January 2010 Archives

It was like a typical matchday - royal blue Chester scarf around my neck, Exiles banner in my bag and camera at the ready in case of an unmissable photo opportunity. But this matchday was a bit different from the norm, as I was off to the High Court in the Strand to witness the potential winding-up of a once-proud football club.

Security was tight at the High Court - the banner and camera had to be x-rayed - but I got clearance and headed off through a maze of buildings to find Court 55 on the fourth floor of the Thomas More Building.

How many twists and turns can one football club's supporters take?

Chester fans have been well and truly put through the mill in the last two decades, and any hopes that the 'tens would be any better than the Noughties & the Nineties have already been thrown into doubt following the latest crisis that has seen the entire playing squad fail to be paid for two months - and who can blame them walking into other clubs after such a dismal offering from the current owner(s) of Chester City, who have decided that they do not want to pay anyone without a surname called "Vaughan", and are happy to see young professional players struggle with their finances, and be in a position where their mortgages won't get paid, and possibly result in houses being repossessed thanks to non payment.

Remember though, the Vaughan Family have Chester City's best interests at heart.

Jim Harvey, who has done such a great job in shocking circumstances, in keeping the squad together up to this point, must be wondering what on earth he must have done to deserve this from the Vaughan family, who were seeking him out prior to the end of Mick Wadsworth's short stint as Blues manager, who remember said he had not experienced anything like this at any other football club. All the false promises made to Harvey, getting new players in - well we did see Mark Beesley return on loan of course - and who else? Errrm?

If that wasn't bad enough, in comes Morell Maison, who disrupts the team half an hour before the Boxing Day fixture after being announced as Director of Football, which anyone of us with an ounce of sense knows that this is always the killer blow for any Manager's hopes of staying in the hot seat. How many managers can you remember who avoided being replaced by Director's of Football? Then came the revelation that he was looking to bring in two players from Mansfield, without consulting team manager Harvey on the players, and this after claiming he would not be involved in team affairs.

Remember though, the Vaughan Family have Chester City's best interests at heart.

The club also recently had their capacity of the Deva Stadium reduced yet again, after failing to ensure that crush barriers were tested, meaning that the Harry McNally Terrace would no longer be open to home fans, what a tragic insult to the late, and great, Harry McNally. A stand named after the legend himself, yet the current ownership refuse to maintain the home end, imagine the scene at Sealand Road (RIP) if all of a sudden they said they were going to close the home end to home fans, there would have been riots.

The CCTV is not up to standard at the ground, no wonder, if it was, it would probably record the soul being ripped out of the club in the last few years, certainly since the Vaughan family went on a campaign to drag the club down to it's lowest ebb.

Remember though, the Vaughan Family have Chester City's best interests at heart.

This season, we've had attendances plummeting quicker than the temperature gauges around the area of Chester, and many have now most definitely had enough, with the arrival of a person who's last involvement in football was to send a club into Administration. The happiest people at the arrival of Morell Maison will surely be the Halesowen Town fans, who must be relieved that he has ended up at another club other than their own again, after racking up debts at a previous debt free club. Is that what the surely relatively short future of Chester City FC has in store for it?

Maybe, but let's remember, the Vaughan Family have Chester City's best interests at heart.

It's been a real busy time recently as far as my involvement with CFU goes, and I've been pleased that we finally seem to have burst through onto the media scene, with appearances on BBC1, The BBC's Non League Show, and BBC Radio Merseyside, which can only bode well for the group, added to the fact that we have a strong relationship developing with the local press. It's been pleasing to see the membership head towards 500, and this needs to continue upwards, but what is also great is hearing that the CFU Junior Blues are approaching 100 members, a fantastic figure, and one that the JB's Commitee deserve a hell of a lot of credit for.

Remember, City Fans United do have Chester City's best interests at heart, and are showing it, unlike the Vaughan Family.

Until next time.