2004/2005 Preview - Chester City

LAST SEASON

The Conference Championship for Wrexham's Rivals last season sealed their return to the football league after a couple of near misses. Just pipping Hereford to the post they were a country mile ahead of everyone else.

WHAT HAVE THEY BEEN UP TO THIS SUMMER?

It's been a busy start for a return to league football with Chester bringing in no fewer than 10 players this summer (including two trialists)

In have come on permanent deals Cortez Belle (Merthyr), Michael Branch (Bradford), Stewart Drummond (Morecambe), Sean Hessey (Blackpool), Richard Hope (York), Chris Mackenzie (Telford), Stephen Vaughan (Liverpool) and Andy Watson (Farsley Celtic) and you can add to that the two trialists in former Swan Stuart Roberts and Jamie Gosling from Yeovil.

Out of the Deva this summer have gone Shaun Carey to Hornchurch, Michael Twiss to Morecambe and Chris Lane to Leigh RMI. Free transfers were given to Ian Foster, Jamie Heard and Andy Woods.

Chester fans will also no longer be able to see Liverpool reserve games at the Deva as they have ended that arrangement. The reason? Liverpool preferred to play Wrexham instead of Chester in a pre season friendly. Dummys and Prams and all that?

WHO ARE THEIR FAMOUS FANS?

Take a trip to the Deva Stadium and you could be rubbing shoulders with the might of

George Guest - conducter

or

Hugh Lloyd - actor

5 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT CHESTER

1. Chester plays host to the Eastgate Clock - the most photographed time piece in the world after Big Ben. Have you got a picture of it?

2. Every day from Tuesday to Saturday Chester's very own town crier declares proclamation, the only city in Britain to have this spectacle apparently, phew!

3. Chester are proud to announce that Chester Cathedral is the fourth most visited cathedral in Britain. Wonder who was fifth?

4. If you thought the University Boat Race was old, you can go and watch the annual Regatta on the River Dee, the oldest one in the world. Rumour has it that one contestant is still completing the first one.

5. And of course if you fancy something different from a pub stop before the game, then a trip to Chester Zoo is in order, rumours that this is where they keep their fans locked up when they aren't playing are unfounded.

ARE WE ANY GOOD AGAINST CHESTER?

With plenty of meetings in the Welsh Cup as well as the league, it's advantage Chester with 22 wins to 18 in the 47 meetings. Only 3 in the last 12 though for the almost Walians with the Swans unbeaten in 5. For the full list of results, click here

WHEN DO WE PLAY THEM?

It's a visit to Chester on October 2 and the return match at the Vetch on January 29.

IF I WANT TO FIND OUT MORE WHERE DO I GO?

They may have an official site but I cannot find it and I am told that the Rivals version will be up and running by the new season. In the meantime, try this link it looks OK

WHAT ARE THEIR CHANCES NEXT SEASON?

Judging by the ease in which they won the Conference you would say good but remember that Yeovil played second fiddle to Doncaster last time around. However, Chester are a good side and I can see them being up there challenging at the end of the season. Oh, bugger it I'll stick my neck out, automatic promotion

Why not check out the latest Vetch Verdict on the BBC site?