CITY Fans United believe their bid to restore football to the Deva Stadium is too good to turn down.

The council has given interested parties until Monday to declare their intention to run a club at the ground left vacant following the demise of Chester City FC.

The Chronicle understands two other unnamed groups have made tentative inquiries to Cheshire West and Chester Council to take over the lease at the Deva – but as of last night neither had firmed up their interest.

CFU – the Supporters’ Trust body whose membership this week passed the 1,500-mark – are unmoved by the possibility of competition as they feel their plans for their reformed ‘Chester FC’ cannot be matched.

Jeff Banks, CFU press officer, said: “We’ve got complete confidence in our business plan and we’re confident the council will view CFU as the right choice.

“We’re speaking to a great number of businesses which we believe will have a very positive impact on the future of Chester Football Club. Hopefully very soon we’ll be in a position to reveal names, but what I can say is that people will be very pleasantly surprised when they hear who are getting involved with the club.

“We have been transparent in everything we’ve done and there are no other bids on the table who have gone to the public and tried to win their backing.

“We’ve tried to make our bid as strong as possible – a bid the council can’t turn down. We’re ready to go.”

The Danish consortium that was in negotiations to buy the now-defunct Chester City, and which last month declared it wanted to start up a new club in Chester, yesterday refused to comment when asked by The Chronicle whether the group had been in contact with the council.

The inaugural CFU Darts Open will be held at the Cottage Inn on Brook Street, Chester, on Saturday at 8pm.

Entry costs £10 for CFU members and is strictly limited to 32 competitors. Entry forms are available by e-mailing jim.green@cityfansunited.com with 50% of the entry fee going to CFU’s ‘war chest’.

Chester City Ladies face Stockport County Ladies in the final of the Cheshire FA Women’s Cup on Sunday at Warrington Town’s Cantilever Park (3pm).