Chester FC will give out 1,000 free tickets to children aged 15 and under between now and the end of the season.

The free tickets are available to schools, charities, football teams, sports clubs, youth groups and community organisations from across Chester, Cheshire West and North Wales with discounted admission for adults available, too.

The ticket initiative, titled 'Backing the Blues', has been launched by the club and the Chester FC Community Trust.

And it is hoped it will drum up extra support for Marcus Bignot's side, who have 18 games to secure their Vanarama National League safety.

Children and their families will be able to watch home matches from the MBNA South Stand and the club is urging them to make lots of noise and get right behind the Blues in their fight for survival.

Applications are now being accepted for the crucial clash at home to Gateshead on Saturday, January 20 (3pm kick-off).

'Backing the Blues' tickets will be available for all remaining home fixtures with the exception of the match against Tranmere Rovers on April 7.

Chester FC chief executive Mark Maguire said: "The work carried out by the Community Trust, fulfilling our responsibility as a community club, is absolutely fantastic and this initiative, which engages children and their families at a time when we are pulling together and battling for our National League status, is a really positive move.

"We look forward to welcoming them to the Swansway Chester Stadium and watching them get behind the team at this crucial time."

Jim Green, chief executive of Chester FC Community Trust, added: "We are very grateful to the club for supporting this initiative.

"This is a really positive move and we are looking forward to welcoming lots of new fans between now and the end of the season for a massive run of games.

"It's vitally important the club engages with supporters of the future and the team will be giving everything on the pitch to inspire the next generation of fans."

In addition to free tickets for children aged 15 and under, community groups can access discounted £10 adult tickets, and admission is free for under-5s.

There are a limited number of free tickets available for each match but additional children's tickets are £3 each.

Chester FC Community Trust is coordinating the initiative and tickets must be requested in advance. These will be available for collection outside the MBNA South Stand one hour before kick-off.

To take advantage of the offer or for more information, community groups can call 01244 371376 or email community@chesterfc.com to request an order form.