LAST week it was made official that Fodboldselskabet A/S has filed a formal application with Cheshire West and Chester Council for the continued management of a professional football club at Deva Stadium.

I have noticed that this has spurred widespread reactions in and around Chester, and I therefore feel that I need to comment on the events.

Firstly, I believe that it has to be recognised that various interested parties have had the opportunity to make a qualified bid for continuing football at Deva Stadium and in Chester. That we are still actively pursuing this goal should therefore not be a surprise to anyone.

We have worked intensely and focused for months on this project, and the fact that conditions have been subject to change along the way does not mean that our interest or dedication has been affected at any time.

We have seen it as yet another challenge to be faced and we have chosen to do so, just like will be the case with any other challenges coming in the future, should we win the rights to run a football club at Deva Stadium.

It is now up to Cheshire West and Chester Council to carefully evaluate our bid and decide who will be running a professional football club at Deva Stadium in the years to come.

It is my conviction that for the good of the club and the city, this decision must be respected by all parts.

This is obviously also the case, should CFU win the bid. In this scenario I will on behalf of Fodboldselskabet A/S of course wish CFU all the best of luck.

Similarly I hope that the CFU will do the same, should Fodboldselskabet win the bid. This attitude to me characterises fair play, as well as I regard it as being in the best interest of the many people in and around the club itself.

I am writing this because it has come to my attention that a large group of individuals in Chester are willing to go very far to ensure that we are not successful in our attempts to run a prospering football club in Chester.

I am not in a position to adequately judge how much truth there is embedded in these statements, but I do find it most unfortunate that local forces are actively working against the idea of continued professional football at Deva Stadium.

As I have stated in an earlier letter, we have nothing but the best intentions, both in terms of economy and of ambition, and involving the local community and fans in running football in Chester continues to be a paramount part of our project.

This ideal is integral to our bid and a pivotal element of our proposal to the Chester City Council.

All the involved parts will now meet with Cheshire West and Chester City Council on Thursday, where each will be asked to explain their intentions and detailed planning.

This day will be a true test of everyone involved in the future of Chester City Football Club, and I can as such not describe any details of our proposals just yet.

Should CFU or anyone else have any questions, my staff and myself will however try to answer these as well as we can.

For now I can nonetheless say that it is important for me to stress that we wish to run an English club and not a ‘Danish’ one. We wish to do this in close and respectful collaboration with the local community, CFU and the other fans that have supported Chester over the years.

We wish to form a company in England with its own board and economy to serve this sole purpose. In this regard both CFU and other local interests will be offered seats in the main board, thus securing absolute transparency as well as influence on the daily running of the club.

It is as such essential to the mission of guaranteeing continued professional football in Chester that we work together and not against each other.

Should you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to contact me on: henning@fodboldselskabet.dk

Best regards,

HENNING BICKHAM

Managing director, Fodboldselskabet A/S