Over the last twelve months a small group of supporters have been meeting to discuss expanding the activities of Chester Football History. A number of successful projects have been run, with more in the pipeline, and this season we are looking to widen the scope of the group and get more supporter involvement. 

Last summer we added memorabilia to the Blues Bar and we are currently in the process of putting up match worn shirts, outside the Grenville Millington Legends Lounge, with the intention of expanding this idea up the stairs. 

In addition there has been a project to organise the large number of programmes that have been donated to the club over the years. These have been organised into complete seasons and made available in the Club Shop. Many more of these packs will be available to buy on the Chester Football History stall at the Open Day prior to the Crewe friendly on August 1st with complete seasons stretching back to the 1960s. In addition there will be a number of signed action photographs and team groups. By selling these items we are hoping to increase group funds so that we can pay for the shirt framing and other displays around the ground that are currently under discussion. 

The death of two key members of the Former Players Association, Gary Talbot and Grenville Millington, meant that the organisation had to be wound down but efforts are now being made to re-activate the association under the Chester Football History banner. Shortly before Grenville’s passing we successfully reunited the 1974/75 promotion squad and last season we staged a reunion of the 1985/86 squad which proved very popular with both players and supporters. We would like to build on this success and expand the group while inviting more former players back to the ground on match days as well as holding another squad reunion.

In October, as part of Elders Week at Storyhouse, there will be a couple of activities held under the Chester Football History banner. At 2pm on Monday October 12^th there will be a showing, in the Storyhouse cinema, of the 1963 student film “A Study of a Soccer Club” which has previously been shown at Senior Blues meetings. This will be preceded by a short talk on the history of the Sealand Road ground in ten photographs. The event is being promoted by Storyhouse and ticket details will be released shortly but it is a great opportunity to see footage of the old ground on the big screen.

Following on from this, at 10:30am on Tuesday October 13^th, there will be a Football and Sporting Memories Workshop, in the Garret Bar at Storyhouse, which will give the opportunity for supporters to come along and share memories not only of the club but also other sports in the city. This event will be promoted and run by Storyhouse and ticket details will be released shortly. 

A link has also been formed with Cheshire Archives and we are looking to hold an event when the new facility, currently under construction in Lightfoot Street, is completed. A meeting is scheduled to take place with the archives next month to develop this idea. 

Members of the group will be available for a conversation at the Open Day being held from 11am prior to the Crewe friendly on August 1^st so if you have any ideas or feel that you can assist in any way please come and have a chat with us.