91-584: Saltergate , officially the Recreation Ground , was the historic home of Chesterfield Football Club , and was in use from 1871 until the club's relocation in July 2010, a 139-year history that made it one of the oldest football grounds in England at the time of its closure. From the 1920s onward the name 'Saltergate' became predominant in popular references to the ground. Tightly surrounded by housing,
182-552: A Football League Two game against Bournemouth , was held on 8 May 2010. From the 2010–11 season, the team switched to the new b2net Stadium located in the Whittington Moor area of the town. An October 2010 publication from the club, Saltergate Sunset by Stuart Basson, chronicled the story of the ground. In January 2012, the football club sold the Saltergate site to Barratt Homes . Its demolition to make way for
273-602: A 1–0 win for Mansfield at the Proact Stadium in April 2018. Chesterfield also have rivalries with nearby South Yorkshire clubs Rotherham United , Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United . The rivalries with Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday both came to the fore with the two playing in League One at periods in the 2010s. The Spireites have encountered United much more in recent years, continuing to meet in
364-536: A Chesterfield FC, whether loosely or formally organised, was active from at least 1863. A second Chesterfield FC was formally created as an offshoot of Chesterfield Cricket Club in October 1867. The cricket and football clubs moved to the Recreation Ground at Saltergate in 1871, the same year that they became separate entities. However, a souring of the relationship between the two led to the closure of
455-444: A brass band led a parade up to the match along Chesterfield High Street, swelling to an estimated 2,000 people on arrival. Chesterfield F.C.'s final league fixture at Saltergate ended in a dramatic 2–1 win against AFC Bournemouth following an injury time goal from Derek Niven , the club's longest serving player. The goal prompted a brief and good-natured pitch invasion , which later attracted national media attention after footage of
546-434: A capacity of around 1,000 at the time of closure – the smallest of the four sides. It was partly covered (to the rear) and had a row of supporting pillars. Originally a terrace constructed in the early 1920s, Compton Street had a lot of work carried out on it during 2002 and was made all seated. The seating area lay about 4 metres from the pitch line. The roof had an unusual wooden television gantry perched on top. Until becoming
637-529: A change of sponsorship in its closing years, becoming 'The Karen Child Kop' through a £20,000 deal with a local lottery winner. Fans standing on the Kop for Saltergate's final fixture were experiencing not just their last game at the ground, but also their last opportunity to watch a Chesterfield home game from terracing , the new stadium being all-seater . Compton Street, also known as the Popular or Pop Side, had
728-428: A decade of financial struggle, other clubs who had invested in their stadia vied for an opening in the league and Chesterfield Town were voted out in 1909. In a bid to return, a running track was constructed around the perimeter, said to offer up to 10,000 fans a decent view, and a white picket fence was constructed around the pitch to replace the previous wire boundary. However, any ambitions proved short-lived. Faced with
819-619: A disabled man rolling his wheelchair into the Bournemouth half attracted over 100,000 hits on YouTube . In the weeks following the game, Saltergate hosted a series of final commemorative events, including an auction of fixtures and memorabilia that raised £20,000 for the club. Two of the crush barriers from Saltergate were also donated by the club to become museum pieces at the National Football Museum in Preston and
910-856: A four-day County Championship game against Somerset and the Pro40 opener against Kent . Both of these matches were moved to Derbyshire's regular ground in Derby due to the Queen's Park ground being waterlogged. Instead, the festival began with the Pro40 game against Durham on 4 September and saw Durham win convincingly by seven wickets. The festival continued with the County Championship game against Nottinghamshire from 6 to 9 September, where Nottinghamshire won by an innings and six runs inside three days. Nottinghamshire skipper Stephen Fleming helped
1001-707: A further six years to agree on costs and the park was eventually opened to the public on 2 August 1893. Chesterfield Cricket Club was granted exclusive use of the ground in February 1894, and the first game was played there on 5 May 1894. There was an unusual incident during the County Championship match between Derbyshire and Yorkshire in mid-1946. After two overs were bowled in the Derbyshire first innings, Yorkshire captain Len Hutton asked for
SECTION 10
#17327980620831092-404: A heavy knock and the decline continued over the decade as success eluded the club, which finally dropped to the fourth tier of English football for the first time in 1961. However, modest ground improvements still advanced after fundraising efforts by fans which allowed the Kop to be roofed in the same year. Despite acquiring second-hand lights in 1963, boardroom procrastination meant that Saltergate
1183-606: A majority shareholding of the football club from the Supporters Society. They went on to win the Football League Trophy for the first time in March 2012, defeating Swindon Town 2–0 in the final . However, they were relegated from League One the following month, with Allen taking over as chairman from Barrie Hubbard in the off-season. The club again returned to the third tier as League Two champions at
1274-642: A name change to Chesterfield FC in December 1920. In 1921–22, Chesterfield became a founder member of the new Football League Third Division North . Following the arrival of new manager Ted Davison in 1926 and chairman Harold Shentall in 1928, the club won the Third Division North title in the 1930–31 season with an 8–1 victory over Gateshead on the final day, and were promoted to the Second Division. Relegation followed in 1933, but
1365-527: A new housing development began in April and was completed in July 2012. Today one of the main shopping streets located in front of the site is named Saltergate . In 1871, Chesterfield Football Club became a distinct entity from the Chesterfield Cricket Club, from which it was formed in the previous decade. Together, they took up the tenancy at the 'New Recreation Ground', Saltergate, located just 100 yards West of their previous home, and
1456-400: A number of events to celebrate the history of Saltergate and bid it farewell. A heritage project at The Pomegranate Theatre presented a visual history of the club's time at the ground, including match footage from 1923 and photos dating back to 1900. Former players, including Albert Collins of the 1945 Football League War Cup semi-final side, were also present to share their memories. Afterwards,
1547-492: A pitch that sloped markedly from north to south, most notably the removal of a hill in the north west corner, the spoil from which was dumped at the Saltergate end. In addition, the grandstand was enlarged and roofed over, its capacity increasing to around 800 spectators. Fencing was erected on the Compton Street side to obscure the free view from adjacent back gardens (modest coverage later being added on this side). After
1638-519: A seated area, supporters could move freely between Compton Street and the Kop, resulting in the familiar half-time sight of fans flowing from the former to the latter for an improved view of the away goal. Away fans were primarily housed in the Cross Street Terrace at one end of the ground, where 1,400 fans could be accommodated. This area was uncovered and open to the elements. This part of the ground also had work done on it in 2002. At
1729-651: A spell as caretaker manager from January 2020, during which time he was able to prevent the club's relegation to National League North . In January 2022, the club faced Chelsea in the third round of the FA Cup , losing 5–1 to the Premier League side. After relegation from the Football League, Chesterfield had three unsuccessful play-off attempts, including losing the 2023 National League play-off final on penalties to Notts County . The club then won
1820-657: A successful application to the Football League Second Division for the following season. After ten seasons in the Second Division they failed to gain re-election to the League and returned to the Midland League in 1909. They were champions of that league in 1909–10. The club entered liquidation in 1915, and were reformed as Chesterfield Municipal in April 1919. They again rejoined the Midland League and finished as champions in 1919–20. The club
1911-532: A way to spearhead improvements in local recreational provision. Initially called "Chesterfield Municipal", the club made great strides on the pitch in its first season, lifting the Midland League title – and did so despite three changes of management. However, The Football Association and the Football League had already made clear their vehement opposition to a council-run club and ultimately forced it to cut its ties and become independent, reflected in
SECTION 20
#17327980620832002-566: Is a county cricket ground located in Chesterfield , Derbyshire , England and lies within a park in the centre of the town established for the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887. It has a small pavilion and is surrounded by mature trees. The park is the home of Chesterfield CC and also played home to Derbyshire CCC for 100 years between 1898 and 1998, before the county team returned in 2006 after an 8-year absence. It
2093-826: Is a professional association football club based in the town of Chesterfield , Derbyshire , England. The team competes in EFL League Two , the fourth level of the English football league system , after winning the 2023–24 National League title. Chesterfield play their home games at the 10,500 capacity SMH Group Stadium , having moved from their historic home of Saltergate during the summer of 2010. Notable former players include record appearance holder Dave Blakey , who played in 617 of Chesterfield's league games, and 162 league goal club record holder Ernie Moss . The club contests numerous local rivalries, most notably with Nottinghamshire club Mansfield Town . Chesterfield FC
2184-401: The 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 -acre site was put up for sale by the club in October 2011; meanwhile supporters began a Facebook Group calling for the streets in any future development to be named after former Chesterfield players. The club's development partner, GB Development Solutions, announced in December 2011 that it was close to exchanging contracts on the site and expected to complete the sale
2275-564: The National League title in the following season to return to the Football League after six seasons in non-League. During this season, the ownership of the club was transferred to brothers Phil and Ashley Kirk by the Community Trust. Table of kit suppliers and sponsors: Chesterfield's historic ground was Saltergate, officially named the Recreation Ground, which was in use from 1872 to 2010. Saltergate's record attendance
2366-481: The Queen's Park Annexe, previously considered in 1920. In the aftermath of the 1985 Bradford City stadium fire and the general upgrading of football ground safety, a number of ground adaptations were undertaken, most significantly the construction of a series of emergency exits from the main stand in the form of flights of steps down to the pitch. Hundreds of seats also had to be removed to provide more gangways. The club
2457-590: The Scottish Football Museum in Glasgow. This had been arranged after the disused Compton Street-Cross Street corner terracing was found to include barriers designed and patented in 1906 by Scottish engineer and football ground designer Archibald Leitch, possibly the last-known examples of these once commonplace barriers. In July 2010, the handover of the new ground was completed and the club departed Saltergate as its administrative base. However, it
2548-627: The Union Jack emblazoned across the front of the shirt. Chesterfield joined the Midland League in 1896, and successfully applied for a place in the Second Division of the Football League at the start of the 1899–1900 season, finishing seventh. After finishing bottom of the League for three consecutive seasons, the club failed to gain re-election to the League in 1909, returning to the Midland League. In 1915 Chesterfield Town
2639-432: The football stadium was located near Chesterfield 's town centre on the thoroughfare of the same name. The ground underwent only limited additional development after a new main stand was opened in 1936. Although plans to develop the site were explored, the club's fans ultimately voted in favour of pursuing a new ground in a 2003 ballot, with the site confirmed by a 2006 poll. The final Chesterfield fixture at Saltergate,
2730-467: The 1890s. With the football club steadily progressing toward employing its first semi-professional players, it was also able to take the cricket club's relocation in its stride during 1894, shouldering the full rent thereafter. League football came to Saltergate in 1899 with Chesterfield Town's election to play in Division Two of the Football League . The club's step up necessitated remedial work on
2821-662: The 1958–59 season; future England international goalkeeper Gordon Banks made his professional debut in a Third Division game in November 1958, but was sold to Leicester City for a then-club record £7,000 fee at the end of the season. In 1961 Chesterfield were relegated to the Fourth Division for the first time. Chesterfield spent eight seasons in the Fourth Division, earning promotion as champions in 1969–70 under manager Jimmy McGuigan . The Anglo-Scottish Cup
Saltergate - Misplaced Pages Continue
2912-516: The 1990s. Talk of relocation dominated the 1994 AGM, with a sizeable group of supporters advocating the redevelopment of Saltergate, rather than its abandonment – including the Crooked Spireite fanzine. An early proposal showed a two tier kop, with smaller seated stands on the remaining three sides. New plans for the club to leave Saltergate in favour of Wheeldon Mill emerged in October 1995 and were pursued avidly by Chairman Norton Lea in
3003-482: The 2017–18 season, Chesterfield suffered a second consecutive relegation, with the club playing outside the Football League for the first time since 1921. On 6 August 2020, it was announced that Chesterfield FC Community Trust, a charity associated with the club, had bought the club from previous owner Dave Allen. The following day, the Trust announced that John Pemberton had been appointed full-time manager, following
3094-667: The Compton Street Stand, running the full length of the pitch opposite the Main Stand; and the Cross Street End, an open terrace where away fans usually stood. The covered Main Stand was opened in 1936 and was built at a cost of £14,000. In this era, the stand had two tiers, the bottom level being narrow terracing which did not require a tunnel for the players, who instead emerged through a door. This terracing
3185-482: The Saltergate end of the ground spent many years as little more than a sloping mound. In the early 1920s, the construction of Cross Street at the opposite end of the ground led to earth and remnants of the cinder running track being used to build up the banking of the Kop. Terraced steps were cut into the cinder in the summer of 1931. At the turn of the 1950s, this was replaced by concrete terracing, cut to go below pitch level. Metal crush barriers were also fitted, replacing
3276-517: The Saltergate structure was used to depict the Baseball Ground in the 2009 film The Damned United , set in the 1970s. The Kop was the main terrace, accessed via turnstiles on Saltergate, the street which gives rise to the ground's popular name. As the area behind the goal, it tended to attract the club's most vocal standing support. For the 2009–10 season, its capacity was approximately 2,000. As with many Victorian era football facilities,
3367-546: The Second Division in 1946–47. However they were relegated again in 1950–51, and were relegated out of the Third Division in 1960–61. Chesterfield won the Fourth Division in 1969–70, and then won the Anglo-Scottish Cup in 1980. After relegation in 1982–83, they again won the Fourth Division title in 1984–85, though would again be relegated after five seasons in the third tier. They secured their return to
3458-401: The Third Division North title was again won in 1936. After the war the club achieved their best League position, finishing fourth in the Second Division in 1946–47. However, the sale of several players at the end of the season reduced their overall quality, and Chesterfield were relegated at the end of the 1950–51 season. They were placed in the Third Division on its formation at the start of
3549-482: The [northern] end of the stand." In 1931, at a time of growing ambition for the club, terracing was cut into the cinder banking of the Kop and further earth removal from the Cross Street to Saltergate end was undertaken to level the pitch. In a successful push for promotion to the Second Division in 1931–32, 20,092 fans crammed into the ground to see the home team overtake Lincoln City for the top spot. In 1936,
3640-603: The abandonment of competitive football after the outbreak of the First World War the club was forced into voluntary liquidation in 1915. A new club with the same name was formed by a local restaurateur to play wartime football at Saltergate using locally based "guests" from Football League clubs. It was shut down by the FA for illegal payments in 1917. The following year saw no senior football in Chesterfield but Saltergate
3731-441: The away terracing saw little change thereafter, though the original wooden crush barriers made way for metal ones around 1950. Football ground writer Simon Inglis described the Cross Street End in 1983 as "a low bank of terracing attractively backed by a castellated wall. Behind is a primary school... In the far corner is a group of turnstiles built by supporters in 1939 after [a] record attendance." Saltergate's record attendance
Saltergate - Misplaced Pages Continue
3822-428: The club (he was later to be jailed for fraud), they faced a myriad of challenges related to ensuring Saltergate's future. It emerged that a debenture had been secured on the ground requiring that £200,000 be raised in just three weeks to fight off the threat of losing the stadium. Even with that met and the club in administration , much additional fundraising was required to deal with Saltergate's worst deficiencies. Thus,
3913-426: The club borrowed around £14,000 to fund the erection of a new brick and steel main stand by Scottish architect Archibald Leitch . Demolition of the old wooden stand began at the close of the 1935–36 season, which again saw the club promoted to the Second Division. The official opening of the new stand came in November, with Sheffield United visiting for a league fixture and a new record of 26,519 paying for entry. With
4004-521: The club holds many local derbies. Their main rival is considered to be the Nottinghamshire club Mansfield Town , with the club contending a number of fiery encounters. This was intensified due to the Miners' Strike , with those in Derbyshire largely striking, while those in Nottinghamshire did not, leading to the latter being referred to as 'scabs'. The last fixture between the sides finished in
4095-603: The club in March 2001 and ownership passed to a hastily organised fans' group, the Chesterfield Football Supporters Society. Massive debts run up by Brown forced the club into administration, but the team still secured the division's final automatic promotion place. Brown was later sentenced to four years in prison following a Serious Fraud Office investigation that led to charges including false accounting, furnishing false information and theft. Chesterfield were relegated to League Two at
4186-506: The club relegated out of the English Football League at the end of the 2017–18 season, before returning to League Two after winning the National League title in the 2023–24 season. Potentially five or more teams have been called Chesterfield Football Club at different times. A Derbyshire Times newspaper report from 2 January 1864 noted a scheduled game between "Chesterfield and Norton football clubs", suggesting that
4277-407: The club. This signaled a crisis, and four days later a further four directors resigned from their roles. It was announced that Chesterfield was openly up for sale, and desperately needed some kind of investment in order to avoid administration. Mike Warner was installed as chairman on 19 November. Chesterfield were relegated from League One in 2016–17, finishing bottom of the league. At the end of
4368-492: The completion of the new stand, all four sides of the ground had taken on an appearance that would still be recognisable at the time of its closure. After the Second World War, the club faced a pressing need to raise funds to service the debt on the new stand and pay off the bank loan. Further ground development became somewhat limited as a result, though the club was still in a position to buy up several houses around
4459-601: The end of the 2006–07 season, although they did reach the regional semi-final of the League Trophy and the fourth round of the League Cup in the same year. The club departed its historic home at Saltergate at the end of the 2009–10 season, and moved to newly built B2net Stadium . Chesterfield were promoted to League One after winning the League Two title in 2010–11 season. Later that year, Dave Allen took
4550-407: The end of the 2013–14 season for a record fourth time under the guidance of manager Paul Cook . Chesterfield secured sixth-place in League One at the end of the 2014–15 campaign, and went on to lose 4–0 on aggregate to Preston North End in the two-legged play-off semi-final. Cook departed at the end of the season. On 14 November 2016, Dave Allen resigned from his roles as chairman and director of
4641-433: The face of substantial opposition. Though the scheme was blocked in 1998 when the council refused planning permission, subsequent unsuccessful attempts were made to revive the move well into the next decade. Having received a dispensation from the upgrading requirements of the 1989 Taylor Report based on relocation, the club was perpetually left without a plan B. Thus, in late 2000, more than ten years after Taylor's report,
SECTION 50
#17327980620834732-483: The first homes on the site would be available for occupancy in Autumn 2012. The final floodlight pylon – and last remaining Saltergate structure – was levelled on 13 July. Initial construction of the roads and first plots began at the end of July 2012. In September 2012, Chesterfield Borough Council invited fans to nominate possible names for the road at the new development, from which seven options were subsequently put to
4823-406: The following month. A building trade publication subsequently confirmed the sale of the ground to Barratt Homes for an undisclosed sum. In January 2012, as the prospect of demolition neared, the club announced that a pair of original 1936 seats from the Saltergate main stand would gain a permanent home at the Football League 's Preston headquarters, where they were to be refurbished and located in
4914-508: The following season. In 2011, Dave Allen took full ownership of the club and oversaw progress to two League Trophy finals; Chesterfield won the trophy with a 2–0 victory over Swindon Town in 2012, and finished as runners-up after losing 3–1 to Peterborough United in 2014. Chesterfield were crowned champions of League Two for a record fourth time in 2013–14, but remained in League One for just three seasons. Back-to-back relegations saw
5005-417: The football club in 1881, when it found itself homeless. Many players joined other local sides, notably Chesterfield Livingstone, a club that took up using the Saltergate site, and Chesterfield Spital, a team which competed in the early years of the FA Cup . Three years later, in 1884, a third entity called Chesterfield Football Club was formed, again making its home at Saltergate . It drew in players from
5096-518: The future of football at Saltergate became mired in crisis with three sides of the ground under threat of closure from the Football Licensing Authority . This was narrowly averted by a further dispensation for two sides of the ground amid turbulent times for the club under the chairmanship of Darren Brown. Although 2001 saw a hastily organised fans group, the Chesterfield Football Supporters Society, replace Brown in controlling
5187-443: The ground in the late 1940s. A move away from Saltergate was proposed again in 1949, this time to a site near Walton Hospital, but the council rejected the plan. Instead, the club made what was to be its final major investment in the ground prior to the millennium, engaging Leitch and Partners to renew all the ground's cinder terracing with concrete and install their patented crush barriers. With relegation in 1951, average gates took
5278-400: The ground saw a number of modest improvements, but remained an aged stadium, lacking many of the modern facilities available to rival clubs who had relocated or redeveloped their existing grounds. In 2003 , members of the Chesterfield Football Supporters Society voted in favour of the club pursuing relocation to Wheeldon Mill. A further vote in 2006 saw more than 90% back a plan to switch to
5369-507: The ground was used for both sports for more than two decades. The site hosted its first game of football on 4 November 1871, with Rotherham providing the opposition in a 14-a-side match under Sheffield Rules . 11-a-side football was first played a few weeks later against the Sheffield F.A. team. A wooden pavilion was developed on the eastern side of the ground later in the 1870s but otherwise it remained simply an open field in this era. After
5460-412: The initial Chesterfield Football Club folded in 1881, a number of other local football teams used the pitch until the establishment of a second Chesterfield F.C. in 1884, later known as Chesterfield Town. The first recorded attendance, from Boxing Day 1889, put the crowd at 400 for a game against Sheffield Heeley Reserves. A small, uncovered grandstand with benched seating for around 400 was added early in
5551-491: The length of the pitch to be measured. It was found to be 24 yards long, instead of the regulation 22 yards. The pitch was correctly reset, and the game continued. After a century of first-class cricket at Chesterfield between 1898 and 1998, the next seven seasons saw Derbyshire play no first-class or List A matches on the ground, although the Marylebone Cricket Club played a first class match against
SECTION 60
#17327980620835642-472: The new Third Division North in 1921, the ground saw a new spurt of improvements. According to club historian Stuart Basson: "Ground development left the club with a tidy Main Stand that ran some three-quarters of the pitch length and seated 1600, a roofed Popular Side and unovered ends. Terracing was made of cinder embankments, with a few wooden crush barriers walloped into the dirt at random-looking intervals. A wooden hut provided dressing room accommodation at
5733-433: The old wooden ones. The Kop was roofed in 1960/1, at a cost of £10,000, paid for entirely by fundraising by the supporters club. In December 2000, The Kop was closed for the remainder of the season on orders of the Football Licensing Authority and a major upgrading effort became one of the many summer challenges facing the fans who had taken over the club. Commencing at the start of July, a complete renewal of terracing work
5824-441: The popular vote in an online poll. In December 2012, the winning street name was announced as 'Spire Heights', a play on the club nickname 'Spireites' when pronounced with a local accent. In the autumn of 2014 Chesterfield Borough Council commissioned local artist Melanie Jackson to design a piece of artwork to mark the site of the football ground. The work, the "Spirit of Saltergate" was developed in consultation with supporters and
5915-422: The preceding club and both Chesterfield Livingstone and Chesterfield Spital, though records show Spital continued as a separate club. After changing its name to Chesterfield Town , the club turned professional in 1891 and won several local trophies in the following two seasons, entering the FA Cup for the first time in 1892. For the 1892–93 season, the club wore an extraordinary playing strip of all dark blue with
6006-425: The reception area. Demolition of the ground commenced in April 2012. By the end of June 2012, demolition of the structure was almost complete: the pitch had been removed, all four stands demolished and three of the floodlight pylons levelled. Work on rubble removal and levelling of the site was ongoing. In early July 2012, Barratt Homes began publicising details of the development to potential purchasers, stating that
6097-479: The replay 3–0. The club were relegated to the Third Division in 2000 following a run of 21 games without a win, and chairman Norton Lea was replaced by Darren Brown. The following year, Chesterfield were deducted nine points for financial irregularities after Brown attempted to avoid paying Chester City the fee agreed by the FA for Luke Beckett . Amid mounting evidence of fraud, he relinquished control of
6188-399: The seats. There were also a number of supporting pillars in the stand which gave many seats a restricted view. In its later years, the badly peeling paint and rusted exterior of the stand frequently attracted the derision of rival supporters. Given that the design and appearance of the stand were similar to the one at Derby County 's now-demolished Baseball Ground (by the same architect),
6279-432: The site of the former Dema Glass factory, near the Chesterfield - Sheffield bypass (Sheffield Road), around 1 mile (1.6 km) from the town centre. The 2009–10 season represented the club's last at Saltergate and its commercial department announced extensive plans to mark the 'End of an Era', including a book, DVD and end of season gala. For 8 May 2010, the date of the final game, Chesterfield Community Trust organised
6370-709: The third level of English football until 2017. A slight rivalry with Grimsby Town intensified with a number of feisty encounters over the years. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Management and backroom staff Source: Source: League Cup Queen%27s Park, Chesterfield Queen's Park
6461-486: The third tier with a 2–0 win over Bury in the 1995 play-off final at Wembley . Chesterfield reached the FA Cup semi-finals in 1997, but were relegated back to the basement division in 1999–2000. They made an immediate return to the third tier after securing a Third Division automatic promotion place in 2000–01. Relegated in 2006–07, they secured the League Two title in 2010–11, but were relegated from League One
6552-406: The time of Saltergate's closure, the wall at the back of the terrace was the ground's oldest surviving feature, built by the council in return for the land needed to create Cross Street in 1921. To accommodate the new street, the pitch was moved around 6 metres closer to Saltergate as well as being levelled by more than a metre along its length. However, following this upheaval at the Cross Street End,
6643-449: The touring Sri Lanka team in 2002. However, following a multimillion-pound refurbishment and upgrade of the entire park including the cricketing facilities, Derbyshire returned by taking on Worcestershire in a County Championship Division Two game between 26 and 29 July. The game ended in a draw, with Australian Marcus North avoiding defeat for the home side by scoring 161 runs, including 24 boundaries. Attendances for all four days
6734-440: Was 30,561, which was set when Chesterfield hosted Tottenham Hostpur in the FA Cup 5th Round in February 1938 . The widely held belief that the record attendance was set against Newcastle United in April 1939 is discredited by the Football League's audited attendance for that game, which stands at 28,268 – though this does represent the grounds's highest league attendance. Chesterfield FC Chesterfield Football Club
6825-453: Was 30,561, which was set when Chesterfield hosted Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup fifth round in February 1938. Since the 2010–11 season, Chesterfield have played their home games at the £13 million B2net Stadium. The first match was against Derby County in a pre-season friendly, which Derby won 5–4, Craig Davies becoming the first goalscorer at the stadium. The first competitive fixture
6916-482: Was against Barnet , which ended in a 2–1 win after Dwayne Mattis scored the opening League goal at the ground in the first half. Chesterfield suffered their first home league defeat at the B2net Stadium after a 2–1 loss to Burton Albion on 13 November 2010. On 13 August 2012, it was announced that, after the acquisition of b2net by Proact, the stadium would be renamed the Proact Stadium. On 15 May 2020, it
7007-525: Was also ordered to install fencing around three sides of the pitch days before the start of the 1985–1986 season. The additional cost of further works gave added spur to the idea of a move, but the discovery of a covenant on the Annexe that forbade its use for professional sport put paid to the club's favoured relocation site toward the end of the decade, though not the idea of relocation itself. The board persisted in putting forward alternate locations throughout
7098-530: Was announced that the ground would continue in use by the Chesterfield FC Community Trust for its Saturday Morning Club and Summer holiday Soccer Camp 'for the foreseeable future'. This community use was discontinued at the start of 2011. On 31 May 2011, outline proposals for the development of up to 68 houses at the site were unanimously approved by Chesterfield Borough Council 's planning committee. With planning permission obtained,
7189-644: Was announced that, from August, the stadium would be renamed again, this time to the Technique Stadium, after local education provider Technique acquired the naming rights. In 2023 the stadium was renamed for the new sponsors, financial services company SMH group, for a minimum of three years. The highest attendance at the SMH group stadium was 10,108 at home in their last match of the 2023–24 National League season against Maidenhead United which Chesterfield won 3–2. Chesterfield's geographical position means that
7280-474: Was at one time surrounded by a banked cycle track. It is a small ground and slow to dry after rain, which can provide a green wicket. The size of the ground however, lends itself to rapid scoring on good wickets. In 1886, the then Mayor of Chesterfield proposed that a public park be created to mark Queen Victoria's upcoming golden jubilee in 1887. However, it took the Local Government Board
7371-402: Was completed in just 7 weeks. Of the four sides of the ground, the Kop offered the most potential for redevelopment because of a relative abundance of space and was thus the focal point of all plans drawn up to keep the club at its historic home. 2002 architect plans envisaged a mix of seating and standing for a revamped Saltergate end. In the absence of any such redevelopment, The Kop saw only
7462-428: Was followed in the 1994–95 season by play-off victories over local rivals Mansfield Town and Bury to earn promotion to the redesignated Second Division. The 1996–97 season saw Chesterfield beat six clubs including Premier League side Nottingham Forest to reach the semi-final of the FA Cup for the first time. The semi-final match against Middlesbrough was contentiously drawn 3–3 after extra time; Chesterfield lost
7553-422: Was high, and saw Derbyshire announce a four-year deal to play County Cricket at the ground soon after the game. The Sunday then saw a visit from a star-studded Surrey Brown Caps side and despite a heavy loss, a large crowd were treated to some entertainment by Surrey batsman Ali Brown who scored 106 from just 68 deliveries. The 2007 festival was scheduled to run from 25 to 29 July and would have consisted of
7644-614: Was installed in March 2015. The artwork consists of a railing depicting the ground and fans as well as a tree guard and a series of bronze inlays linked to multimedia works. At the time of its closure, the four sides of the stadium were: The Main Stand, which was all-seated and contained an area designated as the Family Stand; the Spion Kop – the main terrace – known as the Karen Child Kop from 2008 for sponsorship reasons;
7735-422: Was officially established in 1867, though it would be the third incarnation of that name that turned professional in 1891 and changed its name to Chesterfield Town. Town entered the FA Cup for the first time the following year, and competed in the Sheffield & District League and Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup , before joining the Midland League in 1896–97. A third-place finish in 1898–99 resulted in
7826-422: Was put into voluntary liquidation and a new club with the same name was formed by a local restaurateur to play wartime football using locally based "guests" from Football League clubs. It lasted only two years before its management and players were suspended by the FA for illegal payments and the club shut down. The current Chesterfield FC was formed on 24 April 1919 by Chesterfield Borough Council , seeing it as
7917-485: Was renamed Chesterfield in December 1920, and became founder members of the Third Division North in 1921–22. They marked their tenth season in the division, 1930–31, by winning the title, though they only managed two seasons in the Second Division before suffering relegation. They again won the Third Division North title in 1935–36, and after World War II recorded their best ever league finish of fourth in
8008-409: Was taken out of use in the late 20th century. For the 2009–10 season it accommodated 2000 home supporters plus 450 seats for away fans. The stand was unusual, when viewed from aerial shot, in having a slight bend just to the right of halfway. In its later incarnation, it was also unusual in having its seating area raised above the pitch with a number of stairwells at the front of the stand leading up to
8099-484: Was the second-last league ground in England to install floodlights , with Chesterfield's first home game under lights not being played until the 1967–1968 season. In 1979, the centre section of the Compton Street Terrace was re-roofed and a wooden television gantry added, the only notable ground work in the decade. Financial problems in the early 1980s led the board to again consider a ground move to
8190-516: Was used for local cup matches. A fourth club – the present Chesterfield FC – was established in 1919 at the instigation of the local authority. A ground move to the Queen's Park Annexe also formed part of the vision, but did not progress after costings were received for a new stand. Thus the club continued to base itself at Saltergate as league football returned to the town in 1921. The inter-war years represented Saltergate's main period of development. When Chesterfield F.C. became founder members of
8281-439: Was won in 1981. The club was relegated in 1983–84, and won the Fourth Division title the following season. Financial difficulties forced Chesterfield Borough Council to bail out the club in 1985 and the club's training ground to be sold. Relegation followed in 1988–89; Chesterfield reached the play-off competition a year later, but were beaten by Cambridge United in the play-off final. The arrival of John Duncan as manager in 1993
#82917