And so to the Deva Stadium on Bumpers Lane in Chester for a National League North clash between Chester FC, The Seals, and Peterborough Sports FC, The Turbines.
Chester FC was founded in 2010 following the liquidation of Chester City and was placed in the Northern Premier League Division One North, after a successful appeal against restarting in the North West Counties.
Three successive promotions propelled the Seals to the Conference in 2013, but after a reprieve in their first season due to Hereford United's expulsion, relegation to the Conference North eventually followed in 2018, where they remain after play off defeats to Altrincham (3-2 away in Covid 2020) and Brackley (0-1 at home last season).
The original Chester FC was founded as an amalgamation of Chester Rovers and Old King's Scholars FC in August 1885. Playing at Faulkner Street the Blues moved briefly to The Old Showground and then Whipcord Lane before settling at Sealand Road in 1906 where they stayed until 1991. Then after two seasons at Macclesfield's Moss Rose ground, City returned home to the Deva Stadium on the Sealand Industrial Estate, which partially straddles the Welsh border.
The Seals entered the Combination five years from inception, and, after promotion to the Lancashire Combination in 1910 and three Cheshire League titles, joined the Football League at the start of the 1931/32 season, in place of Nelson FC. The club changed its name to Chester City FC in 1983.
The Blues were predominantly fourth tier Football League members but occasionally played at the third level (1975-1982, 1986-1993 and 1994-1995), until 2000 when the club was relegated to the Football Conference under the chaotic ownership of American Terry Smith, who installed himself as manager and steered the Seals to four wins in four months.....
Under new owner Stephen Vaughan they returned to the Football League after winning the Conference title in 2004, but following relegation back to the Conference in 2009, the club courted controversy and hit financial difficulties.
These financial problems led to the 2009/10 season starting with a 25 point deduction, after the Inland Revenue revoked a proposed CVA.
Amidst increasing disquiet among fans City Fans United was formed in October 2009, and a month later staged an on field protest about Chester City's ownership leading to the abandonment of a home game against Eastbourne Borough, which they were leading 3-2.... Chester City FC was eventually wound up on 10 March 2010, a day after applying to join the Welsh Premier League. Preparations to form a phoenix club had already begun.... leading to Chester FC, sitting 17th this term with 3 wins and two draws from ten games.
Peterborough Sports FC, from Lincoln Road in Peterborough, was established in 1908 as Brotherhoods Engineering Works, a factory side for the company founded by Peter Brotherhood in 1867, and famed for designing and manufacturing the first steam turbine engine in the world.
They joined the Northants League (which later became the United Counties League) for the 1919–20 season, winning the league in their first season, but left at the end of the 1922–23 campaign.
Sports then transferred to Division Three of the Peterborough & District League, winning the title in the 1925–26 season - the club was dormant in 1929–30 and 1932–33, and dropped into Division Three North. Despite only finishing eleventh in 1936–37, the Turbines were elevated to Division Two for the 1937–38 season. And after World War II the club was placed in Division One, but was relegated after finishing bottom of the table in 1948–49 and further relegations followed in 1953 and 1964, to Division Three South, albeit they bounced back with promotion in the following season.
Another relegation at the end of the 1973–74 season saw Brotherhoods Engineering Works demoted to Division Three South for a second time, but returned to Division Two after winning the title in 1975–76. Relegated again in 1979–80, the club was elevated to Division Two at the first attempt as Division Three South champions, and gained promotion to Division One at the end of the 1982–83 season after finishing third. The 1987–88 season saw the club finish as Division One runners-up and step up to the Premier Division.
In 1999 the club changed its name to Bearings Direct FC, and then again in 2001 to Peterborough Sports. In 2006–07 they won the Premier Division, and in 2012–13 was promoted to Division One of the United Counties League after finishing third.
In 2016 Peterborough Sports were Division One champions, earning promotion to the Premier Division. The following season saw them win the league with 112 points, and moved on up to Division One South of the Northern Premier League.
In 2018 the club was transferred laterally to Division One Central of the Southern League and that season the Turbines finished as champions, engineering a move up to the Premier Division Central. They finished runners-up in 2022, qualifying for the promotion play-offs, and after beating Alvechurch in the semi-finals, the club defeated Coalville Town 2–0 in the final to rise to the National League North, finishing 14th in their inaugural campaign.
However they are 23rd this time around with two wins, two draws and six defeats thus far and were dumped out of the FA Cup by lower league Needham Market on Tuesday - the Seals go to Hartlepool in the fourth qualifying round next weekend.
Past the Chapel Street war figurines at Altrincham, the boarded up Cheshire Midland in Hale, into the mid-Cheshire countryside on an unseasonably warm Saturday October afternoon. Flooded fields at Ashley, then Knutsford - home of Tatton Park - the Drill Field, former home of Northwich Victoria, now housing, and Delamere, 'The Forest Station', before we pull into Chester.
Then after K9 to 5 (dog grooming) and the Blue Coat Hospital it's on to the City Walls. Morgan's Mount, Pemberton's Parlour, the Water Tower, Water Gate and the racecourse - no races today with the last meet next weekend. Onwards to Chester Castle, the River Dee, the Roman Gardens, Newgate, the Eastgate Clock, Chester Cathedral and the Amphitheatre before I walk towards the football ground.
Eschewing The Cop Skatepark and Audacious Church, I skirt various retail and business parks to arrive on Bumpers Lane and Chester FC. Three all seater stands - the Gary Talbot (Main) Stand to my left, the Hipkiss Stand at the far end and the Swettenhams Chemists Community Stand on the right. I am stood on the Harry McNally North Terrace - £17 in, compared to £20 to sit, although there are modest reductions of £1 and £2 respectively if you book online. The crowd is 2,250 - including just 13 away supporters ☺
