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Upward spirites Chesterfield v Darlington Coca-Cola League Two Saturday November 21st 2009, 3pm
Man
to watch Jack Lester Seen as a promising striker with a
big potential at Nottingham Forest at one time, he's signed on a three-year
deal and is lined up as the danger man for the Spireites. |
Disabled fans: Tickets can be bought from the main ticket office
- adults are charged full price, but carers are free . Fans will be escorted
through the main club before the match to your seat. Disabled parking is to
the left of the club in a school - a small fee is charged
The club is planning a move to a new 11,00-seater
stadium off the A61 Sheffield road, possibly in time for next season, although
planning permission is due to be submitted this summer. It will take about
a year to build, once it gets the final go-ahead.
Away fans at Saltergate are in the Cross
Street terrace behind the goal, with room for 1,400 fans, or in the corner
of the main stand - both priced at £16 on the dayAs it's uncovered,
if wet, choose the allocation in the rickety Main Stand instead, which is
on wooden benches! The away end has a reasonable catering selection - the
pies were OK. The toilet block, like the terrace, is roofless too and was
presented by the supporters' club in 1936! The plaque relating this fact is
all you need to know. Admission: Adults £15, under 18 and over 65's
£9 under 14's £5.
| Chesterfield
FC: Recreation Ground, Saltergate, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S40 4SX Tel: 01246 209765 Click for Streetmap of ground |
Anything worth
adding? Please e-mail us
any suggestions.
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 From the North: M1 South, leave at junction 29 follow the A617 into the town centre then follow "football" signs for Saltergate - at the roundabout you follow the A619 Markham Road (signposted Bakewell) and at the next roundabout turn right into Foljambe Road towards the stadium. There are quite a few parking options in the nearby town centre or at the town hall, close to the ground. A school in Cross Street close to the away turnstiles also has matchday parking.
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 A 10-15 minute walk from the station. Left into Corporation St, past the Chesterfield Arms, over the footbridge across the A61, then follow the signs for the town centre, across the roundabout with the carpark in the middle and into Saltergate itself. The ground is up the hill on the right. |
 Club Taxis 01246 22 1111 Spire Cars 01246 456654 Big D's Taxis 01246 558300 A Line 01246 555555 Darlington FC Supporters Club
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TRAIN TIMES (UPDATED March 2009): Darlington: 10.13-arr 12.05; return 18.03-20.12. Fare: £43.70, off-peak return.
Birmingham New Street: 10.03-arr 11.02 or 11.03-arr 12.02;
rtn: 18.06-arr 19.07. Fares: Off-peak return, £28.40, advance returns
from £22.
London St Pancras: 09.30-12.23. Rtn: 17.39-20.30. Fares:
£48 saver return, from £14 advance return.
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Chesterfield Tourist Information Centre, Rykneld Square, Chesterfield
S40 1SB Tel: (01246) 345777/8 plus town centre map
Chesterfield is not just that crooked
spire. It is close to the delights of the Peak Distiict, a particular favourite
spot of mine. As well as tourist attractions like Chatsworth (11 miles) and the National Tram Museum at Crich (14 miles), the "plague" village of Eyam (13 miles) and the "pudding" town of Bakewell (14 miles), there
is plenty of scenery and good walking country. A good spot to stay is either
in the Dales around Bakewell or the High Peak area, such as Castleton (20 miles), with
its surrounding hills and mines, pubs, tea shops and Blue John jewellery outlets.
 Real ale:
The Chesterfield Arms, 40
Newbold Rd, junction with Queen St
Market Hotel, 95
New Square, town centre
There are also two real ale pubs
north of the town centre, 1.5 miles out towards where the new stadium
will eventually be built and which will probably be the DAFTS pubs of
choice:
Three-roomed football-friendly Tynemill
pub with a good beer selection (it promises seven changing ales and
has been in the Good Beer Guide for 23 years), a log fireand it also
does lunches. Quiet on our visit, but bound to be popular once the new
stadium is built nearby. Now open from 12noon with a new landlord. A
bit of a hike to get there - it costs around £5 by taxi from the station
and again to the ground, but is also on a bus route. DAFTS recommended.
Click
for Streetmap
Red Lion, 570 Sheffield Rd, Whittington Moor A 10 minutes walk from the ground is the Wetherspoon choice, The
Portland, West Bars, S40 1AY (01246 293600) , which also
does accommodation at around £48 a room.
See also the Chesterfield
CAMRA website, which is really excellent and has a local
town centre pub guide and map (PDF) - which points out the station and ground too.
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In the country:
Monsal Head Hotel, Monsal Head, B6465 near Bakewell Alternatively, try Lathkill Hotel, Over Haddon, near Bakewell Near the ground:
The Industry, 49 Queen
Street. The Masons Arms,
3 Chatsworth Road A619 (off Folijambe Rd).
The Barley Mow, Saltergate,
which has Tetleys, Abbots and Pedigree on, but is another "home"
pub.
The Gardeners, Glumangate (off Saltergate). |
| At the ground:
The Saltergate Social Club at the front of the ground, near the home end, allows away supporters. |
Close to the ground there is a chip shop on St Helens Street and the Dolphin Chip and Burger Bar.
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Rail
timetables
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Trains
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Express Online
map
Football HotelsHotels/B&Bs
Surfing there... The Official Chestefield site is very well updated and includes one of the most comprehensive stats and history sections I've come across. Next away match: Notts County, Tuesday 1st December No responsibility is taken for accuracy, if in doubt check before travelling.
If
you'd like to be e-mailed a regular bulletin with the latest updates on
this site - including details of DAFTS members known to be travelling
then
E-mail DAFTSNo responsibility is taken for accuracy,
if in doubt check before travelling.
© DAFTS 2009
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History: Chesterfield has had a football club since 1867
- the fourth oldest in England - but the current incarnation was
'officially' formed in 1919. The club was elected to Div 2, with
Middlesborough, in 1899, after playing in the local Sheffield and
Derbyshire leagues, but lost their status before World War 1, not
helped by a row involving bonuses involving a player. Reformed eventually
in the new Third Division, its history has been spent in the lower
leagues, with a heyday being in the 1930s. A recent high point was
the unlucky FA Cup semi-final against to Middlesborough at Old Trafford
in 1997, which ended 3-3. The Spireites were denied a goal which
crossed the line when 2-1 up and eventually lost a replay. There
had also been a win over Rangers along the way to lifting the now
forgotten Anglo Scottish Cup in 1981 and a 4-4 draw in the League
Cup at Anfield against Liverpool in 1992. Despite relegation last
season they enjoyed wins over Wolves, Man City snd West Ham in their
Coca-Cola Cup run. The club was beset by financial scandal and a
points deduction at the start of the decade, but after a fans' rescue,
the club recovered. It is planning to move to a new stadium after
135 years at the Recreation Ground.
