Hooked on supporting Chester City

MY name is Stan, and I am a Chester City supporter.

I use as often as I can although I am thankful that I live 200 miles from the supply. I would like to think that I am a recovering Chester City supporter but like all addicts I know in my heart of hearts I am deluding myself. I just have to take it a day at a time.

Yes, it has damaged my work and personal life and friends and family have been affected too. There are a few highs, but far, far more lows. Often when people try to get me to talk about it I can be resentful and aggressive.

It sounds shocking, but I was introduced to the addiction by my father - and talking to fellow sufferers this is quite common. It started slowly - initially just by limited exposure to The Chester Chronicle that was delivered each week - sent by a 'so-called friend', under plain wrapper, down to us in London. In those days this was the only way of getting tempting sense of the hard stuff - match reports, team news and speculation about the latest imminent new wonder signing.

There is a wonderful organisation that I would recommend to any fellow addicts out there - the Chester City Exiles meet regularly for self help and mutual support. It makes it much easier to know that you are not the only one.