Chester fc
Chester fc play at the Swansway Chester Stadium
The Stadium address is:
Swansway Chester Stadium, Bumpers Lane, Chester CH1 4LT
How to get to Chester fc
Directions from M56
As you come along the M56, at Junction 15, keep in the NORTH WALES Queensferry lanes. Don't turn off to the M53, keep on the M56.
When you get to the next junction (which is the end of the M56) you need to turn left and go off for the Hoylake Chester B'head Turning. (A550)
Go along Parkgate Rd (A540) up to a large roundabout. You will see a car sales garage just before the roundabout on your left.
On the approach to the roundabout, you will see a sign for Sealand Road Ind & Retail Parks. That is the exit you need to take. It's the third turning off the roundabout.
Keep on the A5480 past the retail parks and past Aldi (on the left) and you are now on Bumper's Lane. Chester FC is about 500 meters down on your right.
Rail travel to Chester
The nearest station to Chester fc
Chester fc is 2.5 miles away from Chester Railways Station.
Chester Railway Station in the centre of Chester.
History of the Swansway Chester Stadium
The Swansway Chester Stadium (which is the home of Chester FC) is pretty unique as it spans the Wales-England border in the UK.
Chester City FC was taken over in March 1990 by new owners. Plans were drafted and an announcement was made for a new supermarket development at the Sealand Road stadium and then to build a new home for the club along with a new stadium at Bumpers Lane.
Once the new build got underway, Chester City FC played at Macclesfield Town’s Moss Rose stadium. Sealand Road was shut down once the 1989-90 season had come to an end, and Chester would play on the other side of Cheshire at Macclesfield for the next two seasons.
The New Deva Stadium
The new stadium at Bumpers Lane was to be called the Deva Stadium and construction got underway in January 1992 it managed to be ready and open seven months later in time for the new 1992-93 season, much to the relief of the Chester Supporters!
The new stadium was right up to date as it became the first English football stadium to fulfil the new safety Taylor Report recommendations, which was commissioned after the devastating Bradford Fire of 1985 and also the tragic Hillsborough disaster of 1989.
Morys Bruce (4th Baron Aberdare) made an emotional opening of the stadium on 24 August 1992. Many supporters felt this was the start of a bright new future and emotions were high.
In the opening game at the Deva Stadium on 25 August 1992, Chester lost 2-1 to Stockport County in the League Cup. A turn of fortunes came later as Chester beat Burnley 3-0 in the first home League match on the ground.
The stadium was officially opened on 13 October 1992 with a special game, and Chester beat Manchester United XI 2-0.
When they reached their 10th birthday in August 2002, Chester took on Liverpool XI with a special friendship with the home team winning 1-0.
Chester fc stadium names
The stadium has had a few name changes over the years and between 2004 and 2007 the group became known as the Saunders Honda Stadium (sponsors) but from the 2nd May 2008, it was announced the Deva would become known as the Cestrian Trading Stadium.
Exacta (based locally) became the main sponsor of the Stadium in Sept 2010, and the ground consists of three sides for seating one side known as the East Stand as a terrace.
The North Terrace was renamed the Harry McNally Terrace in December 2006 in honour of one of its most popular managers (who died two years earlier).
The name of the stadium changed again In 2013 and became the Swansway Chester Stadium after a change in sponsorship of the ground. Then in 2015 the stadium became known as the Lookers Vauxhall Stadium under new sponsorship.
Then in 2017, the stadium’s name returned to the old name of the Swansway Chester Stadium.
Finding Chester fc
The ground is located outside Chester city centre on the Sealand Road Industrial Estate, It has an unusual positioning on the border of England and Wales.
The stadium straddles the England-Wales border. The front gates and main office are in England and the football pitch is actually in Wales! One for the pub quiz.
Capacity of the ground
The 6,012 capacity of the stadium had the away end converted to seating to comply with regulations and now holds around 5,400.
Why did Chester City fc change to Chester fc?
Chester City got into a lot of financial problems over the next two years and was dissolved with massive debts on 10 March 2010.
Under the league rules,a couple of days after they were expelled from the Blue Square Premier League. They had already been relegated from the Football league in the previous season.
This resulted that by May 2010, the stadium had no tenant and Chester and Cheshire West Council made an award to the newly established phoenix club Chester FC.
Another fresh start and time to but the past feelings to bed, Chester FC started in good form beating Aberystwyth Town F.C. 3-0 on Saturday 24th July 2010 in their first match.
This was the first game played at the ground since Chester City played their last match against Ebbsfleet Utd before the club folded in March 2010.
Conclusion
Chester fc has modern ground and facilities and easy parking outside the ground. If you are travelling by train, a 10-minute taxi ride is probably the best bet from Chester railway Station.
It is an easy route in on the M56 (see above route) and come off as the motorway ends and scoot around the city centre which tends to be really busy and slow sometimes. Enjoy!