A Chester FC director has branded the attendance for this week’s Cheshire Senior Cup clash against Tranmere Rovers as ‘disgusting’.
An 820 crowd watched Neil Young’s side book their place in the semi-finals with a 1-0 win over their Football League opponents at the Exacta Stadium on Monday.
That gate dwarfed the ones at Congleton Town (151), Stalybridge Celtic (126) and Vauxhall Motors (85) for the other quarter-final ties in the county cup competition.
But Bill Smith, who was appointed to the Blues board at the 2011 AGM, contacted The Chronicle to express his personal displeasure.
He said: “The fact that we only had 800 spectators is disgusting.
“The board kept admission down to £7, it was a nice night, there was no game on Saturday and high class opposition should have made for a bumper crowd.”
Smith added: “We are having a fantastic year and it is really disappointing that crowds have not increased.”
Chester’s average attendance for the 17 Blue Square Bet North matches they have played so far this season is 2,435.
That is down on last season’s average of 2,784 in the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League – a figure swelled by bumper crowds for the last two games of the campaign against Northwich Victoria (5,009) and Marine (3,686).
Motor racing legend Smith, the founder of Bill Smith Motors in Boughton, said: “We had 5,000 at the Northwich game in 2012 so let’s make sure we support the Blues and bring your mates too.”
Chester are ready to launch an offer that will enable supporters to pay just £10 for each of the final three matches of this season – Altrincham (April 1), Boston United (April 6) and Solihull Moors (April 20) – if they buy all three tickets together.
