“Hopefully, if we go down to Watford and turn them over, he won’t be too unhappy. It’s no secret that our main priority is returning to the Football League, but successful Cup runs invariably lift spirits in the camp.
“No win is a bad win, and winning is a good habit.” Our statistics demonstrate that we like to attack, get the ball, and put pressure on opponents. We don’t back down against them.
As a team, we’ve seen some success in the Cup, but we’ve also had our fair share of misfortune. Last season, we came just short of eliminating West Brom in the third round. The 1997 journey to the semi-final is still a topic of conversation in the community. Even though I was born the previous year, the supporters of the Cup upset that never was haven’t forgotten it after 27 years.
Even though no team from the third division or below has ever advanced to the FA Cup final, there is still bitterness beneath Derbyshire’s renowned crooked spire since Chesterfield was not given their chance to make history.
Jon Howard’s shot against Middlesbrough in the semi-final at Old Trafford came back into play after cannoning off the bar and across the line, but referee David Elleray decided not to award a goal. Rather of leading 3-1 and daydreaming of donning their Cup final outfits, the Spireites trailed 3-2 until a late equaliser secured a replay; however, they suffered a crushing defeat in the rematch at Hillsborough.
Six years prior, Chesterfield manager Paul Cook’s Wigan team stunned City and ruined Pep Guardiola’s first attempt at winning the Triple Crown. After Chesterfield’s forward Will Grigg scored the game’s winning goal, Quigley chuckled and said, “He’s been fantastic since he joined us last summer, a great person to have.”
“He’s really humble about it, although Tom Naylor and Michael Jacobs make fun of him for his pace and how he passed Kyle Walker before scoring. It was a great finale, in my opinion as a fairly ordinary football player who is practically hooked to the game of golf.
Chesterfield flying high and clear at the National League summit is a good thing.
Even though they didn’t receive what they deserved on that May day at Wembley, Cook’s graciousness in losing—admitting that Notts County should have advanced after scoring 107 points—was a shining example of sportsmanship.
Two interesting facts about Chesterfield: Chesterfield’s ancient Saltergate house was used for filming live football scenes before it was demolished. The film was part of Michael Sheen’s critically acclaimed portrayal of Brian Clough’s disastrous reign at Leeds.
