Chester FC have confirmed plans for a fundraising friendly clash between a Chester All-Stars side and a Bury Legends team.
Today marks 10 years since Chester City FC were liquidated and the club was reformed as Chester FC.
The fixture, which will be played at the 1885 Arena on Friday, May 15, will celebrate Chester’s decade since reformation and support Bury fans’ attempts to secure football for next season after their club's expulsion from the Football League.
The squads, which will be revealed in the forthcoming days and weeks, will feature a host of ex-Chester and Bury players, as well as some cameo appearances too.
Chester FC director of Fan Engagement, Jeff Banks, who co-organised the event, said: “This is going to be a very special night.
“At the turn of the year, I wanted to really stage an event for us to celebrate everything we have been through, from the rise of the phoenix in 2010, through to the current day – and no matter what happens at the end of the season, we’ve all been on a journey we can be proud of.
“This is every Chester fans’ chance to really celebrate what we’ve achieved here and in fan ownership in general as we stand together with Bury fans to help their plans.”
“We can all resonate with Bury’s situation – nobody wants to see a club go through what we went through, but it’s happened again. What better way to support them than by getting the two clubs originally formed in 1885 together and having a match against one another at the 1885 Arena!
“It would be great for other fans, be it of fan-owned clubs or just football in general, to come and join us on the night to offer their support to Bury AFC.”
Bury fans are fighting to keep football alive in the town, and their plans for a phoenix club to be playing football in August were given a huge boost when they agreed a ground-share with an unnamed club.
Additionally, confirmation was received that their application to start again in the North West Counties League had been received by the league and will be forwarded to the FA.
David Triggs, a Coordinator within Bury AFC, said:“When Chester first approached us about the possibility of a fundraising game, the Bury AFC leadership team were instantly enthused.
“Following the fundraising success of our own Legends game at Radcliffe back in October, the opportunity for Bury fans to see these players turn out in a Bury shirt again is something we knew people would want to see.
Additionally, the opportunity to work with another successful phoenix club has been a brilliant experience for us and we’re looking forward to hopefully raising lots of money for both clubs.”
Tickets for the Chester vs Bury match are now on sale on the club's official website, with Adults priced at £12, Concessions & Under 18s at £7, Under 5s Free.
If tickets are purchased in advance from today through to the 31st March, then there will be a £2 discount on all Adult, Concession and Under 18s prices.
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