25 October 2023 , 18:02
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Liverpool legend Michael Owen has revealed he considered buying Chester FC, the bitter rivals of Hollywood-owned Wrexham.
The Red Dragons were bought by A-listers Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in November 2020, winning promotion to League Two last season. Chester meanwhile, have endured a wretched few years since being relegated from the National League in 2018.
They have been stuck in the National League North ever since, with a succession of managers failing to take them up. The Seals are fan-owned, after being founded following the liquidation of Chester City 13 years ago.
Wrexham were also fan-owned for a number of years before their takeover by Reynolds and McElhenney. And Chester may have had their own superstar owner themselves had Owen pushed ahead with his interest.
"I did consider buying a football club a while ago, I had a good think about it. Chester FC are my local team, it's where I was born and where I live. And of course you see Chester who, in my eyes, are big rivals with Wrexham FC in a nip and tuck situation," Owen told DAZN Betting.
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"I live around 15 miles from Wrexham and there is an incredible buzz around the local area, and you can't help but look over the fence and say I wish Chester had this buzz. I have looked at the potential in the past.
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Michael Owen once considered buying Wrexham's fierce rivals Chester (Simon Stacpoole/Mark Leech Sports Photography/Getty Images)"Chester FC is a fan-run club now, so I don't know what challenges that would pose, but it was a thing that I looked at a couple of years ago and I haven't re-looked at it since. But of course you're burning money, really, at that level a lot of the time.
"I haven't got the money to be losing a million every year which probably is what these clubs do. So obviously I'd need help. But anyway it's something I did look at with a few people a few years ago but is not something I haven't looked at since."
While he ultimately opted against buying Chester, Owen has admitted he would be open to taking over a club in the future. But he insisted that everything had to be right for him to consider taking up the opportunity.
"I would only consider buying a club if the right opportunity came along. Football is what I know, it's my passion. I have built my life now to the extent that, really, I don't need anything more in it," Owen added.
"If anything I wish I had a few more days off. If something like that came, something else would have to go. But really I like doing the TV work, I am certainly not going to give up my horse racing business.
"And obviously I have four kids and I want to enjoy my life. At the moment I love doing my TV work, but you never know what will happen in the future."
Chester are currently just outside of the play-off places in National League North while Wrexham have enjoyed a strong start to the season on their return to the Football League. Phil Parkinson's side sit third, five points off the top of League Two, after losing just two of their 15 matches.