Friday 24 December 2010

So this is Christmas...

Well we're very nearly there, Christmas Day is just one day away, and in the big freeze it's looking like Monday's game is in the balance - again a crying shame if the Christmas fixtures are lost to the weather - it's really doing my head in now, hopefully the big thaw will happen next week and hopefully we won't be subjected to the next threat - a waterlogged pitch!

It's been another busy week at Chester FC, with the club shop staff being rushed off their feet - I went down to the ground on Tuesday to see the club shop door being opened and shut that many times with many visitors, it was great to see considering that was about midday on a weekday.

Special mention must go to the club shop staff, all of who have been putting in tremendous amounts of hours to both staff the shop, but also to sift through and sort out the orders and deliveries of stock.

Another media appearance this week as I joined Alan Irwin from City Talk at the top of the tower in Liverpool, we also received a tour of the studios up there, and you could feel the tower moving at the top too, very surreal that was. What was also amazing was the fact that the news team there all have their computers against the windows of the tower, so they get to sit facing an unbelievable view of the City and beyond. All I get to see is a view of a boring car park in my workplace - lucky people at City eh?

Anyway, the show went really well, and once again thanks to Alan for giving us a lot of airtime on City Talk, they really have taken an interest in the Blues this season, stepping up where the likes of Radio Merseyside have stepped down, believing that we are not the area's premier non league club anymore - that title belongs to Southport - but I also appreciate that we are not in the Merseyside area so perhaps we shouldn't be surprised at their decision, but it's great that City Talk have grabbed the chance to put the focus on Chester FC now.

Had a few calls this week from the local papers wanting to know the situation for Monday's game, and the general state of the pitch, well the plan is to have a look at the pitch on Christmas Eve (today), and then see how rock hard it still is under those covers - the covers won't be removed as yet. Then depending on the Evo-Stik League's advice, we'll look at an official inspection on Boxing Day, before making a decision on whether a further pitch inspection will take place on Monday morning, or the game gets postponed due to their being no chance of getting the game on.

We have to consider all things with the inspection, and also work with the local authorities with regards to the surrounding areas, as we've seen from the Chelsea v Man Utd postponement, the pitch may be fine on the day of the game, but the ground surrounding it may be treacherous, meaning the game would not go ahead.

It will be decided in the next few days anyway.

We'll be putting a call out for help to remove the covers next week, as they can only stay on the grass so long before the grass gets damaged, so it's likely that Monday or Tuesday will see a request for volunteers to come down and help shift the covers. If the game is off then it's likely they'll be removed on Tuesday as that is when the thaw is likely to start.

That's it then from me, just a few more e-mail inboxes to check, and final media calls to make & take, and then that's it for Christmas, time to concentrate on the Banks household rather than the footy for a day or two!

To anyone reading, have a great Christmas!

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