Club Statement 08/08/22

Chester FC is deeply disappointed in the actions of a minority of supporters during Saturday’s game at Alfreton Town, who damaged the toilets within the away section of the Impact Arena.

Our travelling support is among the best in non-league football and your passionate, vocal backing is greatly appreciated by the players, staff and club officials.

The overwhelming majority of our fans behave impeccably, however, incidents of anti-social and criminal behaviour such as those committed at Alfreton blemish the reputation of our club and supporters.

We have apologised to Alfreton for the damage and offered to cover the costs of the repairs in full. This unexpected outlay now means these funds will not be available to be used for the benefit of our club.

From the start of the 2022/23 season, new measures and stronger sanctions have been introduced across the game to tackle anti-social and criminal behaviours.

As a community-owned, family club, Chester FC fully supports these new actions, which target activity such as entering the pitch without permission, the use of smoke bombs or pyrotechnics, throwing objects and other unacceptable behaviour that has no place in football.

We do not want any of our supporters to be issued with club bans or prosecuted and left with a criminal record, but these are the risks for those who choose to commit offences or behave in a manner that is not welcome at our club. We urge you to think before you act.

We are committed to ensuring that attending Chester FC matches is a safe, inclusive and enjoyable experience for everyone and will not tolerate any behaviour that undermines this or damages the good name of our club.