WE cannot wait to welcome you home.

That is how Chester signed off their statement confirming that supporters are able to return to the Deva Stadium - starting tomorrow night against Hereford.

Permission was secured by the Blues for a limited attendance pilot event for season ticket holders to return to the Deva Stadium for Tuesday's National League North encounter.

It will be the first time Blues fans will have been able to attend a league game at the Deva since the 3-2 defeat against Brackley Town on February 22, with Chester FC's final Deva game last season being a 1-0 victory against Tranmere Rovers in the Cheshire Senior Cup on March 3, a competition which was not completed.

The statement added: “The club is extremely grateful to the local Safety Advisory Group and National League for their agreement and assistance in preparing for the safe return of crowds.

“Subject to a successful pilot (tomorrow) the club hopes to be able to welcome non-season ticket holders for future matches with a reduced capacity and strict social distancing measures in place.

“We will provide a further update on these arrangements in due course, however it is hoped we will be in a position to make further season tickets available as well as individual match tickets.

“The health and wellbeing of everyone in attendance is the club’s overriding priority and as such all supporters must co-operate fully with our staff and stewards, and familiarise themselves with the Supporters’ Code of Conduct before visiting the stadium.

“Anyone unwilling to follow these guidelines will not be permitted to attend fixtures as non-compliance will place the club’s ability to admit spectators at risk and potentially lead to further reductions in capacity.

“It is important fans understand there will be a number of changes in how matchdays operate to ensure the safety of our supporters, which will be communicated in full.”

Fans who are yet to collect their season ticket cards are asked to do so before Tuesday night's fixture, with the ticket office open 10am-4pm that day.

Joint Chester boss Anthony Johnson, meanwhile, will be hoping his side can take the positives from Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at York City into Tuesday's game.

The Blues will be 10th in the National League North when they welcome their visitors, with the “fine margins” that Johnson talks about are starting to cost them league positions.

“We’ve performed in every game,” said the joint Blues boss, who is set to be without Brad Jackson. “So good habits, let’s go into Tuesday, take the good stuff out of this, eradicate the rubbish stuff, that’s where we’re at in this moment of time.

“We know we’ve had a tough start in terms of who we’ve played, but we’re meant to one of the better sides. We’ve got to be taking points from places like York after the way we performed, same for at Gloucester and at Spennymoor, we’ve got to take a point.

“At this moment in time, those fine margins are killing us, we’ll keep working on them and keep trying to eradicate them and keep trying to do what we’re doing going forward. We’ve just got to take our opportunities and it comes from repetition on the training ground.”

York City return to action at home to Kettering, while Brackley host Spennymoor and Boston United make their way to Blyth Spartans.

Johnson also explained the recent absence of Brad Jackson from the side.

“Brad’s got a toe injury; they won’t x-ray him because it’s not out of place. We don’t know where we’re at with the hospital at this moment in time. He’s going to try and get out for a run.

“It could be a broken toe; we’re hoping it’s not, but he’s already been out for two weeks. We relied up him in terms of transitions and getting us up the pitch and we’re trying to find little bit of another way to do that, but the lads that have come in have been fabulous.”