'Young, vibrant and energising' - Chesterfield board 'excited' by appointment of James Rowe

The Chesterfield board is ‘excited’ at the appointment of a ‘young, vibrant and energising’ manager in James Rowe.
Chesterfield FC chief executive, John Croot (left), with new Blues boss James Rowe (middle) and chairman Mike Goodwin (right). Picture by Michael South.Chesterfield FC chief executive, John Croot (left), with new Blues boss James Rowe (middle) and chairman Mike Goodwin (right). Picture by Michael South.
Chesterfield FC chief executive, John Croot (left), with new Blues boss James Rowe (middle) and chairman Mike Goodwin (right). Picture by Michael South.

The Spireites received 60 applicants for the job and Rowe ‘stood out by a mile’, according to chairman Mike Goodwin.

Chief executive, John Croot, said the appointment ‘just seems the right fit’ and made comparisons to when Paul Cook was appointed Blues boss.

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“We had a profile of a manager we were looking for and James fits that bill for us,” Croot told the DT.

“It just seems the right fit and it gives a new enthusiasm and energy to the club.

“We all think James is a safe pair of hands.

"We have had a proper recruitment process. Nothing has been done on a whim.

“He has got experience, a great grounding of where he has been, so we are really excited to have such an energising young manager that can put that out there on the pitch.”

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He added: “It reminds me of when Paul Cook was here. He has that same infectious type of character. But then again James is his own man and he does it his own way.”

The board sought the advice of several Spireites favorites, including Kevin Davies, and Croot said it was ‘heart-warming’ to receive such help.

Opening the press conference, Goodwin said it was a ‘fantastic day’ and insisted the job was not too big for Rowe.

“We had almost 60 applicants and this guy stood out by a mile,” he said.

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“He gave us a presentation for about an hour and he just me blew me away.

“He is a young, exciting, vibrant coach who has had a lot of success down at Gloucester.

“Above all for me he has passion and a real knowledge of the game.

“I am excited by his brand of football, I am excited by what he says, I am excited that he is young and that I think he will identify with the players.

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“He is the man for Chesterfield Football Club, I am convinced of that.

“James will need time because this is a bigger club, the expectations are higher, but I think he has got an old head on young shoulders and I think it is not a job that is too big for him.”