...please turn off the lights.
It's got to be asked what really is going on at Chester. Tonight's match with Bradford attracted a gate of just 1,566 (240 Bradford fans) - a thousand down on average gates this season. Poor recent results can be blamed on some turning the back on the club, but other stories suggest the fanbase are not happy at the running of the club.
Prior to Sunday's derby with Wrexham the programme editor, and long-time fan, claims he was unceremoniously sacked from his post and warned away from the club by Stephen Vaughan. Other fans, critical of Vaughan and the alleged favouritism of his sons in teams selection, have also claimed to have strong words from the club owner who faces a summer trial over two missing prestige cars.
Another loyal staffer quit the club the week before and the Supporters Trust have informed the club that their operation of the club's official website on it's behalf will cease on Friday after five years.
The club have won just five points from the last fifty one, and have failed to score in their last four matches with their only win coming against strugglers Mansfield. The run of failure coincided with Vaughan's decision to quit the club. Since then rumours of the players not being paid, later confirmed by former Stags boss Billy Dearden, and the exact nature of the finances provided by Vaughan have come into question by fans.
Prior to Vaughan's arrival at the Deva in 2001 the fans waged an eventually successful campaign against unpopular former owner Terry Smith, spending months in a boycott of matches that saw gates drop dramatically. They appear to be on the verge of another campaign.