Senior Blues Meeting Recap: April 2025

With super-efficient preparation and forethought, all members arriving at another well attended meeting were given draw tickets for the hospitality package for the Darlington game for which the Senior Blues were programme sponsors.

In addition, voting slips for the Senior Blues Player of the Season were also handed out. But more of that later.

The first guest speaker was CFU Board member Nick Phillipson who has the (somewhat unenviable) task of keeping a 33year old stadium in working order. From pitch maintenance to stand seats, from hand driers to hand rails, from toilets to fire doors and from car park to catering, no wonder Nick is at the club on a regular basis. He updated us on a list of about 15 topics currently on his to do list. Jobs get done, occasionally with the aid of grant funding and often through the help of volunteers and sponsors.

The pitch is currently an area of prime importance with the season coming to an end and attention is being focused on the ageing sprinkler system as well as the playing surface. So far 26 hand driers have been installed saving money and paper towels, LED lighting in the stands is saving 20% on electricity costs and 70 seats have required repairing. Just a small insight into the unenviable task of keeping the stadium of a fan owned club in compliance and in working order.

The next speaker was Peter Williams, a goalkeeping coach and good friend of Grenville, Pete described his early career, moving from Welsh football to Preston NE who were managed at the time by Bobby Charlton, not making the grade and moving to Telford for 10yrs, and then to Shifnal where he started coaching at the local leisure centre. He told us of an early encounter with ex Wolves and England goalkeeper Bert Williams who provided him with coaching drills.

He spoke also of friendships with Peter Bonetti and Joe Corrigan, each brought about in unusual circumstances; a multitude of clubs in Italy (and Europe) where he had worked; and spells at Sunderland, Wolves, Swindon and Forest to name but a few. He also included Sorenson, Schwarzer, Mimms, Lukic and Cabellero among a host of keepers he had worked with. I have it in my notes that it was Peter’s opinion that goalkeeping standards had fallen over the years starting in ‘66. If I have made a mistake, apologies Peter. A well travelled coach with many stories to tell including two Welsh jokes which very much appealed to my sense of humour.

Following Peter and the obligatory fund raising raffle (thanks again to all who donate prizes), we held the draw for match hospitality tickets won by Anne Lipscombe, Gordon Betteley and Colin Jones. Chairman Chris then declared his intention to announce the winner of the Player of the Season vote, much to the consternation of a number of members (who shall remain nameless) who had not handed in, nay, not even filled in their voting slips.

After some furious scribbling and a hastily organised recount the winner was announced. Safe to say the late votes had no influence on the winner, who shall also remain nameless and will be presented with his trophy prior to kick off vs Marine on Easter Monday.

The final speaker was all time Chester leading goalscorer Stuart Rimmer. In sharp contrast to Peter, Stuart much preferred to sit and be asked questions. As unruffled as any good striker should be he answered whatever I managed to come up with in a thoughtful and quiet manner.

Starting with growing up in Southport, where he still lives, to signing for Everton as a youngster and then apprentice, he told us of the difficulty of staking a place at Everton (under Howard Kendall) despite making his first team debut at 17 and playing three times for England Youth. After only 3 first team appearances he moved to Chester and clearly not one to blow his own trumpet he remembered his 21st birthday for having a curry and Harry in a rage for us conceding 3 goals.

In fact he had scored 4 in 6-3 win at Deepdale. We got a brief snippet of his spell at first division Watford and living in digs a long way from Southport; of his time in a house share at Walsall where he is still highly regarded, and short spells at Notts County and Barnsley. After returning to Chester he went on to score a total of 146 league and cup goals in 357 appearances (according to the back of my “Simply the Best” 1999 vintage ISA t-shirt).

He remembered heading a good few, not getting a cut of transfer fees, but to be perfectly honest, your illustrious scribe was too busy trying to come up with the next question and hold the mic that notes of our “conversation” are non existent. It is a case of “you should have been there”. Stuart is still in contact with a number of his contemporaries including Gary Bennett and David Glen and would like to get to the Deva more often, though recent health problems from which he is making a steady recovery and Saturday working have restricted his visits. It was great to, at long last, have Stuart as a very welcome guest at the Senior Blues.

Next Meeting; Friday 2nd May. Guest speakers Phil Turner (Seals Live) and go to Football Finance expert and “the Price of Football” podcaster, Kieran Maguire.