November 2010 Archives

Ask any northerner where the best football is played - in the North or the South - and anyone born north of the Watford Gap will come up with only one answer. But are we all right?

I went along to Leatherhead's Fetcham Grove ground on Tuesday to put my instincts to the test.

Leatherhead, known as the Tanners, are currently top of the Ryman Div 1 South - the Southern equivalent of the Evostik Div 1 North. So it was a good comparison of 'like v like'.

It's taken a while to get used to the feeling of sitting atop any league, but what a great sensation it is!

And the moment Chester rose to the top of the Evostik North couldn't have been any better for me - as I had picked the away match at Cammell Laird as one of my pilgrimages from the land of the Exiles.

This was my second full away match supporting the new club and there's no comparison between watching Chester in the Evostik North than the sorry, old club in the Conference. This is a lot more fun!

Neil Young has made signing a new goalkeeper an immediate priority after Richard Whiteside was injured in the win that took the Blues to the top of the First Division North.

Chester's number one limped off late on in yesterday's thrilling derby victory at Cammell Laird and, with Chris Oldfield having controversially departed to Darlington, Young is currently without a keeper for Tuesday's Evo-Stik League Challenge Cup clash at Newcastle Town (7.45pm).

Young, who has reported Darlington to the FA for making an alleged illegal approach for Oldfield, said: "People may have questioned why we are pursuing Darlington - but they will know why now.

"Goalkeeper is the hardest position to fill and, as we can only offer a second goalkeeper's position, we're not a massive draw. So what we've got to do is find a good young kid like Chris.

"Hopefully Richard will be fit for the weekend, but I've got to get a keeper on loan for at least a month, just to cover in case he's out for longer."