Football Season Guide

Chester are back in the Conference Premier for the first time after the former club got liquidated when playing in the same division back in early 2010. The new, supporter-based, club, named Chester FC, have won three promotions in a row in dominant fashion and now are back at the top tier of the non-league football. The Chester fans will feel that the place of the club is in the Football League and will surely not settle for just being back in the Conference Premier but the upcoming season will surely be the toughest and most demanding for Neil Young's men, who have experienced only success so far since the inception of the club. The strong fan base ensures that Chester has the capacity to do what AFC Wimbledon did two years ago but this is a very strong league and it is way too ambitious for the club to be aiming for yet another promotion this year. They may walked the Conference North title last season, when they were undoubtedly the best side in the league, but it was hardly a difficult division. Now, with the likes of Luton, Grimsby and Wrexham around, Chester will have their hands full and should be happy with a place in mid-table. The momentum and positive energy generated by the fans will surely have Chester in good stead and they should be able to beat the drop comfortably. However, the squad does not look that good and experienced for this level and a lot of players will need to get used to the new demands and expectations. Craig Lindfield, Kevin McIntyre and Danny Harrison are all players with good Football League pedigree and will boost the quality of the squad after joining in the summer but the overwhelming feeling for now is that the Seals remain a work in progress and might have their struggles over the course of the season. Moreover, they have failed to hold on to talented youngster Antoni Sarcevic despite putting a hefty price tag on his head as his moved to Fleetwood for a six-figure sum.