CHESTER CITY are clinging on to their Football Conference lives by their finger nails following a meeting of the league’s management committee last night.
City failed to fulfil Tuesday’s fixture at Forest Green Rovers, when they couldn’t find the cash to pay agreed monies to the coach company and the players, while Sunday’s derby clash against neighbours Wrexham has also bitten the dust because Chester’s owner Stephen Vaughan Junior couldn’t come up with an advance fee to Cheshire Constabulary, who were due to police the match.
And the following Wednesday’s home game against Kidderminster Harriers has also been called off.
The cash-strapped Deva Stadium outfit owe their players three months’ wages, and also face a winding up petition brought by HM Revenue and Customs in the High Court next month.
Chester’s owner must now answer why the two Blue Square Premier League games were cancelled, which contravenes the league’s rule 8.6.
Following last night’s meeting the Conference management committee issued a statement that said: “The board of the Football Conference has given exhaustive and thorough consideration to matters at Chester City FC following the club’s failure to fulfil its fixture at Forest Green Rovers on Tuesday, February 9.
“The Cheshire Constabulary has withdrawn Special Police Services due to be provided at the club’s match at the Deva Stadium on Sunday, February 14 against Wrexham, for failing to pay policing costs by a due time.
“As a consequence the Cheshire West & Chester Borough Council has issued a Prohibition Order on the club preventing the admission of spectators into the ground, as the inadequate number of police officers will involve a risk so serious that admission ought to be prohibited, until appropriate steps have been taken.
“Pursuant to other matters currently existing at the club, the Football Conference has served charges for breaches of five separate competition rules upon the club which include the failure to fulfil the above two fixtures.
“The club has been given seven days to respond to the charges, and/or request a personal hearing. The charges, and a personal hearing if requested, will be considered on Thursday, February 18.
“Meanwhile, the club’s fixtures have been suspended – resulting in Chester City’s home fixture on Wednesday, February 17 against Kidderminster Harriers being postponed.
“No further statement will be issued until after the meeting of February 18.”
Chester’s owner is understood to be asking for any potential purchaser of the club to take on the debts of over £700,000, however in a schedule obtained by the Daily Post, £485,000 of that figure are loans that the Vaughan family claim are owed to them. Chester City (2004) Limited has only been trading since May 2009.
Chester’s managing director Bob Gray was remaining upbeat last night and said: “It’s good news for the fans as they still have a football club.
“There are investors out there who are still interested in taking over the club, or being part of the football club through investment.
“It’s not all doom and gloom. We have to fight hard to keep this club going.
“What we’d like is that if the investors come through in the next seven days then the fans can support the football club as well.
“We will fight hammer and tongs with the conference next week and hopefully continue to play football, which is all we have ever wanted to do.”
If Chester were to be expelled form the Conference, a ‘phoenix’ club would be able to form at a level no higher than the North West Counties League.
