Chester City FC

Chester. A stunningly beautiful city situated only a few miles from the footballing industrial heavyweight cities of Manchester and Liverpool (and a few minutes from arch-rivals Wrexham, who sit just the other side of the English/Welsh border). Indeed, one corner of Chester’s ground is said to sit within Wales itself. Many of the world’s best footballers playing for the teams of the aforementioned cities live in Chester owing to its beauty, relative quiet – and easy commute. So, let’s #GetTheBadgeIn for their local team, currently competing in National League North, and see what we can discover.

Chester City Football Club was founded in 1885 and settled at Sealand Road in 1906. They had success in the 1930s and famously reached the League Cup semi-finals and earned promotion in 1974–75. In the 1980s, under Harry McNally, they returned to the Third Division. However, financial trouble led to relegation in 2000 and collapse in 2010. Fans then created Chester F.C., now playing at the Deva Stadium.

The badge of Chester City is an elegant one that tells a great story. At its centre is a wolf’s head. This comes from Hugh d’Avranches, the nephew of William the Conqueror. Hugh was made Earl of Chester in 1071. Hugh d’Avranches, the 1st Earl of Chester, was nicknamed “the Wolf” (Lupus) for his fierce and ruthless nature, and “the Fat” (le Gros) for his large physical build. He became feared for his brutal military campaigns against the Welsh in the late 11th century, including a savage raid in 1098 where he reportedly mutilated prisoners by cutting off their hands, feet, or gouging out their eyes. As a powerful Marcher Lord (Marca is Latin for ‘border’, and Medieval English kings gave these border nobles extra authority as a thank you for guarding the Welsh border), Hugh ruled Chester almost like a king—his lands were a county palatine, meaning he had his own courts, army, and near-total control over law and order. His mix of personal power, cruelty in warfare, and political independence made him one of the most feared and influential Norman figures of his time. The wolf’s head has appeared on the arms of the Earls of Chester and on the Chester family coat of arms as a result. The club’s mascot, “Big Lupus”, keeps this link alive.

Atop the wolf sits a crown (sometimes drawn as a castle wall). This has two meanings. It recalls Chester’s city walls, some of the most complete in Britain, which were strong enough to withstand cannon fire during the English Civil War. The walls were vital when Royalist soldiers defended the city for King Charles I during the Siege of Chester. The crown also shows the city’s loyalty to the sovereign, as Chester supported the King during that war.

Around the wolf and crown is a wreath of leaves. Some versions show laurel, a symbol of victory, while others show oak. Oak leaves have special meaning in Cheshire because the Cheshire Regiment saved King George II’s life under an oak tree at the Battle of Dettingen in 1743 (today, there is a large and famous shopping centre known as Cheshire Oaks). The club’s modern crest, designed by supporter Martin Huxley when the phoenix club was born in 2010, uses the wolf, the crown and the leaves together to make a proud, stylised badge. And I have to say, it is one of my favourites – simple, elegant and packed with meaning.

Chester itself is one of Britain’s most historic cities. The Romans built the fortress of Deva Victrix on the River Dee around AD 79. Deva was huge – about 20% larger than other Roman forts. The legionary fortress had a large amphitheatre that seated up to 10,000 people. Traders and families settled around the walls and created a thriving town. After the Norman Conquest, Chester became the base for defending England against raids from Wales and for launching attacks into Ireland. By the Middle Ages, it was a wealthy trading port until Liverpool grew larger.

One of the city’s best-known features is the Rows – two-tier medieval arcades that line the main streets. Built in the late medieval period, the Rows are covered walkways at first-floor level with shops set back behind them. At street level, you step down into more shops. This arrangement may have started after a 13th-century fire, when merchants rebuilt in stone with vaulted cellars and two-level shops. Visitors can stroll along the upper balconies and look down on the traffic below.

So that’s Chester. A beautiful and historic city with a beautifully historic badge. A city with the size, fame and economic clout of Chester deserves a team that stands out – even amongst their famous local rivals (to the north and south of them). That Chester was saved and is now fan-owned is a sign that the fundamentals are in place.

Let’s hope they can get back up the leagues where they, and their city, deserve to be