Chester to link with top-flight outfit
By Chris Thompson
April 12 2005
Chairman Stephen Vaughan has admitted that Chester are close to sealing a deal with a North-West top-flight club, which would see the Cestrians merge with them in a link-up move.
April 12 2005
Chairman Stephen Vaughan has admitted that Chester are close to sealing a deal with a North-West top-flight club, which would see the Cestrians merge with them in a link-up move.
Although not revealing the club (which could be any of the six North-West based premiership sides: Manchester United, Everton, Liverpool, Bolton, Manchester City or Blackburn Rovers), Stephen Vaughan had the following to say.
"I am not at liberty to say which club it is, but on the face of it, it appears extremely exciting," he said.
"They approached us and it could be a groundbreaking arrangement if it materialises.
"This deal would work alongside the proposal we currently have from the Football Association of Thailand, and if they both come off they will take Chester City to a greater level."
The deal involving the Thai FA is still on schedule, and would see a number of the best talent Thailand has to offer join the club at all levels of the Centre of Excellence and in the main team, including the country’s national players. Fulham, and a non-league club have also been contacted by the Thai FA and are in a similar position.
Chester are expecting the first two or three players to fly over in the next few days, and begin using the club’s facilities, in a deal which, to the benefit of the Thai’s enables their players to establish themselves in the more physical, and more rounded nature of British football, and too holds obvious advantages for Chester. As well as the club obtaining the Thailand players, it also increases Chester’s status in Asia, where the club have been close-on more than one occasion-of securing investment from Asian business owners.
The link-up between Chester and the unnamed North-West club would be similar to many undertaken before, whereby the bigger clubs allow their fringe/reserve/youth players to move to Chester on loan, and in the other direction, Chester will allow their players, primarily youngsters, to progress to the bigger side, with Chester’s youth side acting as a back up to the youth side available to the premiership team already.
The most likely side which the deal involves is Liverpool, with Stephen Vaughan having many links with the red side of Merseyside, and also there being many players in the squad who originate from that area. Chester have been busy looking into Liverpool’s academy this season, with the arrivals of Stephen Vaughan Jr., Robbie Foy and the expected summer move which would see goalkeeper Paul Harrison replace Chris McKenzie or Wayne Brown in between the posts, with Stevenage Borough keeping a close eye on long-serving Brown.
Stephen Vaughan also let on that there had been more than 30 applications for the Chester job. Despite my telling that Mark Wright was set up for the post, yesterday that speculation was overturned, leaving the following suspected players/managers in the frame:
Jimmy Quinn, formerly of Shrewsbury, presently assistant to Barry Fry at Peterborough.
Keith Curle, formerly of Mansfield.
Paul Ince, presently player at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Bobby Gould, presently working in media, formerly of Cheltenham, Peterborough, and was beaten to the recent Coventry post by Micky Adams.
John Aldridge, formerly of Tranmere.
Gary Peters, presently Shrewsbury manager.
Jan Molby, formerly of Kidderminster
David Bell, presently caretaker manager at City.
Owen Brown, presently of Vauxhall Motors/Liverpool academy.
John Holllins, formerly of Swansea and Stockport
A lot of managers from the Conference/non-league have also applied, hoping to make a break-through, as well as a household name in League 1. Vaughan also disclosed there were a few lesser-known applicants with excellent coaching attributes.
However, Vaughan seems happy to use his time wisely in the aftermath of Saturday’s victory, in the knowledge he can rely on the current caretaker duo of David Bell and Clive Goodyear.
"I am not at liberty to say which club it is, but on the face of it, it appears extremely exciting," he said.
"They approached us and it could be a groundbreaking arrangement if it materialises.
"This deal would work alongside the proposal we currently have from the Football Association of Thailand, and if they both come off they will take Chester City to a greater level."
The deal involving the Thai FA is still on schedule, and would see a number of the best talent Thailand has to offer join the club at all levels of the Centre of Excellence and in the main team, including the country’s national players. Fulham, and a non-league club have also been contacted by the Thai FA and are in a similar position.
Chester are expecting the first two or three players to fly over in the next few days, and begin using the club’s facilities, in a deal which, to the benefit of the Thai’s enables their players to establish themselves in the more physical, and more rounded nature of British football, and too holds obvious advantages for Chester. As well as the club obtaining the Thailand players, it also increases Chester’s status in Asia, where the club have been close-on more than one occasion-of securing investment from Asian business owners.
The link-up between Chester and the unnamed North-West club would be similar to many undertaken before, whereby the bigger clubs allow their fringe/reserve/youth players to move to Chester on loan, and in the other direction, Chester will allow their players, primarily youngsters, to progress to the bigger side, with Chester’s youth side acting as a back up to the youth side available to the premiership team already.
The most likely side which the deal involves is Liverpool, with Stephen Vaughan having many links with the red side of Merseyside, and also there being many players in the squad who originate from that area. Chester have been busy looking into Liverpool’s academy this season, with the arrivals of Stephen Vaughan Jr., Robbie Foy and the expected summer move which would see goalkeeper Paul Harrison replace Chris McKenzie or Wayne Brown in between the posts, with Stevenage Borough keeping a close eye on long-serving Brown.
Stephen Vaughan also let on that there had been more than 30 applications for the Chester job. Despite my telling that Mark Wright was set up for the post, yesterday that speculation was overturned, leaving the following suspected players/managers in the frame:
Jimmy Quinn, formerly of Shrewsbury, presently assistant to Barry Fry at Peterborough.
Keith Curle, formerly of Mansfield.
Paul Ince, presently player at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Bobby Gould, presently working in media, formerly of Cheltenham, Peterborough, and was beaten to the recent Coventry post by Micky Adams.
John Aldridge, formerly of Tranmere.
Gary Peters, presently Shrewsbury manager.
Jan Molby, formerly of Kidderminster
David Bell, presently caretaker manager at City.
Owen Brown, presently of Vauxhall Motors/Liverpool academy.
John Holllins, formerly of Swansea and Stockport
A lot of managers from the Conference/non-league have also applied, hoping to make a break-through, as well as a household name in League 1. Vaughan also disclosed there were a few lesser-known applicants with excellent coaching attributes.
However, Vaughan seems happy to use his time wisely in the aftermath of Saturday’s victory, in the knowledge he can rely on the current caretaker duo of David Bell and Clive Goodyear.
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