History of Chester City F.C. facts for kids

Chester City F.C. was a football club that played for many years, from 1885 until 2010. It started as Chester FC, and the name "City" was added in 1983. For a long time, from 1931 to 2000, and again from 2004 to 2009, they were part of the Football League. This meant they played in the third or fourth levels of English football.

The club often had a tough time, sometimes struggling to stay in the League. They had to be voted back into the League seven times! From the early 1980s, the club faced many money problems. They even sold their home ground, Sealand Road, in 1990 to pay off debts. For two seasons, they played in Macclesfield before moving back to Chester to play at their new home, the Deva Stadium.

After being relegated from the Football League in 2009, their problems became too big. The club eventually closed down in March 2010.

Early Days of Chester Football (1885–1931)

How the Club Started

Chester City F.C. began in August 1885. It was formed by combining two local teams, Chester Rovers and Old King's Scholars. They first played their home games at Faulkner Street in Chester. Their very first recorded game was a friendly match in September 1885, which they lost. In 1886, Arthur Turner became Chester's first professional player.

Before 1888, there were no football leagues in England. Chester played friendly matches and joined cup competitions like the Cheshire Senior Cup and the Welsh Cup. In 1886–87, Chester entered the FA Cup for the first time. They were disqualified after winning a match because one player wasn't allowed to play.

Joining the Leagues

In 1890–91, Chester joined the Combination League. They did very well in their first season, finishing third. They also reached the last 16 of the FA Cup that year. For the next few years, Chester was a mid-table team in the Combination League.

By 1897–98, buildings were being built near their Faulkner Street ground, so Chester had to move. They found a new place called the Old Showground. But this ground had problems, and the club couldn't find a secure place to play. Because of this, the club actually stopped playing for two seasons.

In 1901–02, Chester found a new ground at Whipcord Lane and returned to the Combination League. This ground also had issues. In the FA Cup, Chester was kicked out because their pitch was too short for the rules.

After a tough first season back, Chester got much better. They finished as runner-up in the Combination League for five years in a row! In 1906–07, Chester moved to a bigger stadium on Sealand Road. On Good Friday 1907, they set a new attendance record with 6,670 fans. In 1907–08, Chester won the Welsh Cup for the first time.

In 1908–09, Chester finally won the Combination League title. They lost only two games all season and finished eight points ahead of the second-place team. They also reached the Welsh Cup final again but lost.

For several years, Chester tried to join a stronger league. In 1910, they finally succeeded! They moved to the second division of the Lancashire Combination. This was a good move, as Chester was promoted in their first season.

The next few seasons saw Chester as a mid-table team. However, when World War 1 started, fewer people came to games. Chester had to leave the league in March 1915.

The Cheshire County League Years

After World War I, Chester became a founding member of the Cheshire County League. This league had many local teams, which meant more exciting local derby matches. For the next ten years, Chester was one of the best teams in this league. They won the championship in 1921–22, 1925–26, and 1926–27.

Even with success, not many people came to games, and the club still had money worries. So, the club decided to try and join the Football League.

Chester tried to join the Football League in 1928 and 1929 but didn't get enough votes. They decided to focus all their efforts on joining the League. In 1930, they hired Charlie Hewitt as manager. He brought in great players, and the team scored an amazing 170 goals in 42 league games! One player, Arthur Gale, scored 102 goals in all competitions.

The club's directors visited other teams to ask for their support. In 1931, Chester finally won the vote and became members of the Football League!

Life in the Football League (1931–2000)

First Years in the League

After much excitement, Chester played their first Football League match on August 29, 1931. They won 4–0, but this result was later cancelled. So, their first official League result was a 1–1 draw against their neighbours, Wrexham.

Chester quickly settled into the League. They finished an impressive third in their first season. The 1932–33 season was also strong, with many fans coming to games. They finished fourth and did well in the FA Cup, beating a higher-division team 5–0. They also won the Welsh Cup for the second time.

In 1935–36, Chester reached their highest-ever league position, finishing second. They scored 100 goals that season, including an amazing 12–0 home win against York City! They also won the Division 3 North Cup. The team continued to do well, finishing third the next season and winning the cup again.

The War Years

When World War 2 started in 1939, the regular football league stopped. Chester continued to play in a special wartime league. Many players were away serving in the war, so fewer fans came to games. Results were not great during this time, but football continued.

After the War

After the war, Chester had a very different team. They finished third in 1946–47 and won the Welsh Cup again. But after this, the club went through a tough period. They didn't finish in the top half of the league until 1958.

Moving Up the Ranks

Things started to get better for Chester in 1963 when Peter Hauser became manager. He brought exciting times to the club as they tried to get promoted. In 1964–65, all five of Chester's forwards scored 20 goals each, which was a unique achievement! The team scored 119 goals in League games alone. However, they just missed out on promotion.

In 1974–75, Chester finally achieved their first-ever promotion in the Football League! They finished fourth in Division Four. That season was also famous for Chester's amazing run in the League Cup. They beat the champions, Leeds United, 3–0 in a huge upset! They then reached the semi-finals, where they played Aston Villa. Chester played bravely but lost in the final moments.

More Success and a Star Player

Chester settled into the Third Division. They had good runs in the FA Cup, reaching the fifth round twice. In 1978, they finished fifth, just missing out on another promotion. Chester also won the Debenhams Cup in 1977, their first national trophy in England. They continued to upset bigger teams in cup competitions.

This period also saw a future star emerge from Chester's youth team: Ian Rush. Rush, a striker from Wales, made his debut in 1979. He scored 18 goals the next season before being sold to Liverpool for a large sum of money.

Ups and Downs

After Ian Rush left in 1980, Chester struggled for goals and were relegated in 1982. Two years later, they finished last in the entire Football League but were voted back in. Around this time, in 1983–84, the club became known as Chester City.

Thanks to new players and smart management, Chester returned to the Third Division in 1986. Three years later, they nearly made the play-offs. But more tough times were ahead. In 1990, Chester had to leave their Sealand Road home again due to money problems. They temporarily shared Macclesfield's ground. Despite small crowds, Chester managed to avoid relegation.

In 1992, they returned to Chester, playing at the new Deva Stadium. This stadium is unique because the pitch is in Wales, but the main stand and offices are in England!

Chester was relegated in their first season at the Deva Stadium but quickly won promotion back. However, the manager left, and key players departed, leading to another relegation in 1995. They stayed in Division Three for five years.

The club faced huge money problems under a new owner. Despite this, they avoided relegation in 1998–99. In 1999, a new American owner took over. Unfortunately, his time was disastrous for the club. Chester City lost their 69-year-long status in the Football League on May 6, 2000, after losing their final game.

Tough Times and a Return to the League (2000–2008)

The Football Conference Years

After being relegated from the League, Chester played in the Football Conference. They finished eighth in their first season. The highlights were in the cup competitions. They reached the Third Round of the FA Cup, beating Football League teams along the way. They also reached the semi-finals of the FA Trophy.

The summer of 2001 brought more problems. The owner made unpopular decisions, leading to player unrest. The club also faced a transfer ban for not paying a player's transfer fee. The manager was fired, and fans protested to try and make the owner leave.

The 2001–02 season started badly, with low attendance and no wins in September. However, in October, the owner sold the club to Stephen Vaughan. The new owner quickly changed managers, and the team was still at the bottom of the table.

Finally, Mark Wright was appointed manager. Under him, Chester's form improved greatly. They climbed to 14th place and avoided relegation.

With a stable summer, Chester started the 2002–03 season strongly. They had a solid defence and a strong attack. By the end of the year, they were in third place. They reached the play-offs but lost in a penalty shoot-out.

The 2003–04 season was a huge success! Chester won their first league title in 60 years. They had a great season, led by their top scorers, Daryl Clare and Darryn Stamp. The title was secured with a 1–0 win at the Deva Stadium. Mark Wright was named Manager of the Year.

A Difficult Return to the League

After winning the Conference, Chester returned to the Football League in 2004. Many expected them to get promoted again, but it was a tough season. Manager Mark Wright resigned just before the season started. Key players were injured and then transferred away.

Chester struggled and were at the bottom of the League. Former player Ian Rush became the new manager. He helped steer the team to safety, but goals were hard to come by. Rush resigned in April 2005, and Chester finished 20th.

In 2005, Chester faced more money problems, with debts to the tax authorities. However, they settled the debt. The season started well, but then their form collapsed, and the manager was fired.

Surprisingly, Mark Wright returned for his second spell as manager. A strong run of wins at the end of the season kept Chester in the Football League. They finished 15th.

The 2006–07 season was mostly uneventful, with Chester finishing 18th. They had a strange FA Cup run where they were knocked out, then put back in due to another team using an ineligible player, before being knocked out again.

For the 2007–08 season, Bobby Williamson became manager. The season started well, and Chester was in second place in October. But just like before, their form dropped dramatically. The manager was fired, and Chester finished 22nd, just above the relegation zone.

The End of Chester City (2008–2010)

The 2008–09 season was Chester City's last in the Football League. The team started with a very small squad. Other teams had points deducted for breaking rules, which seemed to give Chester a better chance to stay up. However, those teams managed to avoid relegation.

Chester's season began badly with big defeats. Crowds at home games fell sharply. The club also faced a transfer ban because they couldn't pay player wages, making it hard to improve the team.

The manager was fired in November, and Mark Wright returned for his third time as manager. The owner then put the club up for sale. After the new year, Chester's form got much worse, with very few wins. More players left, making the squad even smaller. The club also faced issues with players breaking betting rules.

The tough economic times also hurt Chester, affecting both attendance and finances.

At the end of the season, Chester finished 23rd with only 37 points. They had the worst defence in the division and were relegated back to the Football Conference.

In May 2009, Chester's money problems continued, and the club entered administration. This meant experts took over to try and sort out the club's finances. The club owed a lot of money. However, the owner bought the club back under a special agreement.

With a transfer ban still in place, many players left the club. Mark Wright also left, and a new manager, Mick Wadsworth, was appointed. The club faced more problems when the special agreement was overturned, and they were banned from playing pre-season friendly matches.

There was a big debate about whether Chester City should even be allowed to start the new season. In the end, they were allowed, but with a huge 25-point penalty! Their first two games were postponed. With a small, unfit squad, Chester struggled and quickly fell behind. The manager was sacked after only 13 games.

Jim Harvey became the new manager, and results improved for a while. But off-pitch problems returned. Chester failed to pay money owed to other clubs and faced threats of being kicked out of the league. The owner was also disqualified from acting as a company director.

Results on the pitch collapsed again. A home game was even stopped because fans protested about the club's ownership. The manager resigned. On February 6, 2010, Chester City played its final match, a 2–1 home defeat.

The club's money problems grew, and the police even stopped providing services at the stadium because they weren't paid. A scheduled away game was postponed because the team's bus company refused to leave until they were paid.

On February 11, the Football Conference suspended Chester for not playing matches. On February 26, the other clubs voted to expel Chester from the league. This decision became final on March 8.

The very last step for Chester City happened in a court in London. The club chose not to fight a petition to close it down. In a very quick hearing on March 8, 2010, Chester City FC was officially closed. The club's 125-year history came to an end.

A new club, Chester F.C., was quickly formed. It joined a lower league for the 2010–11 season.