Coach Battye relishes boom time at Chesterfield Hockey Club

His dad, Bob, was first-team captain and manager. Christian himself has had a hockey stick in his hand since he was old enough and, after 32 years with the club, he is now player/coach.

But rarely has he known Chesterfield to be in such a good place. The first-team are on the verge of their second successive promotion. And their thriving youth policy, which was overhauled a few years ago, is reaping rich rewards, with the U18s through to the quarter-finals of a national competition.

“From where we were a few years ago, it has been crazy,” said Battye. “There is such a positive atmosphere around the place.”

Run almost exclusively by volunteers, Chesterfield pride themselves on emphasising inclusivity, focusing on all ages and abilities.

Considering only one school in the town plays hockey, it is remarkable that they have been able to attract and nurture so many youngsters.

But many of them now make up the successful first team, who are one of four sides separated by only four points at the top of the Midland Men’s Hockey League’s Second Division.

Chesterfield’s latest match, away to Stone in Staffordshire last Saturday, was called off thanks to Storm Dennis. But, with seven matches to play, they still sit poised to grab promotion, although it could all come down to their final fixture away to high-flying rivals Streetly.

“I am really happy because we faced some tough challenges after coming up last season,” said Battye. “We changed our goalkeeper, one of our best defenders changed jobs and so could only play every few weeks, while we brought in four or five new players.

“I would have been happy with mid-table. This is not a big hockey area, and we are not a big club, so to be up there challenging again is massive.”

Top scorer Dan Molloy and homegrown teenager Joe Morton, who has had an England trial, are among Chesterfield’s stars of the season. But the club have also benefited from a link-up with a club in Tasmania .

This year, Aiden Van Staden and Harvey Bessell have been adding Aussie fireworks to the cause -- and finding out, like the rest of us, that Chesterfield Hockey Club are very much on the up.