FORMER Chester City managing director Bob Gray blamed the club’s demise on poor performances on the pitch and a fans’ boycott, writes MARK DOWLING.
Gray, who had stayed on to work behind the scenes at the Deva Stadium in recent weeks despite officially leaving his post, was left “devastated” by yesterday’s news.
He added: “I’m upset for all the people who work here at the club and I don’t think they deserve this final episode.”
Gray refused to lay blame for the High Court decision with the Vaughan family who ran the now- defunct club.
He said: “There were a multitude of things, such as poor performances on the pitch where we needed to win games. We needed that bit of luck in our FA Cup run against Barrow, where we would’ve got that little extra revenue.
“The boycott never helped, when we are losing money and can’t afford to pay players it’s very difficult with falling attendances.
“We were ambitious at the start of the season but we needed to invest to stay in the division. One thing is to pay players and they don’t come cheap.”
Gray, who said he had not taken a penny out of the club during his four years in the job, was optimistic Chester City could return in some form, but believed clubs in general needed investment from benefactors.
“I think the football club can come back, I hope it does,” he said. “I think modern-day clubs need a sugar daddy and if you haven’t got one then you do struggle.
“It’s not going to be easy but if they do want to set up a phoenix club, at this level, in fairness that’s all we ever wanted to do, and that’s all our owner ever wanted.”
