Chester Football Club is an
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
club based in
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
. They are currently members of and play at the
Deva Stadium
Deva Stadium is an association football stadium which is the home of Chester F.C., the effective successor club to the liquidated Chester City. The stadium straddles the England-Wales border at Sealand, on the outskirts of Chester.
The stad ...
.
The club was founded in 2010 following the
liquidation
Liquidation is the process in accounting by which a company is brought to an end in Canada, United Kingdom, United States, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, and many other countries. The assets and property of the company are redistrib ...
of
Chester City.
In its inaugural season it competed in
Division One North of the Northern Premier League, following a successful appeal to
the Football Association
The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the Sports governing body, governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the ...
against its initial placement in the
North West Counties League
The North West Counties Football League is a football league in the North West of England. Since 2019–20, the league has covered the Isle of Man, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Cumbria, northern Staffordshire, northern S ...
. After winning this division, it then won the
Northern League Premier Division in 2011–12 and the
Conference North in 2012–13. Chester returned to the
National League North
The National League North, formerly Conference North, is a division of the National League in England, immediately below the National League division. Along with the National League South, it is at the second level of the National League Sy ...
following relegation in
2017–18.
History
Background and formation
The
original Chester FC was founded in 1885 and joined the
Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
before the
1931–32 season.
They changed their name to Chester City in 1983.
They were members of the Football League, predominantly in its fourth tier but occasionally in its third tier, until 2000 when the club was relegated to the
Football Conference
The National League (named Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league in England consisting of three divisions, the National League, National League North, and National League South. It was called the ...
. They returned to the Football League after winning the Conference title in
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
. Following relegation back to the Conference in 2009, the club hit financial difficulties. These financial difficulties led to the season starting with a 25-point deduction, following the
Inland Revenue
The Inland Revenue was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government responsible for the collection of direct taxation, including income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporation ta ...
overturning a proposed
CVA. Chester City were eventually wound up on 10 March 2010.
City Fans United (CFU) had been formed in October 2009, following growing disquiet among fans with the running of Chester City, who at that point were already in deep financial trouble. Only a month after the official formation of CFU, fans staged an on-pitch protest about Chester City's ownership, leading to the abandonment of the game against
Eastbourne Borough at a point when Chester were leading 3–2. Following a vote of its membership, CFU in January 2010 called for a boycott of Chester City, after the dismissal of the then manager
Jim Harvey
James Harvey (born 2 May 1958) is a Northern Irish football manager and former player.
Playing career
As a player, Harvey began his career at Glenavon in his hometown of Lurgan, before joining Arsenal in 1977. He made only three Football L ...
, which led to CFU expressing its "disappointment, shock, and anger" at the decision. The group then began preparations in February 2010 to form a
phoenix club
The Phoenix Building and Cincinnati Club are two historic buildings in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. The membership of these two clubs was chiefly Jewish.
Located at 812 Race Street, the Phoenix Building was constructed in 1893, desi ...
for the following season just weeks before Chester City FC was wound up.
Following the official winding up of Chester City in March 2010, a ballot was held to choose the name for the new club. Over 1,000 people participated in the ballot and 70% voted for the name Chester FC, which had been the old club's name for its first 98 years. The club received the support of
Cheshire West and Chester
Cheshire West and Chester is a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It was established on 1 April 2009 as part of the 2009 str ...
Council, which granted the lease of the
Deva Stadium
Deva Stadium is an association football stadium which is the home of Chester F.C., the effective successor club to the liquidated Chester City. The stadium straddles the England-Wales border at Sealand, on the outskirts of Chester.
The stad ...
(subsequently renamed the Exacta Stadium as part of a sponsorship arrangement), Chester City's former ground, to Chester FC in May 2010.
Chester FC started competing in the
2010–11 season. The FA initially recommended that they should be placed in the
North West Counties Football League
The North West Counties Football League is a football league in the North West of England. Since 2019–20, the league has covered the Isle of Man, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Cumbria, northern Staffordshire, northern S ...
Premier Division, a decision that the club appealed against. On 18 June 2010, the FA made a statement saying that Chester would instead be placed a step higher and would play in the
Northern Premier League Division One North
The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Division ...
, the 8th tier of the
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for men's association football clubs in England, with five teams from Wales, one from Guernsey, one from Jersey and one from the Isl ...
.
Neil Young (2010–2014)
The club was formally relaunched on 20 May 2010, when Neil Young and
Gary Jones were announced as the first manager and assistant of the club. A pre-season friendly played at
Colwyn Bay
Colwyn Bay ( cy, Bae Colwyn) is a town, community and seaside resort in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales overlooking the Irish Sea. It lies within the historic county of Denbighshire. Eight neighbouring communities are incorpo ...
on 10 July 2010 was the first fixture for the new club, the match resulting in a 2–1 victory for Colwyn Bay. The team's first home friendly was played against
Aberystwyth Town
Aberystwyth Town Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-Droed Tref Aberystwyth) is a Welsh semi-professional Association football, football team, currently playing in the Cymru Premier, the top tier of football in Wales. They are the only top flight men ...
, which the Blues won 3–0.
The club's first league match was on 24 August 2010, away at
Warrington Town. Rob Hopley scored the first ever goal for the club in the 6th minute, but the game ended in a 1–1 draw.
Chester played their first home game against
Trafford
Trafford is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England, with an estimated population of 235,493 in 2017. It covers Retrieved on 13 December 2007. and includes the area of Old Trafford and the towns of Altrincham, Stretford, Ur ...
and won 6–0, Michael Wilde scoring a hat-trick.
In September, Chester lost their first game after a 2–1 home defeat to
Chorley
Chorley is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Chorley in Lancashire, England, north of Wigan, south west of Blackburn, north west of Bolton, south of Preston and north west of Manchester. The town's wealth came pr ...
.
Chester went top of their division for the first time following a 2–1 win at
Cammell Laird
Cammell Laird is a British shipbuilding company. It was formed from the merger of Laird Brothers of Birkenhead and Johnson Cammell & Co of Sheffield at the turn of the twentieth century. The company also built railway rolling stock until 1929, ...
in October,
before equalling their record win when they beat
Ossett Albion
Ossett Albion Association Football Club was an English football club. They played at Queen's Terrace in Ossett, in West Yorkshire, more commonly known as Dimplewells, the area of Ossett the ground is situated in.
History
The club was formed in ...
6–0 in January 2011, and recording their ninth consecutive away win at Trafford in the same month.
Chester were ineligible to compete in either the
FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after the English Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams. The compet ...
and
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
during their inaugural season due to FA rules requiring a minimum of one season of prior football before playing in the Trophy, and two years before playing in the Cup. After their win at promotion rivals
Skelmersdale
Skelmersdale is a town in Lancashire, England, on the River Tawd, west of Wigan, northeast of Liverpool and southwest of Preston. In 2006, it had a population of 38,813. The town is known locally as Skem .
While the first record of the tow ...
in March, the Blues went 12 points clear at the top of the league,
but a number of draws and defeats led to this margin being cut to just a single point by 16 April.
Second-placed Skelmersdale then dropped points, to leave Chester three points clear with one remaining game, and a goal difference eight ahead of their chasing rivals.
In a wild finale to the season, Chester were promoted by only a single point of goal difference, as the Blues went down to a shock 2–1 defeat at
Garforth Town
Garforth Town Association Football Club is a association football, football club based in Garforth, West Yorkshire, England. They are members of the and play at Wheatley Park.
History
The club was established in 1964 as Miners Arms, a Sunday ...
, while Skelmersdale thrashed
Ossett Albion
Ossett Albion Association Football Club was an English football club. They played at Queen's Terrace in Ossett, in West Yorkshire, more commonly known as Dimplewells, the area of Ossett the ground is situated in.
History
The club was formed in ...
7–2, with two goals from Ossett striker Danny Toronczak the difference between promotion and the playoffs for Chester.
Following Chester's promotion to the
NPL Premier Division, form was initially variable, with two losses in their first six league fixtures. However, form, particularly defensively, improved greatly, with no goals conceded in September, and the 1–0 win against
Chasetown
Chasetown is a village in the town of Burntwood in Staffordshire, England. It is split between the civil parishes of Burntwood and Hammerwich.
History
Chasetown developed in the mid 19th century as a coal mining village. At first the village wa ...
was their seventh successive clean sheet in the league. This run ended after a 1–1 draw away at
Buxton
Buxton is a spa town in the Borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, England. It is England's highest market town, sited at some above sea level. in the next match, but only after they established a new Chester City/Chester FC record of 781 minutes without conceding across eight games in all competitions. Chester's form was strong through November and December, with a run of five consecutive victories, resulting in Chester going top of the table after the 1–0 win against
Ashton United, a position the club held at the end of the year, finishing 2011 with a stormy 1–1 draw at second placed
Northwich Victoria
{{Infobox UK place
, static_image_name = Northwich - Town Bridge.jpg
, static_image_caption = Town Bridge, the River Weaver and the spire of Holy Trinity Church
, official_name = Northwich
, country ...
, a game that saw three dismissals.
They were not to be caught again in the league during the season. During the calendar year 2011, Chester were unbeaten in home league fixtures. Chester's last loss of the season came in their 2–1 home defeat to Hednesford on 21 January. After that point, the team went on a 16-match unbeaten run, including a period of eight consecutive victories encompassing the entirety of March. On 9 April 2012, Chester gained their second successive promotion, after a late goal from Matty McGinn in the game against second-placed Northwich gave the club a 1–1 draw and the point they needed to see off the challenge with three games remaining. The game was watched by a crowd of 5,009, which was not only a record for the reformed club, but also the highest gate ever recorded in the seventh tier of English football. At the conclusion of the season, Chester finished with 100 points, 17 clear of second-placed
Northwich
{{Infobox UK place
, static_image_name = Northwich - Town Bridge.jpg
, static_image_caption = Town Bridge, the River Weaver and the spire of Holy Trinity Church
, official_name = Northwich
, country ...
, having scored 102 goals along the way, and conceded only 29. In the
2011–12 FA Trophy, Chester went on an extended run, winning through three qualifying rounds to reach the first round proper, where they recorded a 5–1 away victory against
North Ferriby United
North Ferriby United Association Football Club was a semi-professional football club in North Ferriby, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. At the time of their demise they were members of the Northern Premier League and played at Grange Lane.
F ...
. They bowed out of the competition in the second round in an away tie against
Conference Premier
The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-profess ...
side
Ebbsfleet United
Ebbsfleet United Football Club is a professional football club based in Northfleet, Kent, England. As of the 2021–22 season, the club competes in the National League South, the sixth tier of English football.
The club was formed in 1946 fr ...
, losing 3–2. As this was only the club's second season, they remained ineligible for the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
.
Chester began the 2012–13 season as second favourites with bookmakers for the
Conference North
The National League North, formerly Conference North, is a division of the National League in England, immediately below the National League division. Along with the National League South, it is at the second level of the National League Sy ...
title. Their start to the season justified those predictions, as they won their first seven matches, a club record for Chester FC and also surpassing Chester City's best start to the season. Included in that run were victories over pre-season favourites
F.C. Halifax Town
FC Halifax Town is a professional association football club based in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. They currently compete in and play at the Shay. They replaced Halifax Town A.F.C., which went into administration in the 2007–08 season. ...
and a 4–0 drubbing of previously unbeaten
Guiseley
Guiseley ( ) is a town in metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is situated south of Otley and Menston and is now a north-western suburb of Leeds.
It sits in t ...
. Despite this, the club only sat in second place in the division, as
Brackley Town
Brackley Town Football Club is a Association football, football club in Brackley, Northamptonshire, England. They are currently members of and play at St. James Park. The club won the FA Trophy in 2018.
History
Established in 1890, the club sp ...
also won each of their first seven games. The run came to an end with a 3–2 defeat at
Boston United
Boston United Football Club is a semi-professional association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. The club participates in the National League North, at the sixth tier of the English football league system. The club is known ...
in Chester's eighth match. After two more victories, against
Stalybridge Celtic
Stalybridge Celtic Football Club is an English football club based in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester. They are currently members of the and play at Bower Fold. The team traditionally plays in a blue and white strip.
In 1921 Stalybridge Celtic ...
and
Bishop's Stortford
Bishop's Stortford is a historic market town in Hertfordshire, England, just west of the M11 motorway on the county boundary with Essex, north-east of central London, and by rail from Liverpool Street station. Stortford had an estimated po ...
, Chester went to the top of the table for the first time due to a 1–1 draw with
Bradford Park Avenue
Bradford (Park Avenue) Association Football Club is an association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in , at the sixth tier of the English football league system. The name derived from their former hom ...
. Following this draw, Chester then went on a run of twelve consecutive league victories, including a 3–2 win at Brackley. This run came to an end with a goalless draw, again against Bradford PA on 5 January, which was also the first league match of the season in which Chester failed to score. Chester were promoted to the Conference Premier following their 1–0 win at home to Boston United. In the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
, Chester FC's first ever match was a 1–1 draw away at
Gainsborough Trinity
Gainsborough Trinity Football Club is a football club based in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England. Established in 1873, the club became members of the Football League in 1893 and remained members of the Second Division until 1912, making Gainsbo ...
in the second qualifying round. Chester won the replay at the
Exacta Stadium 2–1 with goals from Dominic Collins and
Levi Mackin
Levi Alan Mackin (born 4 April 1986) is a former professional Association football, footballer who played as a midfielder. He has played in the Football League for Wrexham A.F.C., Wrexham.
Mackin started his career with Wrexham in their youth ...
. Chester's third qualifying round tie, at home to
FC Halifax Town
FC Halifax Town is a professional association football club based in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. They currently compete in and play at the Shay. They replaced Halifax Town A.F.C., which went into administration in the 2007–08 season. ...
, was marred by crowd trouble, and finished in a 1–1 draw. Chester exited the FA Cup following a 3–1 win by Halifax at
The Shay
The Shay is a sports stadium in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England.
The stadium is owned by Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council and leased by the Shay Stadium Trust, a not-for-profit company set up to preserve the ground as a sports stadiu ...
in the replay. The
FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after the English Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams. The compet ...
proved less successful for Chester than in the previous season, as the Blues failed to win a single match, exiting in a replay at
Worksop Town
Worksop Town Football Club is an English football club based in Worksop, Nottinghamshire. As of the 2021–22 season the team plays in the . They are nicknamed ''The Tigers'' and play their home games at Sandy Lane in Worksop.
History First clu ...
. On 6 April 2013, Chester were confirmed as champions of the Conference North, beating Boston United 1–0 at the Exacta through a Lewis Turner header, winning a third successive title, and in doing so, becoming the first club in English football history to achieve three successive promotions. Three promotions in their first three years means that Chester will play their next season's football in the
Conference Premier
The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-profess ...
, the level from which their predecessors
Chester City were expelled in 2010. Chester set several league records for the Conference North in this prolific season: most wins (34), fewest defeats (3), most points (107), most goals scored (103), best goal difference (+71) and also the longest unbeaten streak (30 games).
Conference Premier (2013–2018)
As expected, for the 2013–14 season, Chester remained as a semi-professional club, despite the presence of a number of full-time clubs in the Conference Premier.
Before the season, bookmakers had high expectations for the Blues, with bookmakers making them eighth favourites for the Conference title.
However, the season started with the Blues in terrible form, with five consecutive defeats. Their losing run ended with a 2–0 away win against arch rivals
Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
.
This was the first
Cross-border derby
The cross-border derby is a football match played between Wrexham and Chester. The clubs are 12 miles apart but are Welsh and English respectively (though Chester's Deva Stadium straddles the England–Wales border, and its pitch lies entire ...
match since Chester had reformed. However, by the end of December Chester were still in the relegation zone with only four wins. On 8 January manager Neil Young left Chester by mutual consent after three and a half seasons.
On 18 January 2014,
Steve Burr
Steve Burr (born 12 January 1960) is a Scottish former footballer who was most recently manager of Hednesford Town.
Playing career
Steve Burr began his football career as a player with Stafford Rangers but it was with a summer 1984 move to Macc ...
was appointed as Young's replacement. Chester finished the season in 21st place and were relegated on goal difference. However, they were reprieved on 10 June after
Hereford United
Hereford United Football Club was an association football club based in Hereford, England. They played at Edgar Street for their entire history. They were nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites', after their predominantly white kit, or 'The ...
, the team who finished above Chester in 20th place, were expelled from the
Conference Premier
The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-profess ...
due to financial irregularities.
Chester remained in the
Conference Premier
The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-profess ...
for the
2014–15 season, after being allowed to stay in the league due to the expulsion of
Hereford United
Hereford United Football Club was an association football club based in Hereford, England. They played at Edgar Street for their entire history. They were nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites', after their predominantly white kit, or 'The ...
. Chester started the season by recording only one win in the month of August and were also beaten 5–0 on the opening day of the season against
Barnet
Barnet may refer to:
People
*Barnet (surname)
* Barnet (given name)
Places United Kingdom
*Chipping Barnet or High Barnet, commonly known as Barnet, one of three focal towns of the borough below.
*East Barnet, a district of the borough below; an ...
. Chester gradually started to pick their form up over a 4-month period and at the turn of the year Chester had a 4–0 win over
Lincoln City. At this point, Chester were hovering around the Play Off positions. Chester's form dipped slightly throughout February, March and the start of April, leading to them slipping down the table away from the play-off places. Some of these defeats featured heavy defeats at the hands of
Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers Football Club are a professional football club in Bristol, England. They compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system.
They play home matches at the Memorial Stadium in Horfield, they have been c ...
and
Forest Green
At right is displayed the color forest green.
''Forest green'' refers to a green color said to resemble the color of the trees and other plants in a forest.
This web color, when written as computer code in HTML for website color display, is w ...
in early April. However, they ended the season on a high by winning their final 3 games. Chester, in the final game of the season, came back from losing 3–1, to beat
Nuneaton Town
Nuneaton Borough Football Club is an English football club that is based in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. The men's 1st team competes in the , the seventh tier of English football.
In 1889, Nuneaton St. Nicholas FC was the first team in Nuneaton to ...
5–3. Chester ended the season in 12th place with 63 points.
Chester played in the National league (originally named Conference Premier) for the duration of their
2015–16 season, where they picked up 8 wins and 6 draws from their first 23 matches to position themselves at 14th for the first half of the season. However, a dip in form saw Chester pick up 11 losses in their remaining fixtures. Three wins in the final three games of the season however saw Chester finish in 17th in the Conference Premier with 54 points. At the end of the season, manager
Steve Burr
Steve Burr (born 12 January 1960) is a Scottish former footballer who was most recently manager of Hednesford Town.
Playing career
Steve Burr began his football career as a player with Stafford Rangers but it was with a summer 1984 move to Macc ...
stepped down as manager, and was replaced by
Marcus Bignot
Marcus Bignot (born 22 August 1974) is an English football manager and former professional player. He is currently assistant coach of the England U19s and first-team coach at Cheltenhham Town.
Bignot's playing career spanned nearly 20 years, ...
.
Chester's form declined even more in the 2016–17 season where their 14-10-22 record saw them sit at 19th at the end of the season with 52 points; just 4 above the relegation zone.
Chester's fortune in the National league finally turned sour in the
2017–18 season. In January, Chester were on the brink of being dissolved, as they revealed that they needed to raise £50,000 in the short term in order to stay afloat. Chester FC fans raised over £100,000 via a number of fundraising activities including an all-stars game supported by Michael Owen and Ian Rush which ensured that the club would survive. However, following a 2–0 defeat to
Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. The team compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1884 as Belmont Football Club, they adop ...
, Chester were relegated from the National league. Ultimately, Chester finished the season with an 8-13-25 record. Their 23rd-place finish with 37 points lead them to be demoted to the
National League North
The National League North, formerly Conference North, is a division of the National League in England, immediately below the National League division. Along with the National League South, it is at the second level of the National League Sy ...
. At the end of the
2017–18 season, manager
Marcus Bignot
Marcus Bignot (born 22 August 1974) is an English football manager and former professional player. He is currently assistant coach of the England U19s and first-team coach at Cheltenhham Town.
Bignot's playing career spanned nearly 20 years, ...
left the club by mutual consent.
Johnson & Morley (2018–2021)
Bignot was replaced by joint managers Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley. Chester also gained Swansway Group as a new sponsor in the 2017–18 season, which resulted in their stadium gaining the nickname, the
Swansway Chester Stadium (commonly known as the Deva Stadium). Chester had a promising start to their
2018–19 season in the National League North, as they gained 7 wins from their first 15 matches. In the same period of time though, Chester suffered one of their heaviest defeats in decades; losing 8–1 to
Blyth Spartans
Blyth Spartans Association Football Club is a football club based in Blyth, Northumberland. They are currently members of and play at Croft Park.
They were founded in September 1899 by Fred Stoker, who was the club's first secretary before fo ...
. Overall, Chester achieved a solid 16-14-12 record, which elevated them to 9th on the table with 62 points. In fact, Chester were just 3 points off a playoff promotion spot. In the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
, Chester were defeated 4–3 in the third qualifying round by ninth tier
Dunston UTS.
In the following
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
, Chester finished in 6th place after a decision to end the season in March due to the disruption caused by the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. The season was finished on a
points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by nu ...
basis, however, Chester lost out by 3–2 in the play-offs to
Altrincham
Altrincham ( , locally ) is a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, south of the River Mersey. It is southwest of Manchester city centre, southwest of Sale and east of Warrington. At the 2011 Census, it had a population o ...
. In January 2021, the
National League North
The National League North, formerly Conference North, is a division of the National League in England, immediately below the National League division. Along with the National League South, it is at the second level of the National League Sy ...
season was declared null and void with Chester in 3rd place after 17 matches.
Steve Watson (2021–2022)
Steve Watson
Steven Craig Watson (born 1 April 1974) is an English football manager and former professional player. He was formerly the manager of club Chester.
As a player, he was a right-back or midfielder. He played in the Premier League and Football ...
was appointed manager on 23 December 2021. In his first game he recorded 3–1 victory away to
Telford United on
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Though it originated as a holiday to give gifts to the poor, today Boxing Day is primarily known as a shopping holiday. It ...
. He left the club my mutual consent at the end of the season.
Crest and colours
Crest
The crest was designed by Martin Huxley, a Chester-based graphic artist and Chester F.C. fan,
who described the symbols in the crest thus: "The Wolf dates back to when
William the Conqueror
William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first House of Normandy, Norman List of English monarchs#House of Norman ...
's nephew,
Hugh d'Avranches
Hugh d'Avranches ( 1047 – 27 July 1101), nicknamed ''le Gros'' (the Large) or ''Lupus'' (the Wolf), was from 1071 the second Norman Earl of Chester and one of the great magnates of early Norman England.
Early life and career
Hugh d'Avra ...
was appointed the
Earl of Chester
The Earldom of Chester was one of the most powerful earldoms in medieval England, extending principally over the counties of Cheshire and Flintshire. Since 1301 the title has generally been granted to heirs apparent to the English throne, and a ...
. He had the nickname 'Lupus', the Latin translation for 'wolf'. The crown refers to Chester being a royalist City. Badge variations make it unclear whether the leaves are laurel, a recognised symbol of victory, or oak, a significant (and common) tree in Chester. Oak has long been used in the Cheshire Regiment's logo, reference to saving King George II's life beneath an oak tree at the
Battle of Dettingen
The Battle of Dettingen (german: Schlacht bei Dettingen) took place on 27 June 1743 during the War of the Austrian Succession at Dettingen in the Electorate of Mainz, Holy Roman Empire (now Karlstein am Main in Bavaria). It was fought between a ...
in 1743."
In keeping with the club's crest, Chester's mascot is a friendly wolf called 'Big Lupus'.
Colours
Chester play in blue and white top with black shorts and blue socks, similar to their predecessors
Chester City. For their first two seasons their shirts were made by sportswear company
Joma
Joma () is a Spanish sports clothing manufacturer that currently produces footwear and clothing for football, futsal, handball, basketball, volleyball, running, tennis, and padel. Its headquarters are located in Portillo de Toledo, Spain.
Histor ...
; from the 2012–13 season the kit was made by
Puma until a new three year kit deal with Kappa was made in 2019, while since reformation the club's kit has been sponsored by MBNA.
The Blues' away shirt colour has changed on an bi-annual basis, having been purple in their first season,
yellow in 2011–12
and green in 2012–13. The new home kit was chosen by the fans and the away kit was designed by a Junior Blue via a competition.
Shirt sponsors and manufacturers
Stadium
![Deva Stadium](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Deva_Stadium.jpg)
Chester F.C. play at the
Deva Stadium
Deva Stadium is an association football stadium which is the home of Chester F.C., the effective successor club to the liquidated Chester City. The stadium straddles the England-Wales border at Sealand, on the outskirts of Chester.
The stad ...
, the home of their
predecessor. It has a capacity of 6,500 with 4,170 seated. The stadium was leased to the club by
Cheshire West and Chester Council
Cheshire West and Chester Council is the local authority of Cheshire West and Chester. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. It provides a full range of local government services ...
.
The highest home league attendance at the Deva Stadium was in April 2012 against Northwich Victoria, with a crowd of 5,009.
England–Wales border
The stadium is located in the Sealand Road Industrial Estate and straddles the
England-Wales border
England and Wales () is one of the three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. It covers the constituent countries England and Wales and was formed by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. The substantive law of the jurisdiction is Engl ...
.
The pitch and all of the stands are in
Flintshire
, settlement_type = County
, image_skyline =
, image_alt =
, image_caption =
, image_flag =
, image_shield = Arms of Flint ...
,
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
, though the stadium car park, main entrance, and some of the offices are in England. In January 2022, the club was threatened with legal action by
North Wales Police
North Wales Police ( cy, Heddlu Gogledd Cymru) is the territorial police force responsible for policing North Wales. Its headquarters are in Colwyn Bay. , the force has 1,510 police officers, 170 special constables, 182 police community support ...
and
Flintshire County Council
Flintshire County Council is the unitary local authority for the county of Flintshire, one of the principal areas of Wales. It is based at County Hall in Mold.
Elections take place every five years. The last election was on 5 May 2022.
Histor ...
for failing to apply the
COVID-19 regulations applying in Wales and allowing crowds to attend matches at the ground. On 8 January 2022, the
Welsh Government
The Welsh Government ( cy, Llywodraeth Cymru) is the Welsh devolution, devolved government of Wales. The government consists of ministers and Minister (government), deputy ministers, and also of a Counsel General for Wales, counsel general. Minist ...
stated that, as the stadium was in Wales it was subject to Wales' COVID restrictions, and Andy Morris, the club chairman, said that the location of the ground "had become a very real problem".
Rivals
The club's predominant
rival
A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant o ...
is
Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
, as the two clubs are 12 miles apart from each other. In league competitions, the two clubs have met each other 86 times (10 following the liquidation of
Chester City). Chester also inherited several rivalries from its predecessor including:
Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town Football Club was an English professional association football, football club based in Macclesfield, Cheshire, that was liquidation, wound-up after a High Court of Justice, High Court ruling on 16 September 2020.
Initially kno ...
,
Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. The team compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1884 as Belmont Football Club, they adop ...
,
Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Crewe, Cheshire, that competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Railwaymen' because of ...
and
Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of English football. The club plays its home games at the New Meadow, having mo ...
. During Chester's early years, they formed rivalries with local clubs such as:
Vauxhall Motors
Vauxhall Motors LimitedCompany No. 00135767. Incorporated 12 May 1914, name changed from Vauxhall Motors Limited to General Motors UK Limited on 16 April 2008, reverted to Vauxhall Motors Limited on 18 September 2017. () is a British car compa ...
,
Witton Albion Witton may refer to one of several places in England:
*Witton, historic name of an area of Northwich, Cheshire
**Witton Albion F.C.
*Witton Gilbert, County Durham
*Witton-le-Wear, County Durham
*Witton, an area of Blackburn, Lancashire
* Witton, B ...
,
Warrington Town,
Nantwich Town
Nantwich Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Nantwich, Cheshire, England. The club was founded in 1884 and is nicknamed ''The Dabbers'', a reference to the town's tanning industry. They currently compete in and pla ...
, and
Northwich Victoria
{{Infobox UK place
, static_image_name = Northwich - Town Bridge.jpg
, static_image_caption = Town Bridge, the River Weaver and the spire of Holy Trinity Church
, official_name = Northwich
, country ...
. On Chester's way back to the
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
, they also formed smaller rivalries with
Chorley
Chorley is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Chorley in Lancashire, England, north of Wigan, south west of Blackburn, north west of Bolton, south of Preston and north west of Manchester. The town's wealth came pr ...
and
Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England.
Southport lies on the Irish ...
.
Players
Current squad
(on loan from
Everton)
(on loan to
Runcorn Linnets
Runcorn Linnets F.C. are an English football club based in Runcorn, Cheshire. The club currently plays in the , and is a full member of the Cheshire County Football Association. The club is run by a trust which is a registered society under t ...
)
(on loan to
Runcorn Linnets
Runcorn Linnets F.C. are an English football club based in Runcorn, Cheshire. The club currently plays in the , and is a full member of the Cheshire County Football Association. The club is run by a trust which is a registered society under t ...
)
(on loan from
Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of English football. The club plays its home games at the New Meadow, having mo ...
)
International appearances
The following table shows players who have received an international cap while playing for the club (including substitutions) arranged alphabetically by nation in descending order:
Most league appearances and goals
The following table shows players who have made 50 league appearances or more for the club (including
substitutions) and players who have scored 25 league goals or more for the club (including penalties) in descending order:
Management
Current management and coaching staff
As of 11 May 2022
Managerial history
''Includes all league and cup competitions''
Performance
League standings
*''Chester were later reprieved due to Hereford United's financial irregularities.
Honours
League
*
Conference North
The National League North, formerly Conference North, is a division of the National League in England, immediately below the National League division. Along with the National League South, it is at the second level of the National League Sy ...
(Tier 6)
**Champions:
2012–13
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
*
Northern Premier League Premier Division
The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Division ...
**Champions:
2011–12 (Tier 7)
*
Northern Premier League Division One North
The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Division ...
**Champions:
2010–11
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
Cups
*
Cheshire Senior Cup
The Cheshire County Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the Cheshire Senior Cup, is a football knockout tournament founded in the 1879–80 season and involves teams from Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside, England. It ...
** Winners: 2012–13
Other trophies
*
Peter Swales Shield
The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Division ...
** Winners:
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
*
Brian Lomax Supporters Direct Cup
** Winners: 2011
*
Supporters Direct Shield
** Winners: 2019
References
External links
*
City Fans United websiteChester FC coveragefrom the ''Chester Chronicle''
{{coord, 53, 11, 21.05, N, 2, 55, 25.73, W, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title
Football clubs in Cheshire
Association football clubs established in 2010
Fan-owned football clubs in England
Northern Premier League clubs
National League (English football) clubs
2010 establishments in England
Phoenix clubs (association football)
Football clubs in England