Preview: Morecambe (A)

    The Blues’ Emirates FA Cup journey continues on Saturday with a trip to Enterprise National League outfit Morecambe.

    Progression to this stage has been secured thanks to a 2-1 success on the road at Stalybridge Celtic and a dominant 5-1 win over Curzon Ashton at the Deva Stadium.

    Morecambe’s cup campaign starts at this stage due to their fifth-tier status, and it will be the first time they have competed at this stage since 2006 following the club’s relegation from the EFL last term.

    The Opposition

    The Shrimps have faced a tough start to life in the National League on their return to the division that they last featured in 18 years ago.

    The club currently find themselves in 24th with a record of eight points from their opening 12 outings.

    Despite ex-Chester forward Ben Tollitt’s close-range finish in the 70th minute, midweek action saw defeat for Morecambe on the road at Glanford Park, a result that followed a battling 1-1 draw away at Tamworth last Saturday.

    Goals have flown in at a very regular rate so far in 25/26, with 16 goals scored and 36 conceded, an average of over four per game.

    The Gaffer

    The youngest manager in England’s top five divisions, Ashvir Singh Johal stepped into his maiden first-team managerial role when he was appointed as boss at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium in the summer.

    Johal spent a decade as a coach in various roles at Leicester City’s academy prior to 2022, when he made the switch to Wigan Athletic to work under the management of Kolo Toure.

    The 30-year-old then worked under Cesc Fabregas at Italian side Como before a recent stint in the coaching setup at Notts County.

    Johal became the first Sikh to take charge of a professional English club when he was appointed in Lancashire over the summer.

    One To Watch

    Midfielder Miguel Azeez has made an impact at Morecambe since his arrival in the summer.

    The 23-year-old started his career in the youth setup at Arsenal, a club which he joined at the age of five.

    He earned a professional contract with the Gunners in 2019 and made his first-team debut in a 4-2 UEFA Europa League success over Dundalk in December 2020.

    Loan moves to Portsmouth, UD Ibiza and Wigan Athletic followed for Azeez before a permanent move to Mallorca-based club Atlético Baleares in 2024.

    The central midfielder moved back to England this summer after a spell with Greek club PAS Giannina, and has started in all of the Shrimps last 10 encounters.

    MATCH DETAILS

    Kick off at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium will be at 15:00 on Saturday 11th October. The postcode for the ground is LA4 4TB.

    Chester FC supporters have been allocated standing tickets in the Dennison Trailers Stand and seated tickets in the Castle Windows Stand.

    Ticket Prices

    Seated

    • Adults – £17
    • Over 65s – £12
    • Young Adults (18-22) – £10
    • Juniors – £4

    Standing

    • Adults – £15
    • Over 65s – £10
    • Young Adults – £8
    • Juniors – £2

    CLICK HERE TO SECURE YOUR SPOT!

    All prices will increase by £2 on the day of the game.

    Children under the age of two are not allowed to attend the game at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium – Prams and Pushchairs are also not allowed inside the ground.

    All under 14’s must be accompanied by an Adult.

    Five wheelchair bays and carer tickets are available on a first come first served basis. All wheelchair spaces are within the away seated end.

    To purchase these tickets, please call Morecambe FC on 01524 411797 and select option three.

    Parking

    Parking spots can be purchased for £10 by calling 01524 411797 or online by clicking here.

    Disabled parking spots can be booked by calling 01524 411797 and providing the drivers name and car registration plate.

    Travel

    By Car – Follow the M56 to nine and merge onto the M6 Northbound. Stay on the M6 until junction 34, leaving for the A683 which takes you into Morecambe. The A589 will then take you to Westgate, before the Mazuma Mobile Stadium emerges on your right.

    By Train – Take a Northern service to Warrington Bank Quay where you can change for an Avanti West Coast service to Lancaster, before a Northern service from Lancaster to Morecambe. Morecambe station is located 1.1 miles away from the Mazuma Mobile Station – The 6A bus operates from the station to the stadium and is scheduled to take around 20 minutes.

    Johnny’s Bar

    For those who fancy a pint before the game on Saturday, our supporters have been encouraged to visit Johnny’s Bar!

    Located just a mile away from the ground and nearby to Morecambe train station, Johnny’s are very kindly offering our supporters 10% off drinks when they attend before Saturday’s game!

    More information can be found here – https://johnnys-morecambe.com.

    We hope to see you there – UTS!