Having failed to carry out their last two fixtures, Chester City face expulsion from the Blue Square Premiership unless they can give financial assurances about their future. They failed to send a team for their midweek away fixture with Forest Green. Accounts of what happened vary: some say that the unpaid players refused to board the coach, others that the coach driver refused to set off until his company was paid. Yesterday’s derby against Wrexham was called off becaues the police refused to provide cover having not been paid for previous matches.
Having failed to carry out their last two fixtures, Chester City face expulsion from the Blue Square Premiership unless they can give financial assurances about their future. They failed to send a team for their midweek away fixture with Forest Green. Accounts of what happened vary: some say that the unpaid players refused to board the coach, others that the coach driver refused to set off until his company was paid. Yesterday’s derby against Wrexham was called off becaues the police refused to provide cover having not been paid for previous matches.
Reports suggest that the Conference club have built up more than £700,000 in debt in just seven months. Chester owe Revenue and Customs more than £50,000 and face another winding up order next month. They are also understood to need to come up with £33,000 in overdue rent and pay £84,000 worth of football debt to players, staff and other clubs.
A group of local businessmen are interested in saving the club and settling all Chester’s debts, except for a £488,000 loan owed to the Vaughan family. It appears that City would need to find just £217,000 if the money owed to the Vaughans was taken out of the equation. There is uncertainty about what the half a million pound loan from the owning family has been used for, given that rent on the Deva Stadium has not been paid and with the club’s staff and players going unpaid for three months.
Supporters’ group City Fans United believe that the best course of action would be for the Conference to expel the former Football League club. They have met the city council about renting the Deva Stadium next season and entering a team in the North West Counties League. Their spokesman Jeff Banks told the Non-League Paper, ‘We have pretty much had enough now. The fans want an honest, well-run community club and so do the council.’