CHESTER have smashed their £100,000 Boost the Budget target.

The Blues launched the scheme in a quest to boost the playing budget for the 2020/21 season.

Given seven weeks to attempt to reach the six-figure sum, the Blues achieved their ambitious goal in just three.

Joint-bosses Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley told the club’s official website: “This is a quite superb achievement by the Chester supporters.

“To set an ambitious target in seven weeks, for it to be smashed in just three, is simply magnificent.

“We have always talked about why we are at Chester, and it is because of you – the supporters – we know this kind of thing is exactly what you are capable of.

“There’s four weeks still to go in this fundraising drive, so we would say that the sky is the limit. Yes, £100,000 was the target and we have met it, but the further we can push that figure up makes a massive difference.

“Every penny counts. That doesn’t mean every penny up to £100,000, it also means we can stretch this sum of money even further.

“We have to thank our incredible pledgers, but we are also speaking to our home crowds here.

“We average 2,000 fans per game at the Deva, so can we get even more of our loyal supporters involved in Boost the Budget?

“Forgive our Delia Smith impression but… ‘where are you? Let’s be havin’ you!’

“We have still got a long way to go until the deadline, and there’s still a lot who may not have contributed – so spread the word and help us drive that amount up even further!”

While raising £100,000 for next season, the Blues brilliant fans have also contributed over £12,000 of the £15,000 target to be used in the end of season play-offs.

Details of the National League North play-offs were confirmed with Johnson and Morley’s Chester set to visit Altrincham and Kevin Wilkin’s Brackley hosting Gateshead on Sunday, July 19 in the eliminators.

Either Altrincham or Chester will head to York City in the semi-final the following Saturday as either Brackley or Gateshead face hosts Boston United.

The winners of the semi-finals will go head-to-head on Saturday, August 1 with the highest ranked finalist having home advantage.

The National League South play-offs - consisting of Slough Town, Dartford, Bath, Dorking, Havant & Waterlooville and Weymouth - follow the same schedule as National League North, while the National League end of lottery set to be televised with the final at Wembley on Sunday, August 2.

Boreham Wood host Halifax on Friday, July 17 for the chance to visit Harrogate in the semi-finals on Saturday, July 25, while Barnet visit Yeovil on Saturday, July 18 with the winners heading to Notts County seven days later.