Preview: Leamington (A)

    Calum McIntyre’s men travel to Warwickshire tomorrow for a contest with Leamington at Your Co-op Community Stadium!

    The reverse fixture ended in comfortable fashion for the Blues back in November, as early goals from Dylan Mottley-Henry and Pat Jones secured all three points.

    Our last visit to Leamington was also a successful one, after four first-half goals in Warwickshire, courtesy of Charlie Caton, Tom Peers, Kurt Willoughby, and Harrison Burke, saw Chester cruise to victory.

    The Opposition

    The Brakes have endured a tough campaign to date, with the club sat bottom of the Enterprise National League North having picked up 19 points from their opening 30 encounters.

    After signs of promise towards the beginning of 2026, thanks to a win over Curzon Ashton and draws against Chorley and Oxford City, the side have lost on their three most recent outings, at the hands of Macclesfield, Marine, and Spennymoor Town.

    Saturday’s clash comes in the middle of a stretch of three home games on the spin for Leamington, with the visit of Merthyr Town up next on Tuesday 24th February.

    The Gaffer

    Interim boss Chris Knott took the reins at Your Co-op Community Stadium following the departure of long-serving manager Paul Holleran in December, who had previously guided the club for over 16 years.

    Prior to his appointment in January, Knott’s focus lied mainly with the club’s academy setup following his appointment as Head of Football Development in 2022.

    The former goalkeeper was forced into retirement at the age of 26 due to injury issues and has since worked in management and analytical roles at Knowle FC, Lowestoft Town, and Heather St. Johns, prior to his switch to Leamington.

    One to Watch

    Attacking midfielder Ewan Williams has been a bright spark during a tough campaign for the club to date.

    The 22-year-old has four goals to his name, including a brace that proved crucial in a 2-1 success over Radcliffe back in August, as well as a late winner that secured all three points against Southport in September.

    He also got on the scoresheet during a 2-2 draw with Bedford Town on Boxing Day, a result that ended a seven-match losing run in the league throughout November and early December.

    Williams has been vital to the Brakes since his switch from Coleshill Town in 2023, featuring on 45 occasions last term as the club secured survival in comfortable fashion on their return to this level.

    League Form Guide

    Leamington | W4 D7 L19 | F22 A53 | Pos: 24th

    Last three

    • Macclesfield (A) | L 3-1 | Scorers: Brogan
    • Marine (A) | L 5-0 | Scorers: None
    • Spennymoor Town (H) | L 2-0 | Scorers: None

    Chester FC | W11 D11 L11 | F46 A51 | Pos: 11th

    Last three

    • Bedford Town (A) | W 2-1 | Scorers: Croker, Shrimpton
    • Alfreton Town (H) | D 2-2 | Scorers: Shrimpton, Woods
    • Buxton (H) | W 1-0 | Scorers: Mottley-Henry
    MATCH DETAILS

    Kick-off at Your Co-op Community Stadium will be at 15:00. The postcode for the ground is CV33 9QB.

    TICKET DETAILS

    The match is not segregated. Tickets can be purchased online via Leamington’s ticketing portal, or on the day via cash or card at the turnstiles. Online purchases do have a 50p booking fee.

    Car parking can be reserved in advance for £3, or purchased on the day for £5. Once the official car park is full, there is no street parking available near the stadium.

    Prices

    • Adults – £16
    • Concessions – £12
    • Students – £9
    • Under 18s – £6
    • Under 12s – Free

    CLICK HERE TO SECURE YOUR SPOT!

    Travel

    By Car – Take the M56, before the M6 Southbound and join the M5 at junction 8. Join the M42 to Junction 3A and travel southbound on the M40. Exit at Junction 14 and follow the A452 towards Leamington. Continue straight ahead at the 1st roundabout and at the following roundabout take second exit, A452 (Europa Way), towards Leamington. At the next roundabout take the fourth exit (Harbury Lane) signposted Harbury and Bishops Tachbrook. Followed by the next roundabout, where you take the third exit continuing on Harbury Lane. Continue through two sets of traffic lights straight ahead into Harbury Lane. Stadium is 1.5 miles on left.

    By Train – The nearest train station to Your Co-op Community Stadium, Leamington Spa, is 3.5 miles away. The quickest route from Chester requires one change, following an Avanti West Coast service to Stafford, where you switch onto a CrossCountry service to Leamington Spa.

    Double Decker Bus Shuttle

    A free double decker bus shuttle will run from Leamington Station, to a park & ride location at the Windmill Inn, to the ground. An improved schedule has been created for this season to allow supporters a wider choice of bus service.

     Bus Stops Shuttle 1 Shuttle 2Shuttle 3
     Leamington Spa Station 13:1513:4514:15
     Windmill Inn13:1913:4914:19
     Your Co-Op Community Stadium13:3014:0014:30

    Post-match, the service will leave for the station at 5pm, with further journeys back scheduled at 5:30pm and 6pm.

    CAN’T MAKE IT? STAY UPDATED

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    A full time match report on ChesterFC.com: CLICK HERE