NEIL Young’s first day as full-time manager of Chester FC could end with his side going top of the Blue Square Bet North table.

The Blues will take over at the summit with victory in their hastily rearranged clash at Histon on Saturday (3pm). That would represent the perfect start to what is an exciting new chapter in the reformed club’s history.

Tomorrow marks Young’s final day as a Merseyrail employee, for the next year and a half at least.

The boss has been granted an 18-month sabbatical from his long-term employers in order to dedicate the time and energy required to help Chester make the transition to full-time football.

Young, 38, said: “It’s going to be a strange feeling going into work on Friday. I’ve been there nearly 21 years and had some great times and worked with some excellent people. I can’t thank Merseyrail enough for giving me the opportunity to take this sabbatical.

“It’s a new and big challenge and one I can’t wait to get started. I’ve already got things planned and meetings set up for next week.”

Young, a manager at Merseyrail, admits there is an ‘element of risk’ to what he is about to undertake.

He added: “Part of the deal with Merseyrail is that they will keep me a job open but that they can’t guarantee that the job I’ve left will still be there when I go back, which is completely understandable.

“I am giving up quite a bit financially but this is a challenge I had to take.”

For now, Young’s focus is solely on Histon.

The trip to Cambridgeshire has been brought forward from Tuesday, February 26 to this Saturday as both teams were without a fixture having been knocked out of the FA Trophy.

Chester approached Histon last Thursday after being given permission to move the match by the Football Conference.

The game was seemingly in doubt, however, after the Stutes released a shock statement the following morning stating that they were ‘seeking professional advice on the financial position of the club’ and that they would be unable to fulfil their fixture at Colwyn Bay the next day.

But a series of emergency board meetings resulted in Histon issuing a further statement on Monday evening that confirmed the club was in a ‘position to move forward’ and that the visit of the Blues would indeed be going ahead.

Furious Colwyn Bay player-boss Jon Newby believes the Conference should have asked Histon to travel to Llanelian Road on Saturday rather than hosting Chester.

Newby, whose side are set to go six weeks without a home match, said: “Histon cancelled their trip to us with only 24 hours notice and left us badly out of pocket. The league apparently say we are not entitled to any compensation and I am now facing the real possibly that my team budget will have to be cut.”

Young hopes to have a full-strength squad to choose from for the game.

Matty McGinn and Luke Denson are back in training while Dom Collins and Scott Brown are expected to shake off knocks.

Wes Baynes and Antoni Sarcevic will miss next Wednesday’s visit of Corby Town to the Exacta Stadium (7.45pm) through suspension.

Collins has also accumulated five cautions and will sit out the top-of-the-table battle at Brackley – who are without a league match this weekend – on December 8.

Nathan Jarman and Brown are both one booking away from a ban.

Young, who watched third-placed Guiseley draw 3-3 at home to Worcester City on Tuesday, said: “It was no-brainer to move the Histon game forward from a midweek in February.

“There is no point worrying about who may get booked or injured. All we’ve got to worry about is winning the game that will take us to the top of the league.”