Last Thursday, the Football Conference gave Chester City Football Club a seven day stay of execution from potential expulsion from the Blue Square Premier League.

It seems likely that the Football Conference will throw Chester City FC out of the league this Thursday, 18th February. The club will therefore not be able to compete again this season and results will be expunged from the record. This is the sad culmination of years of gross mis-management of our football club. It appears that the footballing authorities have simply had enough. The current owners, despite repeated leniency from the authorities and chances to put things right, have failed to run our club in a way that satisfies even the mininum standards - let alone the highest ones that we would aspire to as supporters.

As we already know, there is currently a Prohibition Order on the Deva Stadium, forcing the postponement of the local derby against Wrexham and fans are now contemplating what the future holds for Chester City.

CFU Chair, Chris Pilsbury said, "A football club belongs to the city, its supporters and its residents. It is held in trust by the people who run it. That trust has been betrayed. The question has been asked, does Chester need, want or deserve a football club? We believe that the answer to that question is a resounding 'yes'. We firmly believe that Chester can and will have a club to be proud of - a club that local people will want to actively support and that can be a beacon for our city. But the hard work starts now as we must work together to build it almost from scratch."

City Fans United have called a public meeting for Thursday 18th February, at the Guildhall in Chester, commencing at 8pm. Please come along and demonstrate that our city does want a football club. Help us demonstrate that there is the backing for football to continue in Chester - but run in a way that is driven by the community and reflects well on all of us.

CFU recognise that the key to football in this fine, historic city, is the community, and a full presentation on how the community can form the vision of the future will be set out at the meeting. We encourage as many people as possible to attend, in what will be an open forum, and one in which members from Supporters Direct will be attending, and we hope other key represenatatives of the community.

The time has arrived to be part of a new era of football in Chester.