Chester FC

Good Friday brings a trip to Chester FC, for a conference north fixture vs Telford. Despite playing my team York City many times over the years, Chester is a ground that has alluded me until now so I'll be glad to get it done. It's really easy with a direct train from Leeds, all have to navigate is the 2 mile walk to the ground. The fixture also marks the beginning of a busy easter period where I aim to do 5 games in four days.

I arrived in Chester in good time but as pretty as the main street is at Chester with its historic architecture, there isn't a lot to occupy time. I set off for the ground about 1245 and my Google maps had stopped functioning properly. I did however manage and arrived at 1320, bought a pin badge and found somewhere to sit until the turnstiles opened around 2pm. When inside the food options were very uninspiring and I bought a plain land thin looking pasty for £4.90, the contents of which were just cheese. I also got a large bag of sour dummies sweets for £2 which was a bargain, no consistency. There was a very healthy crowd in for the bank holiday, just under 3000 with Telford bringing over 500 of those.

The game was an end to end affair but certainly first half Telford were a lot more easier on the eye and should have gone in in front in my opinion but didn't. Second half Chester had more purpose and went ahead through an excellent out swinging corner that caught the Telford defence cold. It was nodded on to Motley Henry to smash the ball home. Telford equalised almost instantly through a corner of their own and the ball was put in for them by an unfortunate Chester player. City weren't to be denied though and the same excellent Corner routine followed with the same end result albeit it was headed straight in this time. A vital win in the race for the play offs with four games remaining. 

The walk back was incident packed, first there were scuffles in the industrial estate as police went racing to the action, then when I got back to the station I needed to refuel, I bought a bacon sandwich, a pot of grapes and an orange juice, £14. I paid and then queried it, he had charged me for two bacon sandwiches, which I now have to wait a week for the refund for despite it being through their own fault. For anyone wondering this was the refresh cafe on Chester station so check before you pay is the motto there. To be honest I only went in there as I had no other option and hadn't eaten much (unusually for me) all day. I then went to the platform for the train only to find it cancelled and I'd another hour to wait, at least I'll get the fare back I suppose.

A player of note in the Chester team, Scott Burgess formely of the minstermen in our own conference north promotion season.  If visiting the deva it's a decent ground with the option to stand which is rare these days, just be prepared for a good walk if not in a car.

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