Chester - Eastbourne NEWS
Bookmakers have suspended betting on Chester City's match against Eastbourne Borough on Saturday after news leaked that Chester may have to field a weakened team.
Rumours have been circling that Chester City players have refused to play over a pay row, whilst these reports are not confirmed, it has lead bookmakers to suspend betting on the fixture as word spread on a number of forums.
The news has spread fast with many fans in the know lumping on Eastbourne Borough to win at a handsome price of 2/1. Even Chester City fans on their DEVA FORUM have got involved as well as punters around the world on the OLBG FORUM.
It echoes similarities to Weymouth last season when the they could not afford to pay the players wages. The players then left and found other clubs leaving the club to field a youth side which subsequently lead to heavy defeats.
Latest figures on BetFair show that Ł51,000 has been traded on the Chester City Vs Eastbourne match compared to the Ł833 traded on Ebbsfleet United Vs Mansfield Town.
It is thought that up to Ł2 million may have been gambled on this fixture through the many internet websites and high-street bookmaker shops.
The crunch deadline for Chester City to pay their football debts is now just three days away with worried fans no nearer to knowing the club’s fate. Worse than that, they are being kept in the dark.
Despite repeated efforts from the media, no-one was able to to contact anyone at the club to confirm whether or not the outstanding money will be paid. And as D-day approaches, there are real fears the Blues will now be thrown out of the Football Conference.
Fans’ groups, other clubs, officials from the Football League and Conference plus the PFA were all willing to discuss the club’s crisis. But City officials wouldn’t answer the phone – or even come to the door when our reporter called at the Deva Stadium.
GOSSIP COLUMN: FA tell Chester City players they can leave over non-payment of wages. Danby and Chadwick are rumoured to be the first players to leave.
The wall of silence has even extended to not officially informing loyal regulars who stand behind the goal in the Harry McNally Terrace that they won’t be allowed to take up their usual spot for Saturday’s game with Eastbourne because of a shortage of stewards.
“I’ve watched this club since 1946 and I’m finding it harder to swallow than it was in the Terry Smith days,” said official supporters club stalwart Barrie Hipkiss. “And until we get some stability, I think it’s going to be very, very difficult to alter our situation.”Comment Here
Jeff Banks, of City Fans United (CFU), admits the newly-unified supporters group will be forced to “step in” if the club is kicked out of the league.
He said: “We have no idea what Monday will bring. But if the worst happens the CFU will step in. The group is still in its early days, but it has around 300 members now, and some of our members are contributing their entrance fees to our fighting fund instead of attending games to fund the current owners.”
Sue Choularton, of Chester City Exiles, added: “There are those of us who attend fewer home games than we did because of the state we see the club in. But still there is no communication. None of us want Saturday’s game to be the last – but it might be.”
Chester have been warned they face being expelled from the Conference if they do not pay their football debts by Monday. Wrexham and Vauxhall Motors were last night still waiting for the monies owed to them while The Chronicle understands Blues officials held talks with their main creditor, the PFA, in Manchester yesterday.
Gordon Taylor, chairman of the PFA, said: “We’ve lent a fair amount of money to the club in recent years. We are not directly involved in the discussions which are taking place at the moment, however, between the club, the Football Conference and the FA.
“It is not a model of how to run a club but we hope, for the players and supporters, that the situation can be settled. There is a great history surrounding Chester and no-one wants to see that disappear.”
City want to settle their debts by using the discretionary parachute payment due to them from the Football League. Football League and Conference spokesmen confirmed yesterday that their discussions are ongoing.
Meanwhile, Chester’s safety officer Martin Bradley confirmed the Harry McNally Terrace will be closed on Saturday.
He said: “Macclesfield are at home, Wrexham are at home, Tranmere are at home and Northwich are at home in the FA Cup, with Crewe stewards going to help Northwich, so that leaves me with only 26 stewards and that’s not enough to comply with the safety certificate I’ve got for the ground.
“It’s a one-off and I can only apologise but it’s the only thing I can do to make sure the game goes ahead.”
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