October 2009 Archives

The economic forecasters keep saying that Britain has reached the trough of the recession and is to climb out. Well I'm now wondering if the same is true of Chester City - has it reached the low point with the only way being up?

When last night's 4-0 defeat sank in, I honestly don't think I have ever felt so low about my team since they were relegated to the Conference back in the Terry Smith era.

Is everyone else feeling as low as I am this week about our beloved football club?

We've seen the club flick from one disaster to another recently, and the latest one was on Tuesday night in the FA Cup, when hopes of reaching not only the first round, but second round also, were blown to pieces by Barrow - ironically, the club, Stephen Vaughan dragged into liquidation.

It must have been sweet revenge for all those from Barrow on Tuesday night, and nobody can deny that they certainly got the game by the scruff of the neck in the second half, and as soon as the first goal went in, there was never going to be any other outcome than a Barrow win.

I certainly didn't feel at 9.14pm when the game was awaiting its first goal that we would be sitting there four minutes later with us being 3-0 down, and of course worse to follow, as O2 made a packet out of me texting friends not at the game the latest score!

We've all experienced some bad times in the past 20 years, but there is no doubting that this is the lowest point in the club's history, with everyone unsure if we will make the 125th anniversary of Chester City Football Club next year. If we don't, then it's a travesty.

Plan A is more like Plan Z right now, as the club lurches from one crisis to the next, with the fans being told one week that the creditors have been paid, only to then hear the following week that we haven't actually paid them, and we are being threatened with expulsion from the League we fought so hard to get out of 5 years ago.

It's clear to see that the decision to defer to November 16th, was agreed based on the fact that City would have had gate money from the Barrow match, as well as the Eastleigh game should City have made it through to the 2nd Round, it would also have taken into account the potential for a 2nd Round draw to a bigger side, meaning more money coming in via gate receipts - that though is now all non existent thanks to the thumping dished out by Barrow.

Sadly, after the other night, I have spoken to so many people who are simply refusing to return to the Deva until the current regime is gone, and sadly, that could mean they never get the chance to see Chester City in action again.

After the match the other night, I sat there thinking about past times, when City were up against it, the match at Stoke where Chester had to win & did, with the late & great Harry McNally quoted as saying "If we go down with 53 points, I'll cut my own throat", or the time when we played our last match at Sealand Road thanks to Eric Barnes, and sitting on the pitch singing "We shall not be moved" after beating Rotherham 2-0, or even the times at Moss Rose where we played for 2 years, how agonising it was to begin a bus journey at 12.30pm from the old ground, travelling a round trip of 90 miles, watching the game, and returning on the bus back to the old ground at 7pm - all for a home game.

It was hard, but we did it, and did it with pride - those at the club were still battling for it's survival - and that is where the current regime differs - the fight to keep the club up was non existent last season, and it appears this season too, and only a desire to drag things out as long as possible for their own benefit seems to be the order of the day.

The Conference will of course make their own minds up on November 16th, along with the Football League, and Chester City's future will be determined by a select few.

Talk recently has been of course about a phoenix club starting up, well that is the last thing we all want to see, we want the history of Chester City FC to continue - just with new owners.

How refreshing it is to be starting this week's Blog with a win to talk about!

Before the season, a double over Gateshead would have been pretty much expected, however arrogant that sounds, anything less would have been seen as a failure on the part of Chester City.

However, since the belated start of our season, expectations of wins have gone out of the window, with us more hoping we'll take 3 points rather than expecting to.

The doubts did creep in on Thursday prior to Saturday's game, when Daryl Clare signed for Geordie boys, but thankfully he allegedly signed an agreement to not score against City for his new club - nice touch that DC!

So, Jimmy Harvey managed to get off the mark with a win, which coincided with his return to the dugout. I did have to laugh when Shane from Dee 106 told me last week that Harvey was indeed banned from the touchline, great hey, a new manager, who can't really manage on the day!

Now that we've managed to make it Lucky Seven on the away trips, let's hope that we can clinch back to back league (or non league) wins for the first time since 1947, and we can see off AFC Wimbledon on October 31st - maybe the witches will arrive early and turn the Deva into a cauldron of noise in the afternoon!

It's the FA Cup to look forward to next weekend, and despite us not being in the First round just yet, it still brings back memories of the Cup matches we've had down the years - I don't care what anyone says, the magic of the FA Cup is still there - maybe not with the big teams, but for us it is.

Remember those days where we reached the 4th Round, and after beating Wrexham in the snow in their own back yard, we played Sheffield Wednesday at Sealand Road - i remember the place went made when John Kelly stuck one away in the 7th minute - dreams of Wembley started to increase, but then Lee Chapman got the Owls back on level terms - although I'm still convinced it was a foul!

What about the time when we saw Bradford & Hull off, and the prize was a ruddy trip to Plymouth, that was a day and a half, all the way down on the coach, being stuck on the away end, with it chucking it down, losing to a 84th minute goal, then being kept in the ground for 20 minutes after the final whistle, to then being taken on a trek through the Argyle stand just to get back to our own coach.

Having got back on it, most people were portraying the image of a human sponge, and I remember quite a few of us just sat there with boxers on, having whipped the soaking wet jeans off - and then a nice 6 hour journey home - they were the days hey??

Let's hope City can get the win we all badly want up at Barrow, it will certainly be an interesting day for our owner that's for sure.

It's a huge week this week too for City Fans United, as firstly, the Chester City ISA meet tomorrow night to vote on whether to become part of the CFU along with the Supporters Trust, who have already voted in favour of that, then Thursday night, sees the formal launch of the CFU at Divas Show Bar on Station Road (8pm ko), when hopefully they'll be a great turnout for what we hope will be a great Supporters Group, and one that will have a say in the future running of Chester City FC.

In recent weeks, I've been working on contacting ex-Blues to appear on the Legends Night in December, and I'll reveal some of the names hoping to come along on December 3rd, and there are some belters in there!

That's it for now, so City boys, go and get that win in Barrow, so we can be part of the First Round Draw, when who knows, we could end up drawing Wrexham if they are lucky enough to get past FC Halifax - come on the Shaymen!

This time last week I said that for this blog to be more uplifting I needed Chester to get three points against Rushden as well as a decent draw in the 4th qualifying round of the FA Cup. Well, you know what's coming next.....

First Chester lost at home to Rushden and had two players sent off. Then Lady luck didn't bring them a good cup draw either - a tie away at Barrow does not exactly fire my imagination.

So, another week in the life of a Chester fan passes by, a no score draw against nine men, a newspaper report claiming that we have six weeks to live, another Manager installed at the Deva, and the worst thing of all....I've got that killer bug, known as Man Flu.

So, I'm drugged up to the eye balls with Lemsips & Beechams typing this blog, so please forgive me if this blog goes off at a tangent somewhere, and I start singing songs by The Doors!

So, Jimmy Harvey is the latest man to sit on the much used ejection seat inside the Managers office at the Deva Stadium, it's just got to be like that one in Austin Powers that Doctor Evil uses - it's been tipped up that much recently, the hinges are starting to get a little bit stressed, a bit like your average Chester fan, although I think we're a bit further down the stress line don't you?

Back on subject, I hope that Jimmy Harvey does well in the hot seat, it's clearly a poisoned chalice, but I hope he can make good of it, though recent history at the club suggests otherwise.

So the Blues then failed to see off the nine men of Hayes & Yeading last saturday, and that evoked memories of the late Derek Mann's nine men of 1995, where City famously pulled a draw from the jaws of a potential drubbing, on a drama filled night at the Racecourse in that place up the A483.

What a night that was, Gary Bennett, who I used to idolise both at Sealand Road & Moss Rose (and of course later at the Deva), in the side for the Goats, and having a penalty saved by Dave Felgate (**** tash as he used to get called by the opposing supporters when taking a goal kick), then "Eddie Eddie Eddie" Bishop put us one up from the spot to send us joyous Blues mad in the away end.

It was of course all to change later in the half as City then managed to end up 2-1 down just 15 minutes later, and thanks to some appaling refereeing at the Racecourse - hmmm, now there's an unusual thing as far as derby games go - we ended up having not one, but two players sent off before the break, and the language was pretty choice from the stands after that one minute of lunacy from the ref.

So, we expected a barrage in the second half, but the Chester lads kept on fighting to the end, to stop it being a humiliating night for us Blues fans, but then they surpassed everyones expectations, and most especially Andy Milner, who levelled things up late on after a great solo run!

Even then, the Wrexham thought they'd won it with Bennett scoring in the last minute, but an obvious foul on Felgate was spotted (amazingly) by the linesman (ahh that would explain it) and City held on to gain an unlikely draw - a moral victory for the Blues.

All that proved that you should never give up on Chester City, and as low as we are at the moment, we, the fans, can save Chester City Football Club.

It's going to be a hard slog, but we can do it, I want my old club back, the one where I used to get so revved up for on matchdays, singing songs til I was blue in the face, and getting behind the lads from start to finish.

Many fans have fallen out of love with the club (and in particular it's owners), but one day we will get Chester City that we all knew & loved, back.

One day.

Now where's them Lemsip's again!

How ironic that my last blog talked about being prepared to watch football at a much lower level than current expectations as I watched a match (Leatherhead v Lewes) amongst a crowd of around 300 spectators.

I should've realised that I'd actually only have a few days to wait before watching Chester with just 350 other fans.

What a seven days hey?

Last Friday I was busy looking forward (if you can call it that) to a humiliating defeat at Wrexham, and amazingly the players put in a battling show rather than a display of shexhy football, but gave all they could bar the odd miss or two, and went back down the A483 with a point, a bonus really as I thought we'd get a hammering!

The banter between both sets of fans INSIDE the ground was pretty good too, it's the one away game where everyone really lets their hair down, and even though we had half the support compared to our last trip there, we certainly made a hell of a noise in the away end / home end, whatever they want to call it!

Had Gregg Blundell had his shooting boots on we could have stole the points, and maybe if the referee hadn't blown up like an annoying car alarm when Nick Chadwick scored a clearly legimate goal - even Sgorio on S4C showed it to be a legal challenge - and yes I did check their subtitles, they glossed over it so much, even the great Rolf Harris would have been proud!

To have been robbed of a goal there is no surprise, we've been done many times before on their patch, but I must admit I was shocked at how poor Wrexham were - I'll end the derby report on that happy note!

Then on Tuesday, just when we all thought it safe to expect a City win against Forest Green, you could see the tumbleweed flying past the Deva as the Blues failed to turn up in what must go down as one of the worst 45 minutes ever witnessed at the Deva Stadium - I turned to my niece who I'd brought down for the first time and told her that I'd be bringing her for the next 30 years so she could taste the pain for herself!!

Even the post match interview with Mick Wadsworth went disastrously, with the wife ringing my mobile not once, but twice, whilst in the middle of questioning him - ah well, I guess it doesn't matter a jot now, but little did I know I'd get the last interview with him prior to his sacking.

That alone made my blood boil on Wednesday morning, we all know who should be walking out the doors of the Deva, and it isn't Mick Wadsworth - one man has made countless wrong decisions when it comes to appointing managers, and he has to take full responsibility in this respect. 11 Managers sacked in 7 years?

It's about time the decks were cleared at the Deva, which used to house such a great little club, and yes, we know our place, we are a little club, however, we were once a proud club, we are no longer, and haven't been for a good 2 or 3 years now.

It's time for a change, and I don't mean another Manager change - the Vaughan Family have to leave the Deva for the good of the club.

Our club.

To see the demise of this club recently is truly heartbreaking, and many more will join the exodus of the masses as the Vaughan's continue to put their own wishes above the club & it's supporters.