The Grand arena, it’s where we want to be
EVERGREEN defender Simon Grand admits he would have always regretted having ‘unfinished business’ if he hadn’t volunteered his services for the play-offs.
With Chester weighing up whether they could afford to take part, Grand and his teammates offered to forgo their wages to make it possible.
As a new dad to 12-week-old Tommy and home-schooling daughter Lola, seven, during lockdown, the 36-year-old has plenty on his plate. But the prospect of a sixth career promotion was something he couldn’t turn down.
“In any other line of work, if you asked someone to do their job for free, they’d be reluctant,” he told
The NLP.
“This is my full-time wage.
It’s not a hobby, as much as I do it because I love the game. It’s a massive thing to do with everything that’s going on.
“It’s hard for me to speak for the other lads because people have different circumstances, but I’ve been very proud that I’ve played every minute of every game this season.
“If you have grafted all year and had sleepless nights or not been able to get out of bed the next day, you can’t throw that away for nothing.
“Whether Altrincham go on and beat us or not, I have to give it my all. I will empty out what I have got on the pitch on Sunday. Whether I get paid or not, I have done it.
“The gaffers (Anthony Johnson and Bernard
Morley) are exactly the same. That’s why we have a group of players that are all very similar. They buy into the philosophy.
“We aren’t going out there against Altrincham for money, we are doing it because we want to and to finish something we started.” Grand, who hailed girlfriend Kimi for her unwavering support, acknowledges that Phil Parkinson’s Alty have been a tough nut for Chester to crack recently. Co-boss Morley mentioned to The NLP a couple of weeks ago that the Blues hadn’t beaten them in five meetings (three league and two cup) since he and Johnson had taken over. “You could easily say they have been a bogey team,” conceded former Rochdale, Carlisle and Barrow centre-back Grand.
“But I think people who watched them would say they have been close and really entertaining as well. “Take nothing away from them, they are a very good side, but the way we play and our strengths, personally I don’t think there’s a better team to fit us than Altrincham.
“Our style of play – with a high press – means I feel they suit us down to the ground, though the results don’t say that. “Whoever wins and goes to York next week will have had the advantage of having already played a game. That could prove crucial.”