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Whatever your sporting tastes - whether as participant or spectator - Cheshire proves itself to be a county with a zest for the active life.
Residents do not need to travel far to support some of the Premier League's greatest sides in Manchester and Liverpool; but there is also plenty of home grown footballing talent and a number of teams which inspire considerable local allegiance.
The county's most successful club is Crewe Alexandra FC. This achievement in part results from having what is widely acknowledged as one of the finest youth programmes in the country - a policy that has also resulted in a plethora of ex-Alex players competing in the Premier League.
Macclesfield Town FC is the County's other football league team playing in Division 3. Whilst Chester City have now rejoined them follow four years outside the Football League. Chester City Football Club's ground, The Deva Stadium, has a unique claim to be an international venue - it actually straddles the boundary with Wales!
The County is also well represented by non-league clubs. Well known semi-professional sides include Northwich Victoria and Winsford United .
Chester Racecourse holds the distinction of being the oldest racing venue in the country.
Located on the Roodee, beneath the city's ancient sandstone walls, the course stages the prestigious Derby trials in its May meeting - attracting over 30,000 spectators who appreciate the unique atmosphere and tightness of the circuit.
Being a rural county, the countryman's love of the horse is always evident at regular point-to-point and show jump meets, polo matches and pony trekking. The land which eventually became Chester Racecourse, results from the silting of the Dee and this magical river is much used today for a variety of recreational activities, including angling and canoeing. The North of England Head of the River Race is held at Chester each year and sharing the river are several long-established rowing clubs, including the Royal Chester, the only one in Britain with Royal in its title.
Elsewhere in the county waterborne activities, including windsurfing, angling, sailing, canoeing and rowing take place on river, canal, mere, reservoir, flash and pond.
But these could not contrast more vividly with the speed and excitement of another category of sports for which Cheshire is justly famous. The county has one of Britain's top motor racing circuits at Oulton Park, staging both car and motorcycle races each year.
Cycling is the option chosen by people wanting to travel at a more sedate pace.
And Cheshire, with its undulating landscape is the ideal county in which to take to the saddle. To make matters easier the Council's Tourism Unit are currently producing a new guide to the modified Cheshire Cycleway, which now covers 176 miles of Cheshire Cycleway.
On its way, the Cycleway offers a cross section of Cheshire's varied scenery, from the gentle countryside of the Cheshire Plain to the hills and valleys of the Pennine moorlands.
Cricketers are not excluded from Cheshire's sporting scene - which is able to boast numerous clubs. The Cheshire County Cricket League is the premier cricket league in the county of Cheshire and in 2001 consists of 36 full Member Clubs, who play 1st and 2nd XI Saturday league cricket in three divisions, each consisting of 12 teams.
In 1999 the League was one of the first leagues in England to be granted the status of an accredited Premier League by the England & Wales Cricket Board for its top division of twelve teams and has since retained its accreditation as a County 110 Premier League.
The League forms the top three divisions of the newly formed Cheshire Integrated League System which contains more than 100 clubs. The system has been formed by the amalgamation of the Cheshire County League, Cheshire Cricket League and Cheshire Alliance. Promotion and relegation will take place throughout the system, including between the three constituent bodies.
In the sport of rugby super league teams of Widnes, Warrington and St Helen's are all within easy travelling distance. Chester Rugby Club are not far behind.
Golf courses, municipal and private are plentiful throughout urban and rural areas. Prestigious examples include those located at Carden Park near Malpas, which was designed by Jack Nicklaus - and Portal, near Tarporley. The long established courses at Delamere and Sandiway were used for the qualifying rounds of The Open when it was last staged at Hoylake.
Residents seeking an outlet for their sporting instincts need look no further than the many superb leisure centres and health clubs - both public and private - which provide excellent facilities in all parts of the county.
In a towering achievement local Chester Jets Basketball Team are top of their league.
So, while Cheshire may not have towering mountains to climb, surf beaches or snow ski runs - in every other way it can be seen to be in the premier league of sporting counties.
Cheshire Sports Clubs and Societies Links |