An Interview with Chris Lightfoot

Having left the M6 and driven through Lancaster en route to Christie Park one couldn't help but be surprised by a huge banner, strewn from lampost to lampost across a busy roundabout on the approaching outskirts of the town. The sign advertising the game read: Morecambe v Chester City. Saturday 13th October, 3.00pm Christie Park. One could be excused for thinking this Nationwide Conference football match was the biggest event in the seaside resort that weekend. It certainly was for the 303 travelling supporters who made the journey into deepest Lancashire. They were sent home with smiles on their faces for the second time in a week as our amazing immediate change in fortune continued. I was standing outside the dressing rooms, waiting for Caretaker Boss Steve Mungall whilst across the way the first face to appear out of the home team door was that of our former player, Chris Lightfoot. Despite him being forced out of the game through injury earlier that week, the expression on his rather red face said it all. Morecambe were taken by surprise. "The lads have just had a grilling", he said.

Lightfoot, who still lives in Runcorn was once very highly rated at the Deva Stadium but now he finds himself at Christie Park just happy to be playing football for the seasiders. "It's all right here at Morecambe, it's only part time but there's a good team spirit about the place. It's just nice to be back playing, I didn't play much last season at Crewe and it's much nicer being on the pitch than on the bench. " Despite his tender age of 31, Lighty believes all his intensive football training has damaged his body. "I've got a bit of a thigh strain at the moment, but I hope to be fit for the next game. Although I'm only 31, in the last few years I've had a bad time with injuries. The hard times have done me good really. I train twice a week now. I think my body has taken a bit too much of a battering training every day."

But a young Chris always seemed destined to play football from an early age to continue a family tradition. He was born into a family of footballers who truly loved to get down to business on the pitch. "It was a family thing for me. My dad played and my grandad played. We're a family of footballers! I started at school and then joined Chester City when I was fourteen. When I left school I joined them as an apprentice. I stayed there for twelve years. I left to go to Wigan Athletic with Graham Barrow for six months. Graham got the sack then I moved to Crewe Alex. I stayed there for six years and now I've come here."

Lightfoot is a man who has seen it all with Chester City, from Sealand Road, playing in exile at Macclesfield, to the joys of promotion at the Deva Stadium. Lightfoot, whose career has been a roller coaster ride of ups and downs, recalls plenty of fond memories. "Ah, loads of fond memories at Chester. They were a great set of lads every season, different lads come and went but we always had a great team spirit with Harry McNally. I've some stories about Harry McNally but you couldn't write them anyway!" But after some persuasion, Lighty continued: "Oh, this is the best one! One day we were turned over, I can't remember who buy but the groundsman had filled the bath up at Sealand Road. Instead of putting cold water in, he put hot water in. And Harry, he jumps in the bath, burnt himself and come out screaming and shouting at us with a pair of red feet. He had scalded his feet. And that's just one of the ones you could print! "

And as Chris confirms, McNally wasn't the only character to grace the club. "Over the years there's been loads. I used to travel in with Eddie Bishop from Runcorn too, oh god he was always up to something, but you couldn't print them stories! And when you put Billy Stewart and Gary Bennett together nobody could stop them." But amidst all the humour, as for many a footballer, Chris recalls one of his greatest memories, the first goal he scored for Chester City. "The year we went up always sticks in my memory, but I always remember my first goal at Sealand Road against Notts County. We drew three all. I think it was only my second or third game for Chester."

Lightfoot continued: "The biggest high point though must be the year we got promoted. At the end of the season it all went a bit pear shaped. Graham Wilks wouldn't give Graham Barrow any money to keep the lads together that had done well. In the end Graham resigned and the players followed. Mike Pejic and Kevin Ratcliffe came in and to be fair to them, they were given no money and I think we were down before Christmas. So there's a few disappointments as well, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself, made some good friends and I've seen a few of them today that I haven't seen for a few years. It's always nice to see familiar faces."

Danny Murphy - First Chester Schoolboy to play for England

Danny Murphy

Famous for launching Ian Rush's footballing career and being the birthplace of England star Michael Owen, the City of Chester have numerous connections with English Football's finest players. But the connection to the city with current Liverpool player Danny Murphy holds a link more special than all the rest. He has never played for Chester City Football Club, but City born Danny is the first former Chester Schoolboy player to win full England International honours.

Chester Schools Football Association paid tribute to Murphy in November 2001 after the City youngster made his England debut as an impressive second half substitute in the friendly with Sweden at Old Trafford on 10th November, 2001. The former Kingsway High School Student, who has now played well over 100 games for Liverpool, was first spotted by Dario Gradi at Crewe. Danny Murphy has resurrected an Anfield career that was seemingly drawing to a close at one point. Signed from Crewe Alexandra for £2 million in 1997, after impressing alongside Michael Owen for England in the World Youth Championships, he arrived with a reputation as one of the most promising youngsters in the game.

However, with competition for first team places at Liverpool so tough he struggled to establish himself as nothing other than a fringe player and was loaned back to Gresty Road at the tail end of the 1998/99 season. His Liverpool days were seemingly numbered but on his return the following season he finally made the break though into the first team, scored his first goals for the club and staked a claim for a regular place in the starting line-up.

Whatever Danny Murphy goes on to achieve in football he is already assured of everlasting fame at Anfield thanks to his superbly struck free-kick that earned the merseysiders a coveted first win in ten years against Manchester United at Old Trafford in December 2000. A scorer of spectacular goals, Danny possesses skill and vision and his equally adept playing in midfield or attack. A cruel injury blow forced him to miss out on Liverpool's Worthington Cup final win in 2001 but he figured in the memorable cup final triumph's over Arsenal and Alaves that year as the merseysiders completed an historic treble cup win haul.

Danny continues to play an integral part in the Liverpool squad and have pride in paying tribute to this talented Cestrian.

An Interview with Grenville Millington

Over the years, there have been many players to have worn the colours of Chester Football Club. There can be few though who can match the sterling service that Grenville Millington gave to the club in a distinguished playing career which lasted over ten years. Whilst at Sealand Road, Grenville played in our first ever promotion season of 1974/75 and also helped the club to reach the semi finals of the League Cup in the famous cup run of that same season.

From his beginnings, Grenville was born into a family with a footballing heritage, his primary influence on joining the game came through his family. "It was down to my Brother. He started and ended up becoming an international goalkeeper. So he started when we were both young and I always just followed him. He went on to play for West Brom and Wales so it has always been in the family. My uncle played for Shrewsbury so I think that is where it started" said Millington.

Raised locally on Deeside, Grenville impressed in football at an early age, playing for Queensferry Primary Schools, Deeside High School and Flintshire Schoolboys. His performances didn't go unnoticed as he was asked to go along for trials at a number of clubs including Liverpool, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, Crewe Alexandra and Arsenal. However, he left school without being signed by any League club and instead began playing for Queensferry Wanderers Youth. IT was whilst playing for them that Grenville joined Chester. "The late Ron Bishop contacted the Chester Manager, Ken Roberts, and organised a trial for me. I joined Chester on amateur terms."

With Chester, Grenville was signed as cover for the first team 'keeper, but he did impress enough to represent Wales at amateur level. "I won nine amateur caps for Wales and I also represented Great Britain in helping them to qualify for the 1970 Olympic Games. I considered it a major honour to have represented my country at any level." He made his league debut for Chester against Lincoln at Sealand Road. "I was given my first team chance when Terry Carling was injured. We won 2-0." Grenville didn't impress enough to sign professional and in 1970 he was released by Chester. Grenville then joined Cheshire League side, Rhyl. "I had two seasons with Rhyl and I remember my time there as being extremely happy. I then joined Witton Albion with whom Mick Metcalf was with as manager."

In the summer of 1973, Grenville was invited to go on tour with Middlesex Wanderers to Japan. "We stayed for six weeks playing exhibition matches. Upon my return I received a call from the Brighton manager to go for a trial. I spent 12 weeks at Brighton before returning home for a weekend. I received a call from Ron Bishop (again!) to go and see the Chester manager, Ken Roberts, as he wanted a 'keeper. I then signed a professional contract." That was in September 1973. Grenville then went on to serve Chester for nine years in which time he played in many memorable matches for the club.

"The League Cup run of 1974/75 will always have tremendous memories for any Chester fans, but for different reasons the games I will always remember are an end of season friendly against the Police, an away match at Barnsley, a home game against Doncaster, the Newcastle and Leeds League Cup matches and the away match with Aston Villa. I'll also never forget the Vince Pritchard's training sessions and the help I received from the staff including Ken Roberts, Bill Green, Cliff Sear and Vince Pritchard. I'll never forget the tremendous support the fans gave me either."

Grenville continued by marking the famous cup run season as his most favoured memory in football. "I would say the league cup run and getting promotion. I think it was the first time in the history of the club when we got promoted. I think getting promotion was one of the highlights, if not the best one, because the club hadn't been promoted before. But certainly the league cup run holds in everybody's memory. "

For a man who served so long for his home town club, he has lots of stories to tell. "I've got a stack of them!!" he claimed as he began to describe a time when Ken Roberts was asking for volunteers to travel to Cardiff City for a Welsh Cup tie on a Thursday evening, "I remember nobody wanted to go, and we were all so glad when Cardiff scored in the dying stages because none of us wanted to hang around for extra time!"

Grenville continued: "I can remember playing in goal at Colchester, they had a penalty right on the last minute and Colchester's ground is very tight and the supporters are right on you. The guy who put the ball on the spot was a guy called Gary Moore who played for Chester a little bit later on and as he run back to take it, Ian Seddon who was a player at Chester came up to me. I knew Colchester needed the points to get into the top four and we were in mid table so it was very tense. He walked towards me and as I was standing in goal he said what's on the pitch at Chester Granville? I said 'I don't know Ian', he said 'Oh, all right then and as he walked out I said, which way is he gonna put this penalty. He said, I don't know I haven't a clue. And of course I'd like to say I stopped him, but I dived out of the way and he scored."

Grenville came to leave Chester at the end of the 1981/82 season having made 289 League appearances. "The new manager, John Sainty, told me that he didn't want any part time players, I had gone part time after I had moved into business, so that was the end." However, it wasn't the end of Grenville's football career. "I played for Holywell reserves with my good friend Glyn Griffiths before rejoining Ken Roberts who was manager of Oswestry Town." The in December 1983, Grenville received a call to help Wrexham out of a goalkeeping crisis. "Bobby Roberts asked me and I signed for Wrexham as a non contract player." Replacing a young Stuart Parker in the Wrexham team, Grenville made his league debut in a 1-1 home draw with Darlington on New Year's Eve 1983. The likeable custodian that kept his place in the Wrexham team until the end of March before being replaced by Ronnie Sinclair. "I have mixed memories of my time with Wrexham. The place and the people were so friendly, but I had a leg injury that would not go away so I always thought that I could have done better."

All in all though, despite the good times, Grenville recalls relegation with Chester as a distinct low point, ""We were relegated one year, and we got relegated in a big way. We weren't just relegated but in a big way and that was very disappointing. It is hard to get back as Chester are experiencing at the moment in the Conference. " Our former goalkeeper still gets involved in all the action down the deva stadium continuing on at the club in his current position as goalkeeping coach, "I coach the kids main, and there's one or two real good ones at the club but I help Wayne Brown out too."

FA CUP : The Day Chester Nearly Beat Manchester United

Manchester United 2 Chester 1
FA Cup 3rd Round - 9 January 1965

Legendary Manchester United footballers such as George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton were given a tough time as the Theatre of Dreams was awash with Cestrian cup fever. In front of a record attendance for a competitive fixture involving Chester Football Club, over 45,000 mancunians packed into Old Trafford for a thrilling cup tie as lowly Chester almost caused one of the FA Cup's most unbelievable upsets.

The English FA Cup Competition is renowned for its unpredictability, seldom has it been labelled by many football writers as the greatest knockout cup competition in the world. In his Old Trafford programme notes, Manchester United Manager Sir Matt Busby was expecting a difficult test from his lower division counterparts. He wrote: "The records show we have never previously clashed with Chester in the FA Cup, but I feel sure we can look forward to an exciting and interesting match against opponents who have built up a sound reputation as an enterprising side recently". Busby continued, "Our last meeting was at Chester's Sealand Road enclosure nearly three years ago when, in a friendly, we had the distinction of being the first side to play under their new floodlighting system.

In 1965, Manchester United who were three leagues above Chester at the time got quite a fright as the Cestrians took a shock lead in a rousing first half display. Cheered on by thousands of Cestrians it was Chester who took the game to their illustrious hosts right from the off leaving the Stretford End wondering what was going on.

The national press looked on in dismay, expecting the Red Devis to make easy work of disposing Chester from this FA Cup campaign, however the sunday newspapers were collectively full of praise for a brave Chester side, this following report was published by the Daily Mail.

Two players dominated this rousing, so typical FA Cup thriller - Chester's goalkeeper hero, Dennis Reeves and Bobby Charlton, the one united forward to live up to his reputation in this David and Goliath clash. Reeves was magnificent. Charlton, whose vintage scheming show virtually put United into the Fourth Round. Forget the scoreline, It does not tell the story of this match ... a point which the gallant Reeves would readilly concede.

United should have won far more convincingly. Had it not been for Reeves and his gallant colleagues they would have done so. Chester, of course, had the inspiration of a ninth-minute shock lead. And what a beautifully taken goal it was as Jimmy Humes threw himself at a Hugh Ryden corner. Their jubilation was understandable as the ball fairly whistled into the corner of the net.

There the score stood for 50 minutes. In between Reeves covered himself in mud and glory. United's chance taking did not match their outfield work. Too often they were in a hurry ... and played into the hands of Chester's well drilled defence. How different it was in the second half. United began to play more like themselves. Charlton saw to that. His superb ball control and searing runs put the skids under Chester. And, of course, it was his flighted pass which brought the long-awaited equaliser in the 59th minute.

That pass dropped at the feet of the unmarked George Best and from the inside left position, the little winger turned and rammed it into the net to put United on the vistory trail. Three minutes later, debutant Albert Kinsley, who had seemed a trifle out of his depth, got the winner from close range after a long, searching cross from the left had bounced luckily his way off the outstretched foot of left back Malcolm Starkey.

It seemed all over bar the shouting. But salute gallant chester. They were far from finished and it took a fine peice of work by Charlton, in his own penalty area, to get United out of trouble, eight minutes from the end. With only seconds left another do-or-die save by big Bill Foulkes prevented an almost certain equaliser when Gary Talbot all but met a pass from Mike Metcalf.

Glamorous Nuneaton

Of all the places my tea has been eaten,
Few have been better than Nuneaton,
And as I travelled south last Friday night,
I hoped that things would at last go right,
For two defeats in a row had been suffered by we,
The mighty Chester City F.C.

Our first year in the Conference has blown hot and cold,
Moderate success from our side combining young and old,
And while several matches have been somewhat tame,
Others have been thrilling like this game,
But within minutes of the start of the proceedings for the night,
It was 1-0 to the Boro' boys in blue and white.

But these days City can find a way back,
And soon looked dangerous on the attack,
Mark Beesley's goal meant our deficit had gone,
Stevie Whitehall put us ahead, 2-1,
Boro' should have soon levelled from the spot,
But Peake failed to score with his tame shot.

The second half saw City survive an onslaught,
But every ball of danger, Brownie caught,
And three points were to be finally found,
In the humble surroundings of this ground,
For few experiences, light or dark,
Can beat my night out at Manor Park.

At uni in the Potteries I'll laugh and joke,
After all, Boro' did beat the mighty Stoke,
And provided Canvey Island are no trouble,
We'll have completed a unique double,
Of beating the two unfancied non-league teams,
Who shattered Stoke and Vale's F.A. Cup dreams.

Yet it is the FA Trophy occupying my mind,
For once each draw has been so kind,
And always been given a draw at home,
We're one round from Villa, a footballing dome,
So if we beat Canvey, we're at last in a final,
First time since before music was played on vinyl.

In Profile : Eamon O Keefe

Eamonn O'Keefe was born in Manchester on 13th October 1953 and played as a teeneger for Stalybridge Celtic before a spell with Plymouth Argyle. He didn't make the Plymouth side but went instead to play for top Saudi Arabian Club Al Hilal returning to Manchester disillusioned and signing for Mossley in December 1976 under the then unknown manager Howard Wilkinson as a left full back.

Upon Bob Murphy's return to Seel Park as manager a year later O'Keefe was moved to an attacking midfield position and it was one he relished. His pace, power and eye for goal saw him help Mossley to the Northern Premier League & Cup double in 1978-79 and a place in the England Semi Pro side. He played against Scotland and Holland in the May 1979 tournament scoring the winning goal against Holland in the final.

O'Keefe was then snapped up by Gordon Lee at Everton for a £25,000 fee, money that went on to paid for the erection of the Park End stand at Mossley's Seel Park ground. Eamonn went on to make 40 appearances for Everton scoring 6 goals and was capped by the Republic of Ireland, thanks to his fathers origin on 5 occasions and made a further 4 appearances as an over-age player in the under 21 side. He was then transferred to Wigan Athletic for a £60,000 fee and had later spells with Port Vale, Blackpool, St. Patrick's Athletic (Ireland) before Harry McNally signed the player for the Blues.

Eamonn went on to make a string of appearances for the Blues, quickly becoming a Sealand Road favourite during his final playing days of an interesting career. After leaving City, Eamonn went on to have a brief spell as a manager of Ireland national league team Cork City.

Player Profile : David Pugh

David Pugh was one of many a shrewd non-league signings by arguably one of Chester's most charismatic managers, Harry McNally. Despite never playing professional football himself Harry, as many Chester supporters recall, was a huge character. He knew football inside and out at all levels and when he spotted David Pugh plying his wares with then local Conference side Runcorn, he saw potential in David and knew he would be an idea acquisition for the Blues. But 'Pughie' as he was known by his Deva teammates recalls life being difficult under Harry's management. "The first few years were a nightmare with Harry," Pugh recalled. "He didn't play me in the right position" confessed Pughie.

But when Graham Barrow was appointed successor to Harry McNally, David Pugh's career saw something of a revival and he proved a big hit with the Deva Stadium supporters. David still remembers the fans chanting his name off the terraces and puts that down as one of the greatest feelings he experienced in his playing career. "The last season I was at the Deva was great with Graham Barrow in charge. I was played in the right position, we won promotion and I scored one or two good goals." Pugh continued, "the one I scored at Rochdale sticks out in the memory, I still have a lot on video. I watch them now and again. I still keep in touch with Chris Lightfoot, Graham Abel, Gary Bennett and I work with Billy Stewart at Liverpool. We had some great laughs together."

Pugh left the Deva Stadium shortly after Graham Barrow resigned over a disagreement with the board of directors. He soon signed for fellow league team Bury at a cut price transfer fee. Since retiring from the game, Pugh now works for Liverpool Football Club as a full time coach along with other former City player, goalkeeper Billy Stewart. Saddened to see how far Chester City have declined, the former City star firmly thinks the new management team can help restore the club to its former glory. "Oh god yeah", said Pugh, "things have changed here, but I think they can sort themselves out." Not ruling out a future managerial position himself, Pugh believes Chester have found the right man in Mark Wright to guide the club to future success. "You've got to have a proven manager at this level, someone who has an in-depth knowledge of non-league."