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About Chester Netball Club

Club History

Club Beginnings

Chester Netball Club started out as a weekly recreational netball session on a Friday evening at the County Officers Sports Club, Upton Chester. Pam Lucas was the driving force behind this initiative and, as interest, enthusiasm and numbers quickly grew, along with a desire to start playing netball competitively, in September 1982 Pam founded Chester Netball Club.

The Club competed in local leagues, winning the inaugural EPIC tournament in 1984 and again in 1985. Teams were now playing regularly in the EPIC and Northgate leagues and by 1990 the Club had established a thriving junior section.

In line with our competitive aspirations, the Club started to explore regional competitions and entered the NW Prem league. This was a big development for Chester, as league entry required both senior and under 21 teams along with a B Award umpire, but we were up for the challenge and so the journey began!

Competitive Netball Club

Chester Netball Club has been instrumental in the development of competitive netball locally and nationally. At that time (late 1990’s) the big netball successes and England representation generally came from the South, and wanting to shift this status quo Chester Netball Club, through Michele Sutton, became involved in establishing and creating the Northern Clubs League, which would for many years, be the pathway for NW, NE and Yorkshire and Humberside clubs to access the National Premier League.

The Club was committed to ensuring that the right level of competition was available to all players both locally and across the North West. In 2005, Jill Overland established and managed a new netball league which played on a Saturday and consisted of hour-long matches, this was known as the Chester Netball League, later to become the Cheshire Elite League. The Club has also managed annual Summer Leagues, as well as Junior and Senior Tournaments over the past 30 years.

Club & Athlete Success

Since the 2000s, the Club has enjoyed much success at the National Clubs Competition, with many teams reaching the finals. Our seniors have been extremely successful as one of the top North West teams in the country, including competing in the England Netball Premier League for a number of years. Across the Club, many players achieve County, Franchise and National (England, Wales & Scotland) recognition. In 2021, the Club introduced a Performance Academy which supports player progression and development as part of a player-centred approach. We have also supported the development of coaches and umpires for 40 years.

Our teams play locally, regionally and nationally and we pride ourselves on providing opportunities for all our members whether that be playing, officiating, or volunteering. We have a strong record of achievement in supporting our youth members with their Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

Chester Netball Club is a large and successful club and in 2023 we were awarded North West Netball Club of the Year. The Club is structured around a Player Development Pathway which supports player progression and development as part of a player-centred approach. We use this as a platform to deliver the Club vision and propel the club forward building on the substantial legacy that already exists thanks to our dedicated team of volunteers, parents and players.