Chester part company with manager Calum McIntyre
Blues boss has left his role with immediate effect via a mutual parting of ways
Chester have parted company with manager Calum McIntyre by mutual consent.
The 32-year-old was set to leave the role he has held as boss of the Deva Stadium outfit since May 2022 at the end of this season, but a decision has now been made for a mutual parting of the ways with 10 games remaining.
Saturday’s 2-1 win over Spennymoor Town, where Fin Shrimpton bagged a brace for the Blues, was to prove McIntyre’s last game in charge of Chester, a club where he progressed from fan on the terraces, to Academy head coach, to first-team manager.
Confirmation has yet to arrive with regards to the immediate future of assistant manager Colin Woodthorpe, but The Seal understands that the team will be taken on an interim basis from within the current set-up, with Connell Rawlinson, first-team coach who still has a playing contract with the Blues, potentially to take over charge of team matters on a temporary basis until the end of the season, with the decision over who takes the reins for 2026/27 likely to be determined within the fortnight.
A club statement read: “It was previously announced that Calum would depart at the end of the season. However, all parties believe it is now in the best interests of the football club to part company with immediate effect.
“Everyone at Chester Football Club would like to place on record our sincere thanks to Calum for his exceptional contribution, and we wish him all the very best for the future.
“The process of appointing a new First Team Manager is underway, and an update regarding interim arrangements will be provided in due course.”
The changes had been decided upon during the week in the build-up to the game with Spennymoor and were to followed through with regardless of the result. The interim boss will now have a week to work with the players ahead of next weekend’s home clash with Darlington, which will also represent the final game for Chester right-back Kevin Roberts before he retires to take up a role as a physiotherapist with an EFL side.
Options for who could take interim control were limited, with Roberts’ departure meaning one senior player who would have been a candidate has been taken out of the equation.
The Seal understands that Chester have held further positive talks with the person they want to take over at the helm of the club, but the candidate in question does not want to take the reins until the end of this current campaign, meaning that an interim boss is the route that Blues chiefs have to go down.
McIntyre’s deal at Chester was up at the end of this season but a decision was made last month that he wouldn’t be extending his stay after a challenging season. Last year, McIntyre brought Chester to within a whisker of promotion to the National League when they were beaten in the play-off final by Scunthorpe United. The Blues also made the play-offs in 2023 and McIntyre was named National League North Manager of the Year for 2022/23.
As above I feel that the board have acted due to the (sometimes over the top) reaction of a section of our fanbase.
Weve won 13 points out of 18 achieved since "the announcement", is Connell Rawlinson going to better that? Its the correct decision, made in an erratic manner.
Upwards and onwards, hopefully we get play offs and give Phil Parkinson a go in the Conference. #utfs
I think Callum deserved better support from the Board. They have given in too easily to toxic opinions. If I thought they had a plan to put in place I’d be happier, but I don’t think they have. Are they expecting an interim solution/manager to get the team into the play offs? Then why sack him?