Senior Blues Meeting Recap: November 2024
As your regular correspondent and his able deputy were each unfortunately otherwise engaged Chairman Chris has undertaken the mammoth task of both chairing and reporting on what was another interesting meeting.
The meeting opened with our AGM. The Chairman’s opening report focused on the progress of the Senior Blues over the previous 12 months, highlighting the handgrip project which appears to have been welcomed by the Supporters of the East and West Stands. The next project is help fund the cost of the area redevelopment for wheelchair users in the East Stand. The financial report from treasurer Martin Williams, was accepted by members and there were no questions.
The Senior Blues committee were re-elected by a show of hands, to serve another year.
Our first guest was ex-Chester goalkeeper Reg Barton. Now 82, he was pleasantly surprised at how many of our members remembered him. A lifelong fan of the club, (he is a current Season Ticket holder) Reg signed for the club in 1957, and played junior and reserve team football before turning professional four years later. He made his first team debut on September 27th 1961 against Doncaster Rovers, but suffered a 2-3 defeat.
There was strong competition for the goalkeeper’s spot at that time, so his appearances were limited, but due to an injury to regular goalkeeper Dennis Reeves, in the well remembered 1964-65 season, Reg managed to get a run of games. During that run, Reg played in the never-to-be forgotten local derby game against Wrexham at Sealand Road on February 27th, in front of a crowd 14,782. Reg remembered the exact figure! Chester thrashed their local rivals 6-1. Reg, said that was the highlight of his time at Chester, and most probably in his football career.
He spoke highly about Dennis Reeves, the man who kept him out of the goalkeeper’s jersey for so long, saying he rated him as the best goalkeeper he had seen at that time. Reg was released at the end of that season and went into Non-League Welsh football, playing for a number of teams, including Holyhead and Penmaenmawr, and Connahs Quay Nomads. He worked at both British Aerospace and Capenhurst and retired from playing football at the age of 35.
Our next speaker was Dave Powell, one time Chester FC reporter for the Chronicle, and now Business of Football correspondent for Reach plc and good friend of the Senior Blues. Our members very much enjoyed Dave’s hour long explanation about the intricate business of money and football. He covered many topics which are briefly mentioned below.
Dave is confident that Everton have a brighter future ahead with the new takeover coming up, and in time for their move to the new stadium.
Asked about Wrexham up the road, he says they now owe their owners £10m plus accruing interest, and quite possibly sees the club getting into the Championship, but thinks that’s where their climb up the leagues will stall, due to the financial restraints involved.
Dave also revealed that rapper, “ASAP Rocky”, boyfriend of the singer Rihanna, is likely to be part of the consortium that wants to take over Tranmere Rovers.
He thinks the current situation of the vast amounts of TV money coming into the game can’t continue forever and there will come a limit as to what sponsors and football supporters will pay. He considered some of the mooted changes happening in football, such as playing some Premier League games abroad in the USA as not a good thing, as it fractures our domestic game.
He touched on the domination of the Welsh Premier League by fully professional team T.N.S. Although they play in a European Cup competition every season because of continually winning their League, they have to play their Euro home games away from their home base to meet the necessary requirements. Dave said that even though they only get a handful of fans to their home league games, they could actually manage without any fans at all, because of their sponsorship and vast amounts of cash they receive from playing in Europe.
Dave is very much a Chester supporter through and through, and loves nothing better than coming down to the Deva for a game, when he’s not jetting off somewhere around the world. He was flying off to a conference in New York the following day after he spoke to us. He loves being part of our club, and wouldn’t swap it for any other club. This is coming from a man who visits Premiership clubs regularly as part of his job.
Thanks Reg and Dave for giving their time, and big thanks to Chairman Chris for a remarkable feat of multitasking, (which seems a remarkably bizarre word when seen in print).
Next Meeting and Christmas Meal: Friday December 6th. Guest speaker Joe Swiffen, Mynydd Sleddog Adventures