"I feel reassured" - reaction from John Pemberton's Q&A with Chesterfield fans

Pemberton, who came up with the idea, said it was his way of giving something back to the fans who have been “great” with him since he took over as caretaker manager in January,

A member of the Manchester Spireites group (@MancSpireites) dialled into the video conference and this is what they made of it:

“I had never spoken to a Chesterfield manager before, so to have had the opportunity to do so from John Pemberton’s own initiative was amazing.

“A couple who had signed up to take part didn’t dial in, so there were five of us Spireites, the media manager (Nick Johnson) and John.

“Each of us took a turn to ask a question and interact with the boss.

“Aside from the substance of what was discussed, my overriding feeling from the conversation was that this man is making himself absolutely integral to the long process that the club has ahead of it of rebuilding, not just the operations or the football side, but the trust and devotion from supporters (cc Spireites Trust!).

“It was telling that all genuinely thanked him for what he had done for the club so far.

“My question to John, not unique in its subject matter on the call, pertained to recruitment and how much planning can be put to this in order to avoid the false dawn we had last year leading into this season, especially with the situations the club is in currently, both regarding the takeover and COVID-19.

“The manager’s answer, as it was to all our questions, was incredibly thoughtful, detailed and honest.

“I found what he said both worrying and reassuring.

“It was worrying in that when he joined the club nobody was looking at recruitment (we’re still short here), and not a single player was shortlisted; worrying also, that right now because of the league position, the takeover and his contract, he cannot yet plant seeds in a garden that could be dug up again soon.

“I was however reassured that since joining, he has accurately diagnosed our problems, and seems to know what it will take from within and without to solve them.”