This week we take a look at the whereabouts of three players signed by Mark Wright in the second half of last season together with a player from Chester’s relegation year.

Liverpool-born Brian McGorry was an industrious midfielder who made his Football League debut with Bournemouth in 1991 having previously played non-league football with Chorley and Weymouth. He was leading scorer at Bournemouth in 1992/93 and went on to play for Peterborough United, Wycombe Wanderers, Cardiff City, Hereford United and Torquay United. In 2000 Brian dropped down to the Conference with Telford United before moving on to Southport. He was one of Mark Wright’s first Chester signings and made his debut in the 3-0 victory at his former club Telford. Away from the game Brian is a personal fitness trainer and after he was released by Chester he signed for Dr Martens Premier League side Tamworth. The Midlands team are currently going great guns at the top of the Dr Martens league, thanks in part to the goals scored by former City winger Tony Hemmings. An exciting player on his day, Tony made 19 appearances for Chester in the relegation season, scoring two goals including a brilliant effort in the 5-0 hammering of Mansfield Town. Following Chester’s relegation in 2000 Tony re-joined Ian Atkins at perennial strugglers Carlisle United before dropping into non-league football with Ilkeston Town. Tony really hit form at Ilkeston and started to find the back of the net with increasing regularity prompting Tamworth to pay £7,500 for his services exactly twelve months ago. As well as scoring his fair share of league goals Tony also chipped in with a hat-trick against Accrington Stanley in the Second Round of the FA Trophy earlier this season.

By coincidence former Irish schoolboy international Michael McElhatton also started his Football League career at Bournemouth, the season after Brian McGorry. Michael progressed through the youth ranks at Dean Court and made 42 appearances for Bournemouth before joining Scarborough in September 1996. Two years later Michael was on the move to ambitious Rushden and Diamonds and was leading scorer in 1999/2000 before a serious knee injury, in February, brought an abrupt end to his season. It was almost two years before he returned to the Rushden first team and in February 2002 Michael joined Chester on loan in order to improve his match fitness. He made his City debut at Nuneaton in the same game as Shaun Carey (also ex-Rushden) and Mark Williams. In the nine games that Michael played for Chester most people will remember him for his two superbly taken goals in the 4-0 victory at Stalybridge Celtic. Sadly his last game for Chester, the 2-0 win at Forest Green Rovers, also proved to be his final first team match as he was forced into premature retirement earlier this season because of persistent knee problems. In November Rushden held a benefit match for Michael when a Decade of Diamonds X1 met a Showbiz X1, one of a number of functions arranged to help the popular midfielder. Meanwhile Michael has now returned to Bournemouth where he is following a career in the building trade.