Chester FC are delighted to announce that the West Stand has been renamed The Mike Metcalf Stand!
An inductee of the club’s Hall of Fame, Metcalf made 221 Football League appearances for the club and was part of the ‘Famous Five’ forward line, that each scored more than 20 goals in all competitions in the 1964/65 season.
Known as ‘Micky’, Liverpool-born Metcalf grew up in Saltney and joined Chester in December 1963 for a then record fee of £5,000.
A dynamic and skillful attacker, he became a fan favourite during his six-year spell at Sealand Road, and later became an active member of the Chester Former Players Association until he passed away aged 79 in 2018.
Metlab Supplies Ltd, the business that Mike established back in 1984 and which is now ran by his sons Barry and Ian, has sponsored the West Stand for the 2024/25 season, helping ensure a lasting honour to a true Chester legend.
Ian Metcalf said: “I am so pleased to be able to show our continued support of this great football club by having the West Stand carry my Dad’s name as well as the name of the business he started over 40 years ago.
“Mike was a Chester man through and through. Brought up in the area, Mike supported Chester in his youth, happily played for the team he supported, and continued to be connected to the club after he retired from football.
“I know that “Micky” would be very proud to know that the business he started and helped grow was now able to help the club he loved.
“Personally, the ‘day out’ I experience on match day in the Lounge is unsurpassed – it has become something I look forward to immensely!
“Each visit is made special by the wonderful people who work and volunteer for this proper football club. The stand sponsorship hopefully shows how important the club has become to me and my family.”
Chester FC General Manager Albert Davies said: “It’s a fitting tribute to a Chester great and we really appreciate the support of Ian and the entire Metcalf family.
“Ian and his friends and family are regulars in the Legends Lounge on a matchday, and it was great to hear them so eager to further support the club. The fact that they can do this, whilst also honouring an amazing man, is just brilliant.
“Finally, it is only right we recognise outgoing West Stand sponsor Swettenham Chemists.
“They have been our stand sponsors for eight years and supported the Academy for even longer than that!
“They part with our very best wishes from everyone at Chester Football Club.”
Metlab Supplies Ltd is a family-run business with customer relationships at the forefront. They are an independent supplier of laboratory consumables and chemicals from a range of over 2,000 suppliers.
Operating their own fleet of delivery vehicles, they service the entire UK from their 60,000 sq ft warehouse on the North Wales/Cheshire border. For more information, visit metlabsuppliesltd.com.
Photos: Millie Johnson.