Chesterfield boss Paul Cook makes interesting dressing room comment

Twelve months ago the Spireites were 20 points clear at the top of the National League and were cruising towards being crowned champions. Those players will go down in the club’s history as the ones who restored the Spireites’ place back in the Football League after a dark period in non-league. In years to come, they will be invited back to mark special anniversaries and reminisce about their title triumph.

Since lifting the trophy high into the air and parading it around the town for months, there have been some tough decisions, with some popular members of the dressing room having departed. It has not been easy replacing those personalities especially with all the comings and goings. Ahead of a big summer ahead with 17 players out of contract, it is something that is on Cook’s mind.

He told the DT: “When we have lost players in the last period we have also lost a lot of good people. Lads like Jeff King, Joe Quigley and Branden Horton. These lads come to mind very, very quickly. They weren’t just good players, they were actually really good people. And that is something that as you go forward when clubs have a lot of change...team spirit and harmony is something that is built. It is not just implemented one day. So when you have a lot of change it is hard to keep that ethos in the dressing room.”

Chesterfield wanted to win promotion this season, and they still could, although their hopes are getting slimmer after just two wins in 10 in the league. But, as much as it would be great to go up again, there is no ‘rush’, as Cook says, and they need to keep on track with their sound decision-making and not put the future of the club at risk.

Cook added: "For us as a club, we are very conscious of what our fans want and desire, we know that, but we are also very conscious that we do things in a correct and proper manner that can see us sustaining whatever levels going forward we want to try to achieve.”