Champs on parade

THE Blues will celebrate their Conference North title success with an open-top bus parade around the city on Saturday.

The bus will leave the Exacta Stadium at 2pm and travel to the Town Hall via Bumpers Lane, Sealand Road, South View Road, Raymond Road, Canal Street and Northgate Street.

It is expected to arrive at Town Hall Square by 2.30pm.

Neil Young, his players and management team will then be treated to a civic reception at the Town Hall.

It will be the third open-top bus parade for the Blues in as many years.

Chester FC manager Young, who has led the club to three successive championships, said: “We’ve had two good bus tours in the past two years and hopefully this one will be the best one yet as we’re celebrating going up into the Conference.

“Hopefully the Chester public will come out and show support for the lads and for what they’ve done.

“We’re looking forward to a good afternoon.”

Prize night backed

MBNA has been named the new sponsor of Chester FC’s sold out end-of-season awards do.

The presentation evening, which sold out in record time this year, takes place at the Pavilion Suite at Chester Racecourse on Saturday week.

Chester-based MBNA have backed the Blues as the club’s principal partner since it was formed in 2010.

John Greaves, director of corporate affairs at MBNA, said: “Over the last three years Chester FC have enjoyed tremendous success on and off the field and these awards promise to be celebration of how far the club has come.”

Up for grabs on the night will be the MBNA Player of the Year, MBNA Players’ Player of the Year, MBNA Golden Boot and MBNA Clubman of the Year. The audience will have the opportunity to vote for the MBNA Goal of the Season from a shortlist which will be shown on the big screen.

Colin Murray is set to host the awards and fellow BBC broadcaster and Chester fan Jonathan Legard will be in action as the celebrity auctioneer.

Getting a round in

THE Chester Former Players Association is inviting Blues supporters to join them for a day of golf at Eaton Golf Club on Monday, July 1.

Ex-Chester City and Chester FC players will be teeing it up for 18 holes around the par-72 course.

Fans can rub shoulders with Gary Talbot, Bob Delgado, Alan Tarbuck, Grenville Millington and more for a day which starts with bacon rolls and coffee at 10am, followed by golf and then dinner, all for £50.

To register email chas.sumner@formerchesterplayers.com.

Eaton Golf Club requires players to have an official handicap.

Trotters in town

A VISIT of Championship outfit Bolton Wanderers to the Exacta Stadium on Saturday, July 27 remains Chester FC’s sole confirmed friendly.

The Blues had hoped to entertain newly crowned Conference Premier champions Mansfield Town in pre-season but that has fallen through while a scheduled clash at home to Cheshire neighbours Crewe Alexandra on Saturday, July 20, has yet to be ratified.

Grounds for pride

CHESTER FC’s Steve Ollerenshaw is on the five-man shortlist for the Football Conference Groundsman of the Year award.

His rivals for the title are Grimsby Town’s Mike Phillips, Staines Town’s Graham Gould, Boreham Wood’s Daniel Hunter and Forest Green Rovers’ Stewart Ward, who finished third last year.

The final results will be announced at a ceremony at St George’s Park on August 7.

Joe’s on target

CHESTER FC Youth will finish fifth in the North West Youth Alliance Premier League after they won 1-0 at Northwich Victoria on Sunday.

Joe Ormrod scored the winner for the Blues, who played 70 minutes with 10 men.

Derby days ahead

PROMOTED Chester FC can look forward to a derby with Wrexham next season.

The Dragons lost Sunday’s Conference Premier play-off final to Welsh rivals Newport County, going down 2-0 at Wembley.