
followed, after the Carling Cup tie with Leeds,
by a home fixture the following Saturday against
Wycombe Wanderers.
• 2008/09
fixtures
LEEDS GAME TO BE TELEVISED
The club have announced that
the Carling Cup tie with Leeds United will be televised
live by SKY TV. The game is scheduled to take place
at Deva Stadium on Tuesday 12 August.
Chester owner Steve Vaughan said: “It’s
great news for us, not just because of the financial
bonus it brings to the club, but it will also give
our young squad of players the opportunity to be
seen on a much larger stage. There is a lot of kudos
in the tie itself, but it's nice to be rewarded
with a £50,000 cash windfall so early in the
season. The tie will provide our club with an opportunity
to demonstrate how well they can play against a
team that just missed out on promotion to the Championship
after reaching the play-offs.”
13 June 2008
CARLING CUP DRAW
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Chester
have been given a home draw against League
One side Leeds United in the first round of
the Carling Cup. The game is scheduled to
take place in the week commencing 11 August.
The will be the first visit of Leeds to Deva
Stadium.
The sides last
met at the same stage of the competition two
season ago with the Yorkshire side winning
1-0 at Elland Road thanks to an Eirik Bakke
goal. |
ELLISON SET FOR COUNTY MOVE
|
The club
have accepted an offer from Stockport County
for 29-year-old midfielder Kevin
Ellison. Ellison nearly made the move
to the Edgeley Park side last January but
he now looks set to join the newly promoted
outfit. Ellison now needs to agree personal
terms before moving.
He has played for County previously between
2001-04. Ellison, who has had two spells with
City, was the top scorer last season with
11 goals. In total he has made 69+0 appearances
for the Blues, scoring on 22 occasions.
Chester owner Steve Vaughan said: “We’ve
had an offer from Stockport County for Kevin
Ellison and, as we’ve said on previous
occasions, we never stand in a player’s
way if they can move to a club in a higher
division.” |
12 June 2008
CHESTER LOOKING TO SIGN DUO The
Blues have announced that they’ve offered
two year deals to Bradford City’s Eddie Johnson
and Yeovil’s Anthony Barry.
Forward Johnson is Chester born and has scored 8
goals in 54+17 appearances for the Bantams. He started
his career as a trainee at Manchester United and
had loan spells at Coventry City and Crewe Alexandra
before joining Bradford City two years ago. Liverpudlian
Barry joined Yeovil Town from Accrington Stanley
in January 2006 and has scored once in 55+22 appearances
for the Huish Park outfit since.
Chester owner Stephen Vaughan said: “We’ve
offered them both terms and it is the best we can
put forward. Hopefully they’ll accept.”
Meanwhile talks are continuing with the agent of
Vauxhall Motors striker Paul Taylor.
10
June 2008
FRIENDLY DOUBT The
club have still not received police authority to
stage their pre-season match against Liverpool on
12 July. The date picked, the only one their opponents
could make, clashes with Chester races and the local
police say that both events taking place at the
same time would leave their resources stretched.
The club announced the lucrative friendly last week
before they had been given the all-clear. Club managing
director Bob Gray said: “All we want to do
is bring decent pre-season friendlies to the football
club. People will say ‘why didn’t you
realise there was a race meeting on?’ Well,
you don’t look at that scenario for pre-season
friendlies. I can’t see there being any trouble
between Chester and Liverpool supporters.”
He added: “The situation is that the police
are stretched and the police feel that the city
would be too congested if we staged a football match
and a race meeting. All I can do is go back to the
police and say ‘if we have a 12 noon kick
off and put a 3,500 gate on it, would you look at
the situation and give us a straightforward answer?’
That’s the next step.”
A spokesman for Cheshire Police told the Chester
Chronicle: “At this stage, no decision has
been taken as to whether the Chester v Liverpool
game will go ahead.” “Unfortunately,
the game as played on July 12 would coincide with
the biggest meeting of the year at Chester Races.
We have to consider the safety of all concerned
– those attending the races, the football
match and people in the city centre.”
“As such, it is with
regret that we have asked Chester City not to arrange
the fixture for July 12. Cheshire Police and Trading
Standards are still in the process of liaising with
both Chester City and Liverpool and hope that a
compromise can be found which will benefit all concerned.”
• Pre-season
fixtures
5 June 2008
LOOKING BACK ON 2007/08
|
Take
a look back at the ups and downs of last season
through the photographs of the Evening Leader’s
Rick Matthews. •
2007/08
Season in photographs
|
LIVERPOOL FRIENDLY ANNOUNCED
Chester are set to open their
pre-season campaign with a home game against Liverpool
on Saturday 12 July, kick-off 15:00hrs. The
game is subject to Police approval.
Blues manager Simon Davies said: “Liverpool
don’t have any other fixtures on that day
so we’re hoping for a fair turnout from their
first team. It’s
going to be a great day for the fans – and
a great challenge for the players as well. We’ve
spoken to a lot of big clubs about friendlies and
credit to Liverpool for taking us up on the offer.”
• Pre-season
fixtures
3 June 2008
STRIKER PRIORITY FOR DAVIES Manager
Simon Davies is keeping up his search for a striker
to partner John Murphy next season. The club have
been linked with Paul Taylor from Vauxhall Motors
and Forest Green�s Stuart Fleetwood over the last
week and talks with players and agents are still
taking place. “I’ve spoken to Stuart
Fleetwood’s agent, but he’s getting
a lot of interest from leagues above ours so it
looks unlikely at the moment, unless they weren’t
to sort things out. We’ve registered a lot
of interest, because he’s a good player, but
it’s out of our hands when it comes to bigger
clubs coming in.” said the Blues manager.
Davies has also hinted
that loan signings could feature next season as
he looks for a handful of players to supplement
the existing squad. A goalkeeper, central midfielders
and a central defender are on Davies’ shopping
list. He said: “We’re in no major rush,
we’ve got a good squad of players and we just
need to get two, three or four players around it.”
CARLING CUP The
draw for the first round of the Carling Cup will
take place on 10:00hrs on Friday 13 June. The first
round matches are to be played in the week commencing
11 August.
2 June 2008
LAST DAY FOR EARLY BIRD OFFER The
club ticket office will be open today between 10:00-16:00hrs
for supporters who wish to take advantage of the
Early Bird season ticket offer.
This is the last day of the offer which is equivalent
to five free games and free car park pass. This
can realise a saving of up to £125.00 (Car
park pass not available for under 16s).
Vaughan East Stand, Liversage West Stand and Harry
McNally Terrace
Adult £270.00 Concession* and Under 16 £180.00
*Concessions are pensioners at state pension age
and full time Students (on production of a valid
NUS card). •
Season
Ticket and Matchday prices 2008/09
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LATEST
NEWS |
AWAY TIE FOR REPLAY WINNERS Should Chester win their replay, they have been handed an away tie in the Fourth Round Qualifying of the FA Cup at Scarborough Athletic. |
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LAST
MATCH |
BLUES PROGRESS Harrison Burke finds the net as ten man Chester squeeze past Stockton Town to earn an away FA Cup tie at Scarborough Athletic. |
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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. |
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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 |
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