Blues Match Preview: Hyde United v Chester FC

Chester FC are back on the road for their fifth pre-season fixture, three days after a 1-0 defeat to Stoke, for some Friday night football as they travel to Northern Premier League Premier Division outfit Hyde United.

Tuesday night’s loss to the Potters saw a long awaited return to the Deva Community Stadium after 87 days away.

With only three games left before our opening day trip to Chorley, Parkinson will be keen to see what his squad are made of as Friday night will be the second game in four days, testing not only the technical levels but also the physical condition of the Blues.

Opposition

In the seven years our opponents have been in the NPL Premier Division, they have been consistently on the brink of play-offs, until last season as a winless run through the winter left them in 19th place, leading to the hiring of manager Michael Clegg at the end of January.

The former Macclesfield manager put on a showcase of survival as his side lost only four of his 14 games in charge as they went on to finish the campaign in 15th place, five points from the drop.

The impressive form to end the 2025/26 season, included wins in the final two games against play-off challengers Gainsborough Trinity and FC United of Manchester. Those results not only secured safety but also earned Clegg a nomination for the Northern Premier League Manager of the Month.

In an attempt to return to their promotion chasing form the Tigers have invested in a mixture of experienced professionals and young stars as two of their standout summer incomings include 36-year-old Dan Gardner, who featured heavily for National League North side Radcliffe last season, and NPL Premier Division play-off finalist Ben Hough.

As the season rolls closer Clegg will see these pre-season fixtures as the perfect opportunity to bed in his new arrivals and push up the division to fight for his seventh promotion as a manager.

History

After playing under the name Hyde United for 91 years, the Tigers formed a club altering five year partnership with Manchester City in 2010. As a part of this deal the club changed its name to Hyde FC and the seats at Ewen Fields were changed to blue.

During that spell, Hyde had their most successful season to date as their 2011/12 Conference North title winning campaign broke league wide records, as their 10 game winning run to start the season culminated in a club record 90 points total.

Their tenure in the National League lasted for two seasons, ending with relegation in 2014. That was the last time we faced Friday’s opponents in a competitive outing as we did the double over them with a 2-1 away win and a 3-2 victory at the Deva Community Stadium.

One to watch

After the previously mentioned tough start to last season, former Macclesfield manager, Clegg looked to his old employers to improve his squad, securing the loan signing of talented winger Dontai Gabidon in February.

The 25-year-old had loan stints at Warrington Town and Stalybridge Celtic throughout the season, but he found his home at Ewen Fields as he was one of the key figures behind the teams turn of form with six goals in 14 games.

Hyde turned Gabidon’s initial loan spell into a permanent transfer after he was released by the Silkmen over the summer.

Match Details

The match will kick-off at 19:45 on Friday 24th July.