2008–09 Chester City F.C. season

Chester City
2008–09 season
ManagerSimon Davies
Mark Wright
StadiumDeva Stadium
Football League Two23rd
(relegated)
FA CupRound 1
Football League CupRound 1
Football League TrophyRound 2
Top goalscorerLeague:
Ryan Lowe (16)
All:
Ryan Lowe (18)
Highest home attendance3,349 vs Bournemouth (18 April)
Lowest home attendance1,235 vs Rotherham United (10 March)
Average home league attendance1,972
22nd in division[1]

The 2008–09 season was the 67th and final season of competitive association football in the Football League played by Chester City, an English club based in Chester, Cheshire.

Also, it was the fifth season spent in the Football League Two, after the promotion from the Football Conference in 2004. Alongside competing in the Football League the club also participated in the FA Cup, the Football League Cup and the Football League Trophy.

Season summary

In 2007–08, Chester finished the season in 22nd place, only one spot above the relegation zone, on just 47 points from the 46 matches. Chester began the 2008–09 season with a squad of only 22 players and a transfer embargo, including youth team players given professional contracts just prior to the season.[2] However, at the start of the campaign it seemed unlikely for City to get relegated, as Rotherham United and A.F.C. Bournemouth had both been deducted 17 points for rules violations before the start of the season, and Luton Town faced a 30-point penalty. A poor start to 2008–09 saw Davies sacked in November 2008 with the club out of all cup competitions and struggling in League Two.[3] Mark Wright returned for his third spell as manager on a non-contract basis.[4] Beset by an ongoing transfer embargo,[5] Chester continued to struggle throughout the remainder of the campaign, and a 2–1 home defeat by Darlington on the final day of the season sealed Chester's demise and a return to non-league football after five years back in The Football League.[6] Two weeks after the final match the club entered administration.[7]

Football League

Main article: 2008–09 Football League Two
Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
20 Macclesfield Town 46 13 8 25 45 77 −32 47
21 Bournemouth 46 17 12 17 59 51 +8 46[a]
22 Grimsby Town 46 9 14 23 51 69 −18 41
23 Chester City (R) 46 8 13 25 43 81 −38 37 Relegated to Conference National
24 Luton Town (R) 46 13 17 16 58 65 −7 26[b]
Source: The Football League
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ Bournemouth deducted 17 points for leaving administration without a Company Voluntary Agreement.[8]
  2. ^ Luton Town deducted 30 points; 20 points for leaving administration without a Company Voluntary Agreement, and 10 points for making illegal payments to agents.[9]

Results summary

Overall Home Away
Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts W D L GF GA GD W D L GF GA GD
46 8 13 25 43 81  −38 37 4 7 12 24 34  −10 4 6 13 19 47  −28

Source: rsssf.com[dead link‍]

Results by matchday

Round12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243444546
ResultLLLWDWDDLDLLLWLLLWLWDWLDLDLLLLLLDDLLLDDDWLWLDL
Position21212116181414131517181919171919191919191817181818181920202020202121212122222323232323232323
Source: 11v11.com
W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Matches

Date Opponents Venue Result Score Scorers Attendance
9 August Dagenham & Redbridge A L 0–6 1,434
16 August Wycombe Wanderers H L 0–2 1,419
23 August Rotherham United A L 1–3 Ellison 3,462
30 August Barnet H W 5–1 Ellison, Lowe (2), Linwood, Roberts 1,295
6 September Bury H D 1–1 Mozika 2,327
13 September Grimsby Town A W 3–1 Ellison (3) 2,950
21 September Shrewsbury Town H D 1–1 McManus 2,891
27 September Luton Town A D 1–1 McManus 5,731
4 October Lincoln City H L 0–2 1,962
11 October Chesterfield A D 1–1 Linwood 3,042
19 October Port Vale H L 1–2 Lowe 3,102
21 October Rochdale A L 1–6 McArdle (o.g.) 2,162
25 October Gillingham A L 0–2 4,852
28 October Brentford H W 3–0 Lowe (2), Roberts 1,301
1 November Exeter City A L 0–2 4,448
15 November Morecambe H L 1–2 Johnson 1,647
22 November Aldershot Town H L 0–1 1,653
25 November Darlington A W 2–1 Lowe, Kelly 2,416
6 December AFC Bournemouth A L 0–1 4,154
13 December Notts County H W 2–0 Lowe, Roberts 1,767
20 December Bradford City A D 0–0 12,092
26 December Accrington Stanley H W 2–0 Lowe (2) 2,223
28 December Macclesfield Town A L 1–3 Lowe 2,219
13 January Luton Town H D 2–2 Lowe (pen), Ellison 1,652
17 January Chesterfield H L 1–3 Mozika 1,806
24 January Lincoln City A D 1–1 Barry 3,760
27 January Port Vale A L 0–3 4,448
31 January Gillingham H L 0–1 1,541
3 February Rochdale H L 0–2 1,357
7 February Brentford A L 0–3 4,719
14 February Morecambe A L 1–3 Wilson 1,795
17 February Shrewsbury Town A L 0–1 6,133
21 February Exeter City H D 0–0 1,649
28 February Dagenham & Redbridge H D 2–2 Mannix, Roberts 1,416
3 March Wycombe Wanderers A L 0–2 3,713
7 March Barnet A L 1–3 Ellison 2,085
10 March Rotherham United H L 1–5 Ellison 1,235
14 March Grimsby Town H D 1–1 Lowe 2,836
21 March Bury A D 1–1 Lowe 3,049
28 March Bradford City H D 0–0 2,735
4 April Notts County A W 2–1 Mannix, Lowe 4,025
11 April Macclesfield Town H L 0–2 2,248
13 April Accrington Stanley A W 1–0 Lowe (pen) 1,100
18 April AFC Bournemouth H L 0–2 3,349
25 April Aldershot Town A D 2–2 Lowe, Ellams 3,100
2 May Darlington H L 1–2 Miller (o.g.) 1,945

FA Cup

Main article: 2008–09 FA Cup
Round Date Opponents Venue Result Score Scorers Attendance
First round 8 November Millwall (3) H L 0–3 1,932

Football League Cup

Main article: 2008–09 Football League Cup
Round Date Opponents Venue Result Score Scorers Attendance
First round 12 August Leeds United (3) H L 2–5 Lowe (2) 3,644

Football League Trophy

Main article: 2008–09 Football League Trophy
Round Date Opponents Venue Result Score Scorers Attendance
Second round 7 October Morecambe (4) H L 1–1
(p.1–3) 		Ellison 926

Season statistics

Nat Player Total League FA
Cup 		League
Cup 		FL
Trophy
A G A G A G A G A G
Goalkeepers
England John Danby 44 – 41 – 1 – 1 – 1 –
England James Spencer 5 – 5 – – – – – – –
Field players
England Anthony Barry 41+5 1 38+5 1 1 – 1 – 1 –
Republic of Ireland Paul Butler 2 – 1 – – – 1 – – –
England Tony Dinning 3+1 – 3+1 – – – – – – –
England Lloyd Ellams 2+2 1 2+2 1 – – – – – –
England Kevin Ellison 42 9 39 8 1 – 1 – 1 1
England Jay Harris 25+8 – 24+7 – 1 – 0+1 – – –
Northern Ireland Mark Hughes 27+1 – 25+1 – 1 – – – 1 –
England Eddie Johnson 8+3 1 7+3 1 1 – – – – –
Wales Ben Jones 2+13 – 2+13 – – – – – – –
England Shaun Kelly 23+5 1 23+4 1 – – 0+1 – – –
England Paul Linwood 46 2 43 2 1 – 1 – 1 –
England Ryan Lowe 47+1 18 45 16 1 – 1 2 0+1 –
England David Mannix 11+3 2 10+3 2 – – 1 – – –
England Paul McManus 7+3 2 6+3 2 – – – – 1 –
France Damien Mozika 24+1 2 21+1 2 1 – 1 – 1 –
Wales James Owen 4+3 – 4+3 – – – – – – –
Republic of Ireland Richie Partridge 17+13 – 15+13 – – – 1 – 1 –
England Kristian Platt 0+1 – 0+1 – – – – – – –
England Kevin Roberts 46 4 44 4 1 – – – 1 –
England Glenn Rule 18+4 – 18+4 – – – – – – –
England Paul Rutherford 5+15 – 5+14 – 0+1 – – – – –
England Paul Smith 0+5 – 0+5 – – – – – – –
England Paul Taylor 2+8 – 2+7 – – – – – 0+1 –
England Stephen Vaughan 7+1 – 7+1 – – – – – – –
England James Vaughan 45 – 42 – 1 – 1 – 1 –
England Laurence Wilson 36+1 1 34 1 0+1 – 1 – 1 –
Own goals – 2 – 2 – – – – – –
Total 49 46 46 43 1 – 1 2 1 1

References

  1. ^ "English attendances archive". EFS. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  2. ^ Live, North Wales (20 June 2008). "Chester City hit by transfer embargo". northwales. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  3. ^ "Manager Simon Davies sacked". chester-city.co.uk. 10 November 2008. Archived from the original on 8 November 2008. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
  4. ^ "Chester reappoint Wright as boss". BBC Sport. 13 November 2008. Retrieved 13 November 2008.
  5. ^ "Chester stuck with transfer embargo". Ellesmere Port Standard. 27 January 2009. Retrieved 19 April 2009.[permanent dead link‍]
  6. ^ "Chester City 1 Darlington 2". Chester Chronicle. 2 May 2009. Retrieved 2 May 2009.
  7. ^ "Chester enter administration". Sky Sports. 17 May 2009. Retrieved 17 May 2009.
  8. ^ "Bournemouth face 17-point penalty". BBC Sport. 7 August 2008. Retrieved 7 August 2008.
  9. ^ "Luton to face 30-point deduction". BBC Sport. 10 July 2008. Retrieved 10 July 2008.

Sumner, Chas (1 November 2011). 125 Years on the Borderline: The Complete History of Chester City F.C. 1885-2010. Yore Publications. ISBN 978-0956984821.