Chester FC is one of those football clubs that keeps on battling.
Throughout its history, the Cheshire club has experienced a lot of turmoil and has had to fight for survival.
Today, Chester FC plays in the National League North, which sits in the sixth tier of English football overall and at the second level in the National League system.
The team plays its home games at the Deva Stadium, which changed to the Leap76 Stadium for the 2023/24 season due to a sponsorship deal.
Although they may want their club to perform better, fans can be reasonably satisfied with ‘the Seals’, who are sitting in the top half of the table.
Below is a look at the club’s performance and prospects for the rest of the season, what could happen between this season and the next, and a look ahead to the 2024/25 season.
Chester and the 2023/24 season
Anyone looking to place a bet on the National League North won’t be expecting Chester to lift the league silverware.
Division leaders Tamworth have pulled too far away for the Seals to catch up even if they were to win every one of their remaining games.
That doesn’t mean it’s all over, however.
There’s still one promotion place up for grabs and the team are hovering in the qualifying zone for the chance to battle it out in the playoffs and move up to the National League.
The club may be confident they can pull it off after the team held Tamworth to a goalless draw and Scunthorpe United to a 2-2 draw, both away from the comfort of the Leap26 stadium, in March.
Nevertheless, some tough games lie ahead.
In April, the Seals face Alfreton Town at home and, later in the month, are away to Brackley Town.
Both teams sit above Chester in the division and could well push them outside the playoff zone.
If that happens, they’ll be hoping to snatch some points from their last game of the season, which takes place against Darlington, who are sitting perilously above the relegation zone.
Chester will be looking to captain George Glendon to lead them through these tense waters.
They’ll also be wishing for November 2023 signing Christian Norton, who agreed to stay until the end of the 2023/24 season, to keep on delivering as he already has been.
What other developments could the fans and the club look forward to this season and beyond?
In February 2024, the club announced that Ben Tollit would be joining the club for the rest of the season on loan from National League side Oldham Athletic.
The 29-year-old forward was the ‘Latics’’ top scorer in the first half of the 2023/24 campaign and is as comfortable in midfield roles as in attacking ones.
He brings real firepower to the squad and makes them a vicious threat in the final third of the field.
It was Tollitt who opened the scoring in the team’s 2-2 thriller with Scunthorpe.
He cunningly disguised his shot by drilling it into the bottom left corner past keeper Ross Fitzsimmons, instead of curling the ball into the far corner as he looked to be doing.
Fans will be hoping that Tollitt enjoys his stay at Chester so much he waves goodbye permanently to Oldham and continues to keep gifting the club with this kind of creativity.
A new buyer?
Chester rivals Wrexham may have the glamour of Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney being their owners, but the Seals almost had their own famous owner.
Former Liverpool, Newcastle United and English international striker Michael Owen has revealed that he considered buying the club.
Unfortunately for the North side, Owen didn’t feel his finances would allow it.
Currently, the fans run the club and there is no major shareholder, which could prove a challenge for anyone wanting to buy the club.
A famous face, however, can attract publicity and some lucrative sponsors to a club. The fact that the club has had famous eyes on it is encouraging.
Chester fans may well consider the opportunities a wealthy new owner could bring to their beloved club.
Boosting the budget
Chester FC announced on its website that fans had helped the club to raise £116,448 in this year’s Boost the Budget.
This scheme allows the club’s fans to make a possible contribution to what goes on out on the pitch.
More than 700 people pledged money to the club. Even former players have contributed to the scheme.
Chester FC still have a few games to go and are fighting hard for a place in the playoffs.
They’ve managed to subdue some of the toughest teams in their division, teams who are sitting higher than them in the table.
This will give them confidence that they could emerge from the playoffs with a promotion to the National League.
(Image by Google Maps)
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