News from Deva Stadium May 2012

31 May 2012
LINWOOD RETURNS TO CHESTER
The Blues have completed the signing of former player Paul Linwood from Fleetwood Town. The defender made 22+0 appearances for the Conference champions last season. He previously played for the Blues beteen 2006-09 when he made 128+5 appearances, scoring five goals.

30 May 2012
DEFENDER COLLINS SIGNS
Chester have completed the signing of centre half Dominic Collins from Northwich Victoria on a one year deal. Manager Neil Young told the Chester Chronicle: “Dom played very well against us last season and I went to see him a few other times. But I think I learned more from the times when I watched Northwich when he wasn’t playing because, without being disrespectful, they were all over the place.”

“Dom is rapid and very quick and that’s an ingredient I don’t think we have. He’s still got work to do but I don’t think he could learn from better defenders than George Horan, Michael Taylor and now Paul Linwood too.”

29 May 2012
BROWN DEPARTS CHESTER

Midfielder Alex Brown has turned down a new contract at Chester and has left the club. The skilfull midfielder made 34+5 appearances for the Blues, scoring three goals including a stunning volley against Chorley. Brown was a joint winner of the Players Player of the Year award named last week.

Brown has stated that he wishes to play in the Conference next season and thanked the club saying: “I’d just like to say thanks to everyone at the club for the overwhelming support I’ve received and it’s been a pleasure and an honour to play for Chester FC. It was a very successful year and I’m sure the success will continue. For me I’ve been offered an opportunity I don’t want to pass up on and although I would have loved to have stayed, after deliberating long and hard I’ve decided to take on a new challenge.”

It appears another player, Christian Smith, has also decided not to take up a new contract offered to him, this is still to be confirmed.

Picture � Rick Matthews (Chester Leader)

TAYLOR SIGNS NEW CONTRACT
Central defender Michael Taylor has agreed a new one year contract at the club. On the back of an excellent season, Taylor picked up two awards last week, the Away Travel Player of the Year as well as sharing the Player’s Player award with Alex Brown. As well as Taylor, Ashley Williams, Levi Mackin and Marc Williams have also put pen to paper over new contracts for 2012/13.

27 May 2012
PROVISIONAL LEAGUE PLACINGS
The provisional list of teams competing in the Conference North next season has been released by the FA. This will be rubber stamped at the Conference AGM on 9 June. The teams Chester are likely to face next season therefore will be:

Altrincham
Bishop’s Stortford
Boston United
Brackley Town
Bradford Park Avenue
Colwyn Bay
Corby Town
Droylsden
FC Halifax Town
Gainsborough Trinity
Gloucester City
Guiseley
Harrogate Town
Hinckley United
Histon
Oxford City
Solihull Moors
Stalybridge Celtic
Vauxhall Motors
Worcester City
Workington

25 May 2012
ALFRETON STRIKER SIGNS
The club have completed the signing of 25-year-old forward Nathan Jarman from Alfreton Town. He scored 16 goals last season for the Conference Premier side and has previous Football League experience with Grimsby Town and Barnsley.

WRIGHT RELEASED
Chester have released Jerome Wright after one season at the club. The winger, signed last summer from FC United of Manchester made 19+6 appearances last season, scoring 2 goals. Also released have been Chris Simm, Matt Glennon and Matty McNeil.

Meanwhile Michael Wilde, Iain Howard, Alex Brown, Michael Taylor, Christian Smith and Robbie Booth are the currently considering new terms offered to them by manager Neil Young.

23 May 2012
WINGER SIGNS FROM HARRIERS
Neil Young has begun team building for next season and today signed 27-year-old Kidderminster Harriers right winger David Hankin.

SIMM IS FIRST TO BE RELEASED

Popular forward Chris Simm has been released by the club. The 27-year-old Wigan based player was the joint top scorer last season, with Matty McGinn, and finished the season in style with a great hat-trick against Marine, the only Chester player to notch a treble last season.

Manager Neil Young said: “Chris Simm has been a good servant for Chester and he is a great lad both on the pitch and in the dressing room.”

“I know how much he loves his football and how well he played for the team last season – and that was underlined by the number of goals he scored in our title-winning campaign. But I couldn’t guarantee Chris a regular place in next season’s starting line-up and I had to be respectful by telling him that.”

Simm was disappointed by the decision to let home go, he told the Chester Leader: He said: “Neil Young told me there was nothing there for me and to say I was shocked by what he said is an understatement.”

“I thought I’d done well enough to stay at the club and I think he knew I’d say no if I was offered non-contract terms because I’ve got a young family to provide for. I’m disappointed because I think Neil has left me in the lurch after I have helped the club win the league title and finish the season as joint top goalscorer.

“I know I missed a big chunk of last season because of an injury to my wrist, but I have been loyal and I now feel I am in my prime. Something special was happening at Chester and I wanted to be a part of that.

“I knew after speaking to people at the weekend presentation evening that Neil had already spoken to some players, so I thought I was okay. It’s sad to leave Chester, but the decision wasn’t mine, it was Neil’s, and I’ve now got to start again from scratch.”

Picture © Rick Matthews (Chester Leader)

20 May 2012
PETER SWALES SHIELD
Chester will host North Ferriby United for the Peter Swales Shield on Saturday 4 August. The traditional match is now played between the champions of the NPL Premier Division and the winners of the League Challenge Cup (Doodston Sports Cup). The Shield has been contested since 1971-72 when Wigan Athletic were the winners, it is currently held by FC Halifax Town.

16 May 2012
RETAINED LIST
Manager Neil Young will wait until after this weekend’s CFU end of season presentation night at Chester Racecourse before naming his retained list for next season.

Young told the Chester Leader: “We also won’t be making any rash decisions over the bringing in of players. We’ll be taking our time to make sure we get the right ones. Likewise we won’t be held to ransom on wages. We believe we pay a very competitive wage and we’ll continue to do that.”

“We do need to bring players in, but we have the majority and the core already here. While a lot of lads are out of contract in the summer I will talk to players.”

“A big thing for the lads at Chester is that they want to play football and I wouldn’t stop anyone from playing football. I am always honest with my players. I won’t be turning anyone away, but when I do sit down and have a chat with them then personal circumstances may dictate from their side.”

“I will just be fair and honest with the players and they’ll make the decision which is best for them, and I’ll make a decision which I believe is best for Chester Football Club. Hopefully we can move on.”

The new Conference North season kick’s-off on Saturday 18 August.

15 May 2012
BENEFIT MATCH SUCCESS
A great crowd of 1,731 turned out for the Ciaran Geddes memorial match on Sunday and help raise over £10,000 for the British Heart Foundation. A minute’s applause was held for former Junior Blue Ciaran before kick-off as the two teams, the current Chester squad and those of the 2004 Conference championship side with guests, played out an entertaing game that ended, Chester 6 Chester City 4 the 2012 squad winning with late goals from Iain Howard and Levi Mackin. The sides wore especially made shirts for the occasion which were auctioned off in the Blues Bar after the match.

Meanwhile two local companies ZOLL Medical and G4S donated defibrillators to Ciaran’s school and Junior football team in Warrington.

• Granada TV report with video

Pictures © Rick Matthews (Chester Leader)

9 May 2012
CIARAN GEDDES BENEFIT MATCH

Former favourite Ryan Lowe will be one of the players returning to Chester to play in the Ciaran Geddes benefit match on Sunday. The midfielder, who tasted League One promotion success with Sheffield Wednesday at the weekend will join a number of former players from the 2004 Conference Championship side, as well as other guest players, in a match against the current Chester side, kick-off 13:00hrs.

The 2004 side will be managed by Paul Carden and Wayne Brown, and those giving their time to play include: Kevin McIntyre, Phil Bolland, Carl Ruffer, Jamie Heard, Michael Twiss, Daryl Clare, Sean Hessey, Jimmy Kelly, Kevin Ellison, Eddie Bishop, Chris Lightfoot, Jimmy Haarhoff, Billy Stewart as well as comedians John Bishop and Jason Manford.

Admission to this unique occasion is £5.00 for adults and concessions, and £1.00 for accompanied children. Donations can also be made on the day, and there will be an auction of the Chester City players specially commisioned shirts in the Blues Bar after the match. Proceeds from the occasion will be going to the purchase of Defibrillator packs for Ciaran’s school and Junior team, as well as the British Heart Foundation.

If you can’t make the match but would like to place a bid for one of the shirts, please email your bid to media@chesterfc.com by 12.00 on Saturday then your bid will b eincluded in the auction.

6 May 2012
AVENUE JOIN BLUES
Bradford Park Avenue will join Chester in the Conference North next season after they defeated FC United of Manchester 1-0 in today’s Northern Premier League play-off final with the goal coming in the last minute of extra time.

2 May 2012
PRE SEASON FRIENDLIES
The club have announced two more pre-season friendlies. A match against a Liverpool X1 will replace the home game originally scheduled against Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday 25 July while Conference champions Fleetwood Town will come to Chester on Tuesday 7 August.

Jul 15

AFC Fylde

(A)

Jul 17

Southport

(H)

Jul 21

Kilmarnock

(H)

Jul 25

Liverpool X1

(H)

Jul 31

Airbus UK Broughton

(A)

Aug 4

North Ferriby United

(H)

Peter Swales Charity Shield

Aug 7

Fleetwood Town

(H)

1 May 2012
CIVIC RECEPTION
Hundreds of supporters turned out to see the team parade the Northern Premier League trophy with the open top bus parade from the ground to the Town Hall. Here the team and officials were met by the Lord Mayor of Chester, Eleanor Johnson as well as other council officials.

Pictures © Rick Matthews (Chester Leader)

• More pictures from the day

NEW TEAM PICTURES
Two new team pictures with the players, officials, and the Northern Premier League Trophy were taken recently prior to the but parade and civic reception.

Webmaster |

Back | Top