# 1972–73 Chester F.C. season

The 1972–73 season was the 35th season of competitive association football in the Football League played by Chester, an English club based in Chester, Cheshire.
Also, it was the 15th season spent in the Fourth Division after its creation. Alongside competing in the Football League the club also participated in the FA Cup, Football League Cup and the Welsh Cup.

## Football League

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
| 13 | Workington | 46 | 17 | 12 | 17 | 59 | 61 | 0.967 | 46 |
| 14 | Barnsley | 46 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 58 | 60 | 0.967 | 44 |
| 15 | Chester | 46 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 61 | 52 | 1.173 | 43 |
| 16 | Bradford City | 46 | 16 | 11 | 19 | 61 | 65 | 0.938 | 43 |
| 17 | Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 15 | 12 | 19 | 49 | 58 | 0.845 | 42 |

### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
| 46 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 61 | 52 | 1.173 | 43 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 40 | 19 | 28 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 21 | 33 | 15 |
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 | W | L | W | W | L | D | D | W | D | D | W | L | W | W | L | D | D | L | D | W | W | L | L | D | L | D | L | D | D | W | D | L | L | L | W | L | D | L | W | L | L | W | D | L | D | W |
| Position | 1 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 15 |

### Matches

| Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| 12 August | Bury | H | W | 2–0 | Draper, Purdie | 3,444 |
| 19 August | Newport County | A | L | 2–3 | Draper, Relish | 3,342 |
| 26 August | Peterborough United | H | W | 8–2 | Purdie, Wallace (2, 1pen.), Draper, Owen, Hollis (3) | 3,162 |
| 30 August | Colchester United | H | W | 4–0 | Wallace (2pens.), Hollis, Owen | 4,304 |
| 1 September | Northampton Town | A | L | 0–1 | | 4,766 |
| 9 September | Aldershot | H | D | 0–0 | | 3,846 |
| 16 September | Darlington | A | D | 1–1 | Owen | 1,401 |
| 23 September | Crewe Alexandra | H | W | 2–1 | Wallace (pen.), Purdie | 3,834 |
| 26 September | Southport | H | D | 0–0 | | 4,564 |
| 30 September | Barnsley | A | D | 0–0 | | 2,784 |
| 4 October | Bradford City | A | W | 1–0 | Hollis | 2,283 |
| 7 October | Workington | A | L | 1–3 | Draper | 1,379 |
| 11 October | Hartlepool | H | W | 2–0 | Wallace (pen.), Purdie | 3,254 |
| 14 October | Lincoln City | H | W | 2–1 | Hollis, Draper | 3,616 |
| 21 October | Mansfield Town | A | L | 1–4 | Griffiths | 5,787 |
| 24 October | Doncaster Rovers | A | D | 0–0 | | 2,240 |
| 28 October | Cambridge United | H | D | 1–1 | Turner | 3,412 |
| 3 November | Southport | A | L | 2–3 | Draper, Purdie | 3,662 |
| 11 November | Bradford City | H | D | 1–1 | Draper | 2,710 |
| 25 November | Torquay United | A | W | 2–1 | Owen, Draper | 2,511 |
| 1 December | Stockport County | H | W | 2–0 | Kennedy, Draper | 3,196 |
| 9 December | Gillingham | A | L | 0–1 | | 3,162 |
| 23 December | Exeter City | H | L | 0–1 | | 2,560 |
| 26 December | Crewe Alexandra | A | D | 1–1 | Davies | 3,204 |
| 30 December | Newport County | H | L | 0–2 | | 2,844 |
| 6 January | Peterborough United | A | D | 2–2 | Davies, Kennedy | 3,821 |
| 17 January | Hereford United | A | L | 1–3 | Clapham | 8,795 |
| 27 January | Aldershot | A | D | 1–1 | Purdie | 3,581 |
| 3 February | Hartlepool | A | D | 0–0 | | 2,826 |
| 10 February | Darlington | H | W | 5–0 | Davies, Griffiths, James, Hollis, Purdie | 1,873 |
| 17 February | Bury | A | D | 1–1 | James | 3,461 |
| 20 February | Doncaster Rovers | H | L | 1–2 | Hollis | 2,561 |
| 24 February | Hereford United | H | L | 0–1 | | 4,264 |
| 3 March | Workington | H | L | 1–3 | Walker (o.g.) | 1,611 |
| 7 March | Reading | H | W | 2–0 | Wallace (pen.), James | 1,264 |
| 10 March | Lincoln City | A | L | 0–1 | | 3,591 |
| 17 March | Mansfield Town | H | D | 2–2 | Draper (2) | 1,964 |
| 24 March | Cambridge United | A | L | 0–1 | | 3,935 |
| 28 March | Northampton Town | H | W | 3–0 | James, Draper (2) | 1,336 |
| 31 March | Torquay United | H | L | 1–2 | Kennedy | 1,268 |
| 6 April | Stockport County | A | L | 1–2 | Wallace (pen.) | 2,638 |
| 14 April | Gillingham | H | W | 1–0 | Davies | 1,286 |
| 20 April | Barnsley | H | D | 0–0 | | 2,136 |
| 21 April | Reading | A | L | 1–2 | Wallace (pen.) | 4,478 |
| 23 April | Exeter City | A | D | 0–0 | | 3,863 |
| 27 April | Colchester United | A | W | 3–2 | James (2), Davies | 2,689 |

## FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| First round | 18 November | Bolton Wanderers (3) | A | D | 1–1 | Hollis | 9,620 |
| First round replay | 22 November | Bolton Wanderers (3) | H | L | 0–1 | | 7,611 |

## League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| First round | 16 August | Shrewsbury Town (3) | H | W | 4–3 | Hollis, Wallace, Draper (2) | 3,521 |
| Second round | 5 September | Southampton (1) | A | D | 0–0 | | 10,236 |
| Second round replay | 13 September | Southampton (1) | H | D | 2–2 | Hollis, Draper | 8,308 |
| Second round second replay | 20 September | Southampton (1) | N | L | 0–2 | | 2,417 |

## Welsh Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| Fourth round | 13 January | Wrexham (3) | A | W | 1–0 | Wallace (pen.) | 3,588 |
| Quarterfinal | 15 February | Welshpool (Mid Wales League) | A | D | 1–1 | Davies | |
| Quarterfinal replay | 28 February | Welshpool (Mid Wales League) | H | W | 1–0 | Draper | 1,755 |
| Semifinal | 21 March | Cardiff City (2) | H | L | 0–1 | | 2,158 |

## Season statistics

| Nat | Player | Total | Total | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Welsh Cup | Welsh Cup |
| Nat | Player | A | G | A | G | A | G | A | G | A | G |
| Goalkeepers ||||||||||||
| | Jim Eadie | 8 | – | 6 | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – |
| | John Taylor | 48 | – | 40 | – | 2 | – | 2 | – | 4 | – |
| Field players ||||||||||||
| | Ray Carter | 17 | – | 14 | – | – | – | 1 | – | 2 | – |
| | Graham Clapham | 23+5 | 1 | 21+4 | 1 | – | – | 1+1 | – | 1 | – |
| | Geoff Davies | 21+11 | 6 | 16+11 | 5 | 1 | – | 1 | – | 3 | 1 |
| | Derek Draper | 47 | 17 | 38 | 13 | 2 | – | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| | Nigel Edwards | 50 | – | 42 | – | 2 | – | 3 | – | 3 | – |
| | Graham Futcher | 3+1 | – | 3+1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Paul Futcher | 2 | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Neil Griffiths | 48 | 2 | 40 | 2 | 2 | – | 2 | – | 4 | – |
| | Mick Hollis | 43+3 | 11 | 34+3 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | – |
| | John James | 16 | 6 | 15 | 6 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| | Dave Kennedy | 41+3 | 3 | 32+3 | 3 | 2 | – | 3 | – | 4 | – |
| | Reg Matthewson | 22 | – | 19 | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | – |
| | Terry Owen | 43 | 4 | 35 | 4 | 2 | – | 3 | – | 3 | – |
| | Gary Potter | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| | Dave Pountney | 53 | – | 44 | – | 2 | – | 4 | – | 3 | – |
| | Bernard Purdie | 37+4 | 7 | 31+3 | 7 | 1+1 | – | 4 | – | 1 | – |
| | John Relish | 12 | 1 | 8 | 1 | – | – | 3 | – | 1 | – |
| | Graham Turner | 31 | 1 | 25 | 1 | 2 | – | 4 | – | – | – |
| | Bob Wallace | 50 | 11 | 41 | 9 | 2 | – | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| | Own goals | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Total | 56 | 71 | 46 | 61 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 3 |