The best thing about relegation to the Conference is... the unification of the fans' groups!

By Chester City Supports Trust on Sep 24, 09 03:35 PM in

As current Chair of Chester City Supporters Trust, my main objective whilst in the role is to see the introduction of a single fans group at our football club.

The Trust made it one of their objectives at recent Special and Annual General Meetings and, strangely enough, it's the fans' great disappointment and sense of loss following relegation out of the league which looks like making it happen!

Following on from a number of Non-League Show interviews and a members' meeting earlier this year, the Trust Board has been overwhelmed by the amount of support it has received from everyday Chester City fans looking for a glimmer of light - from anywhere.

Some fans are so unhappy with the running of the football club that they have openly declared that they do not intend to pass through the Deva turnstiles again until Mr Vaughan has left the club.

Each and every fan is entitled to their views and opinions on the current owner but it seems such a shame to have lifelong fans brought to their knees with the continual disappointment from within the football club - and that's without the below-par performances on the pitch.

Well, the glimmer of hope seems to be shining somewhere - if we all look hard enough for it. Yes, it's City Fans United (CFU)! This group is born from a merger of the two largest fans' groups - Chester City Supporters Trust and the Chester City Independent Supporters Association.

The Official Supporters Group, chaired by Barrie Hipkiss, and the Chester City Exiles, chaired by Pauline Meakins, both of whom are avid well-known Blues fans, have openly declared their support of City Fans United. Both Officials and Exiles are very much hoping to be involved in the fundraising and promotion of CFU in the future - a very welcome pledge indeed.

The fans' groups were rightly criticised for not having a Plan B in the event of our football club's possible non-existence due to financial problems but, with your co-operation, City Fans United hopes to be able to be able to restore some of the lost sense of pride in our club.

It hopes to push itself into the local community and possibly re-awaken the feelings of the "lost" fans and rekindle the desire to follow the Blues, as well as build up a reserve fund for possible purchase of the football club in the future. The idea of a club owned by its fans has worked elsewhere - why not here in our city?

Plans are well in place for an official launch of City Fans United on 22 October 2009 where all fans will be able to become members of THEIR fans' group.

Existing paid-up members of the Trust and ISA will automatically become members of CFU.

A number of initiatives are being put in place to allow fans to have their say in the running of their group including putting themselves forward for sitting on the presiding committee of CFU as the current Trust and ISA Board will be standing down to allow new faces and thoughts to take the group forward, thus ensuring the total transparency of your new group.

The youngsters will be very much involved in City Fans United as we aim to introduce the Junior Blues programme into our membership. More about this will be promoted in the coming weeks along with a Chester City Legends Night where fans can freely mix with the heroes of our past and have commemorative photographs taken with their all-time favourites.

If you want to find out more, offer your services or even put yourself forward for the new committee please register your title, name and address, contact telephone number, and email address at register@cityfansunited.com

For those fans wishing to write in with details please send to City Fans United, PO Box 3170, Chester CH4 8WP.

Don't forget, at the fans open meeting convened by the fans groups and held on 13 August 2009, just under 200 of you declared your support for this to happen. Please help us to make it work - strength in numbers!