A FORMER Blues defender will be at the Exacta Stadium next week to hand over a prized piece of memorabilia and salute two of the club’s unsung heroes.
John ‘Basher’ Evans will donate his grey club blazer from the 1963-64 campaign to Chester FC during the half-time break in Wednesday’s home match against Woodley Sports (7.45pm kick-off).
The Waverton resident, who celebrates his 70th birthday the day after the match, decided to get the blazer framed and hand it over to the Blues when the club was relaunched by the supporters last year.
It will displayed at the Exacta Stadium, flanked by pictures of long-serving former club doctors Jim Kane and Mike Swallow.
John, who broke his back while playing for Chester in 1964, wants to dedicate the blazer to the duo.
Dr Kane will attend next week’s match as a guest of John’s, while the late Dr Swallow will be represented by his widow Margaret and three daughters.
Former Chester players Dennis Reeves and Malcolm Starkey will also be in attendance.
John, who earned the nickname Basher for his wholehearted style of play, racked up 44 first-team appearances for Chester, mainly in the 1961-62 and ‘63-64 campaigns.
The promising defender never fully recovered from his back injury and retired from professional football in his early 20s to pursue a career as an electrician.
He was treated by Dr Swallow in 1983 when problems related to the injuries he sustained as a player reared their head again.
Recalling the day when he was injured, John said: “There were no subs allowed then so they put me on the wing. But after about 20 minutes they had to take me off – I could hardly move!”
The blazer he is donating to the club was part of a set made in late 1964 for the glamour FA Cup tie with Manchester United early the following year.
