“I’m gutted. It’s so sad to see the club go out of the league. To be in the League One playoffs three years ago to now being out of the Football League is such a shame to see.”
For 97 years Chesterfield FC has been in the Football League, but that record ended last weekend. A 2-1 defeat to Wycombe has condemned the Spireites to rock bottom of League Two and life in the National League for 2018-2019. It has been a horrible season for Chesterfield, one of just 10 wins from 45 fixtures. But to be fair the rot began a long time ago.
From 2014 the club has gone from a sixth place finish in League One to relegation last season and then another this year. Chestefield has churned through six managers in just three years. The Derbyshire outfit never recovered from the loss of Paul Cook to Portsmouth in 2015, along with the departure of his head of recruitment Paul Mitchell.
Cook’s exit, along with the troubles surrounding owner Dave Allen, have conspired to help send the club down. Allen quit as chairman and board member in 2016, and soon after another four directors jumped ship. Chesterfield have been left up for sale and, after barely avoiding administration, have been bleeding money and forced to sell their best players.
Poor signings and botched decisions, including the sacking Danny Wilson in January 2017, have contributed to the decline. There has been the temporary banning of local paper The Derbyshire Times, FA investigations and suspensions over dodgy player transfers. Off the field the club has been in a mess. That has been mirrored on the field since August. Gary Caldwell, Jack Lester and caretaker Ivan Evatt all couldn’t stop the Spireites going down this season.
Chesterfield have always been a small fish in a pond dominated by bigger clubs – Sheffield Wednesday and United to the north, and Derby County, Nottingham Forest and Notts County to the south. Despite this, the Spireites have a long and proud history. They are one of the oldest clubs in the world and were founded in 1886. They were one of the founder members of the Third Division North in 1921.
But history doesn’t guarantee success or a life in the Football League. There is no divine right. With the club £10 million in debt and supporters up in arms, they have lurched from crisis to crisis. The hope now for the Chesterfield faithful is that they have finally hit rock bottom.
To former player Aaron Downes, who spent eight years with the Spireites from 2004 to 2012 and made 174 appearances for the club, relegation has been a huge kick in the teeth. He played alongside manager Lester at the Proact Stadium, who was replaced on April 23.
“I know Jack well, I played with him, and I know he put everything into the job,” Downes told The Sportsman.
“He is a natural winner and a real football man. And I know it has hurt him deeply so I’m gutted for him. I’m also sorry for the fans as they really passionate supporters who care so much about their club.”
But Downes believes Chestefield can lift itself back up into the Football League. Other clubs have done it, with relegation not always the death sentence many envisage. From the pain and trauma can come rebirth.
“On a positive note, it is possible to bounce back into the league at the first attempt like we did at Cheltenham two years ago,” the 32-year-old said.
“So whatever happens I wish the club and supporters all the success in the world and I hope they are able to get back into the league where such a great club like Chesterfield belongs.”
