# 1985–86 Chester City F.C. season

The 1985–86 season was the 48th season of competitive association football in the Football League played by Chester City, an English club based in Chester, Cheshire.
Also, it was the fourth season spent in the Fourth Division after the relegation from the Third Division in 1982. Alongside competing in the Football League the club also participated in the FA Cup, the Football League Cup and the Associate Members' Cup.

## Football League

| Pos | Team v t e | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 1 | Swindon Town | 46 | 32 | 6 | 8 | 82 | 43 | +39 | 102 | Division Champions, promoted |
| 2 | Chester City | 46 | 23 | 15 | 8 | 83 | 50 | +33 | 84 | Promoted |
| 3 | Mansfield Town | 46 | 23 | 12 | 11 | 74 | 47 | +27 | 81 | Promoted |
| 4 | Port Vale | 46 | 21 | 16 | 9 | 67 | 37 | +30 | 79 | Promoted |
| 5 | Orient | 46 | 20 | 12 | 14 | 79 | 64 | +15 | 72 | |

### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Source: rsssf.com

### Results by matchday

| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 |
| Result | D | L | D | W | W | W | W | D | W | W | W | L | D | D | W | W | W | W | D | D | D | W | L | W | D | W | W | W | W | L | D | D | L | D | L | W | W | D | D | W | L | W | D | W | W | L |
| Position | 11 | 20 | 21 | 13 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |

### Matches

| Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| 17 August | Halifax Town | H | D | 1–1 | Rimmer | 1,750 |
| 24 August | Peterborough United | A | L | 0–3 | | 2,667 |
| 26 August | Hartlepool United | H | D | 1–1 | Rimmer (pen) | 1,429 |
| 31 August | Tranmere Rovers | A | W | 3–2 | Holden, Burgess (o.g.), Rimmer | 1,703 |
| 7 September | Hereford United | H | W | 1–0 | Houghton | 1,720 |
| 14 September | Torquay United | A | W | 3–0 | Houghton, Rimmer (2) | 1,111 |
| 21 September | Crewe Alexandra | H | W | 4–0 | Rimmer (pen), Gage, Bennett (2) | 2,369 |
| 28 September | Stockport County | A | D | 2–2 | Bennett (2) | 1,801 |
| 2 October | Mansfield Town | H | W | 1–0 | Rimmer (pen) | 2,127 |
| 5 October | Burnley | H | W | 4–0 | Rimmer, Graham, Kelly, Bennett | 3,005 |
| 12 October | Preston North End | A | W | 6–3 | Rimmer (4, 1 pen), Kelly, Greenough | 4,073 |
| 19 October | Swindon Town | H | L | 0–1 | | 3,109 |
| 22 October | Northampton Town | A | D | 2–2 | Graham, Murray | 2,323 |
| 26 October | Wrexham | A | D | 1–1 | Coy | 3,500 |
| 2 November | Aldershot | H | W | 1–0 | Rimmer (pen) | 2,180 |
| 6 November | Colchester United | H | W | 4–0 | Greenough, Rimmer (2), Abel | 2,809 |
| 9 November | Exeter City | A | W | 3–1 | Greenough, Houghton (2) | 1,888 |
| 23 November | Orient | H | W | 3–0 | Kelly (2), Rimmer | 2,653 |
| 29 November | Southend United | A | D | 1–1 | Houghton | 3,525 |
| 7 December | Aldershot | A | D | 1–1 | Richardson (pen) | 1,528 |
| 14 December | Scunthorpe United | H | D | 1–1 | Kelly | 2,657 |
| 21 December | Peterborough United | H | W | 2–1 | Holden, Bennett | 2,331 |
| 26 December | Cambridge United | A | L | 2–3 | Richardson, Bennett | 2,395 |
| 1 January | Port Vale | H | W | 4–1 | Houghton (2), Richardson (pen), Bennett | 5,010 |
| 8 January | Hartlepool United | A | D | 1–1 | Abel | 3,891 |
| 11 January | Tranmere Rovers | H | W | 1–0 | Graham | 3,700 |
| 17 January | Halifax Town | A | W | 2–1 | Houghton (2) | 1,473 |
| 25 January | Torquay United | H | W | 3–1 | Richardson (2), Bennett | 2,808 |
| 1 February | Hereford United | A | W | 2–0 | Bennett (2, 1 pen) | 3,255 |
| 5 February | Northampton Town | H | L | 2–3 | Richardson (pen), Chard (o.g.) | 3,304 |
| 15 February | Rochdale | H | D | 1–1 | Richardson (pen) | 3,232 |
| 22 February | Crewe Alexandra | A | D | 2–2 | Kelly, Richardson (pen) | 3,271 |
| 1 March | Stockport County | H | L | 1–2 | Richardson | 2,919 |
| 4 March | Mansfield Town | A | D | 0–0 | | 3,957 |
| 8 March | Burnley | A | L | 0–1 | | 3,690 |
| 15 March | Preston North End | H | W | 2–0 | Wright, Kelly | 3,062 |
| 22 March | Wrexham | H | W | 2–1 | Richardson, Bennett | 4,791 |
| 29 March | Port Vale | A | D | 1–1 | Greenough | 4,490 |
| 31 March | Cambridge United | H | D | 1–1 | Houghton | 2,893 |
| 4 April | Colchester United | A | W | 3–2 | Johnson, Glenn, Greenough | 2,281 |
| 8 April | Swindon Town | A | L | 2–4 | Johnson (2, 1 pen) | 12,630 |
| 12 April | Exeter City | H | W | 2–1 | Lane, Johnson (pen) | 2,899 |
| 19 April | Orient | A | D | 0–0 | | 2,617 |
| 26 April | Southend United | H | W | 2–0 | Bennett, Johnson (pen) | 4,453 |
| 29 April | Rochdale | A | W | 2–1 | Kelly, Johnson | 1,963 |
| 3 May | Scunthorpe United | A | L | 0–2 | | 2,256 |

## FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| First round | 16 November | Bury (3) | A | L | 0–2 | | 3,424 |

## League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| First round first leg | 28 August | Tranmere Rovers (4) | A | W | 3–1 | Rimmer (3, 1 pen) | 2,207 |
| First round second leg | 4 September | Tranmere Rovers (4) | H | D | 0–0 | | 2,384 |
| Second round first leg | 25 September | Coventry City (1) | H | L | 1–2 | Rimmer (pen) | 4,863 |
| Second round second leg | 9 October | Coventry City (1) | A | L | 2–7 | Murray, Rimmer (pen) | 5,504 |

## Associate Members' Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| First round | 20 January | Rochdale (4) | A | L | 0–1 | | 1,164 |
| Second round | 22 January | Wigan Athletic (3) | H | L | 0–2 | | 1,375 |

## Season statistics

| Nat | Player | Total | Total | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | AM Cup | AM Cup |
| Nat | Player | A | G | A | G | A | G | A | G | A | G |
| Goalkeepers ||||||||||||
| | John Butcher | 39 | – | 34 | – | 1 | – | 3 | – | 1 | – |
| | Ray Cashley | 10 | – | 9 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| | David Kaye | 4 | – | 3 | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – |
| Field players ||||||||||||
| | Graham Abel | 25 | 2 | 23 | 2 | – | – | – | – | 2 | – |
| | Ian Bailey | 1+1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1+1 | – |
| | Earl Barrett | 12 | – | 12 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Gary Bennett | 46+3 | 13 | 40+3 | 13 | 1 | – | 3 | – | 2 | – |
| | John Bramhall | 4 | – | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | David Brett | 7+3 | – | 5+2 | – | – | – | 1 | – | 1+1 | – |
| | Barry Butler | 12+4 | – | 10+4 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – |
| | Bobby Coy | 50 | 1 | 44 | 1 | 1 | – | 4 | – | 1 | – |
| | Brian Croft | 2+1 | – | 0+1 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – |
| | Steve Fox | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Wakeley Gage | 21 | 1 | 17 | 1 | 1 | – | 3 | – | – | – |
| | David Glenn | 37+1 | 1 | 33 | 1 | 0+1 | – | 4 | – | – | – |
| | Milton Graham | 41+1 | 3 | 37+1 | 3 | 1 | – | 3 | – | – | – |
| | Ricky Greenough | 33+5 | 5 | 28+5 | 5 | 1 | – | 2 | – | 2 | – |
| | Lee Harley | 0+1 | – | 0+1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Andy Holden | 13 | 2 | 10 | 2 | – | – | 3 | – | – | – |
| | Peter Houghton | 38+3 | 10 | 34+3 | 10 | 1 | – | 3 | – | – | – |
| | Steve Johnson | 10 | 6 | 10 | 6 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | John Kelly | 48 | 8 | 43 | 8 | 1 | – | 4 | – | – | – |
| | Martin Lane | 50 | 1 | 44 | 1 | 1 | – | 4 | – | 1 | – |
| | David Murray | 5+3 | 2 | 3+3 | 1 | – | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | – |
| | Richie Palmer | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| | Ian Richardson | 27 | 10 | 27 | 10 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Stuart Rimmer | 23 | 21 | 18 | 16 | 1 | – | 4 | 5 | – | – |
| | Mark Sconce | 3+1 | – | 1+1 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – |
| | Mick Speight | 12 | – | 10 | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | – |
| | Colin Woodthorpe | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – |
| | Billy Wright | 6 | 1 | 6 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Own goals | – | 2 | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Total | 53 | 89 | 46 | 83 | 1 | – | 4 | 6 | 2 | – |