THE race to become the first manager of Chester Football Club is hotting up.
More than 25 “quality” applicants have already thrown their hat into the ring in a bid to become the new boss of the resurrected Deva Stadium outfit.
The deadline for applications closes next Wednesday and Blues chief executive Steve Ashton has made it clear he wants the new man in place within a matter of weeks.
Ashton said: “We’ve had around 25 to 30 applications of what we would describe as quality.
“We’ve got former Football League managers in there and managers who have had experience of non-league football.
“The application process is totally confidential so I cannot give any leaning into who the applicants are, but I can say the quality is very pleasing.
“We want someone in place as soon as possible as there is absolutely no time to waste. The end of May might be a little tight but we would hope to have someone in place by early June as the successful applicant is going to have to build a team from scratch.”
While Blues fans will have to wait a little longer to discover the identity of the man charged with leading their reformed club, the new badge of Chester FC will be unveiled within a week.
The crest is to go on show for first time at a public meeting at the Guild- hall in Chester next Thursday (7.30pm start).
The meeting, which will a feature guest appearance from modern-day Blues legend Daryl Clare, is being staged to officially relaunch the supporter-owned Chester FC.
“We will give all Chester Football Club fans, not only City Fans United members, a full update on the progress being made,” said Ashton, whose role as Chester’s chief executive is being funded by his employers, Bank of America.
“We will also be asking the community to dig deep.
“The football club is a not-for-profit organisation and the business plan is built on ongoing contributions from the business community and fans to grow the club.
“We need to raise more funds quickly. I am liaising with local businesses to invest sponsorship monies into the club, but the business plan also requires ongoing donations from fans.
“It does not matter how big or small, everyone can play their part. Committing to £5 a month will make a difference.”
Ashton and CFU board members are now waiting on the call from the FA to discuss their reformed club application.
As a reformed club, Chester FC could be playing in a competition as high as the Evo-Stik Premier League – previously the UniBond Premier – come August.
