List of Chesterfield F.C. seasons explained

Chesterfield Football Club is an English association football club based in the Derbyshire town of Chesterfield. The current club dates from 1919, but the histories of earlier Chesterfield-based clubs are generally discussed alongside that of the current club. The first Chesterfield F.C. was founded in the mid-1860s and survived until 1881, long before league football existed. The second incarnation, which became known as Chesterfield Town F.C., was formed in 1884. Its first team joined and won the Sheffield & District League in 1891–92,[1] and first entered the FA Cup the following season. Drawn away to Gainsborough Trinity in the first qualifying round, the score stood at 2–2 at full time; Trinity scored twice during extra time, but darkness fell before the agreed half hour was complete, so the match was ordered to be replayed. Chesterfield lost the replay 4–0.[2] They continued in the Sheffield leagues until joining the Midland Football League in 1896. After three top-four finishes, Chesterfield were elected to the Second Division of the Football League for the 1899–1900 season. The team generally struggled in the Football League: they placed fifth in 1904–05, but followed up with four consecutive bottom-three positions. Three times they successfully applied for re-election to the League, but the fourth application failed, and Chesterfield returned to the Midland League in 1909. Despite winning the title that season, they were not accepted back into the Football League, and continued in the Midland League until competitive football was suspended for the duration of the First World War.

Chesterfield Town went into voluntary liquidation in 1915. A third club, formed to participate in the wartime competitions, failed because of financial irregularities, and when competitive football resumed, Chesterfield Council founded its own club, Chesterfield Municipal. They won the first post-war Midland League titleand were expelled from that season's FA Cup for fielding an ineligible playerbut when the football authorities made clear their opposition to municipal ownership of clubs, the council's involvement ceased and the club was renamed Chesterfield F.C. It was a founder member of the Football League Third Division North, spent much of the 1920s in the top half of that division, and won the title in 1930–31. They retained their Second Division status for just two seasons, won a further Third Division North championship in 1936, and remained in the second tier until the interruption for war and for five seasons thereafter. Consistent top-half finishes meant Chesterfield were allocated to the Third Division when the regional sections were amalgamated into Third and Fourth Divisions in 1958, but they lasted only three seasons before making their debut at the lower level.

Chesterfield were promoted as 1969–70 Fourth Division champions. In 1980–81, they entered and won the last edition of the Anglo-Scottish Cup, defeating Scottish giants Rangers 3–0 in the quarter-finals before beating Notts County in the final.[3] Two years later, they were relegated, and came close to folding, with debts of £400,000 and only seven contracted professionals,[4] before bouncing back to win their second Fourth Division title in 1985. Over the next 30 years, they experienced four relegations and four promotions between third and fourth tiers. Promoted via the play-offs in 1995, they came within a point of the play-offs the following season, and reached the semi-final of the FA Cup in 1996–97, in which they faced Middlesbrough of the Premier League. With 21 minutes left and Chesterfield leading 2–1, Jonathan Howard shot against the underside of the bar; the ball bounced down and then out, and referee David Elleray ruled, incorrectly, that it had not crossed the line. A minute later, he awarded a penalty to Middlesbrough for a foul that took place outside the penalty area. Middlesbrough scored, and took a 3–2 lead in extra time, but Jamie Hewitt equalised with seconds left. Chesterfield lost the replay 3–0.[5] [6]

In 2000–01, a nine-point deduction for financial irregularities, initially deemed too lenient by the Football League, failed to prevent Chesterfield's automatic promotion in third place, and the following year the club was taken out of administration into the ownership and control of the Chesterfield Football Supporters' Society.[7] In the second round of the 2008–09 FA Cup, Chesterfield lost to non-league club Droylsden, but were awarded the tie when their opponents were found to have fielded an ineligible player; when Chesterfield did the same in 2014–15, they were only required to replay the tie, and won.[8] They again won the fourth-tier title in 2010–11 and the following season won the Football League Trophy, a cup competition open to teams from the two lower divisions of the Football League, beating Swindon Town 2–0 in the final.[9] Chesterfield won the fourth-tier championship for a league record fourth time in 2013–14,[10] and again reached the Football League Trophy final; this time they lost 3–1 to Peterborough United.[11] Two consecutive bottom-of-the-table finishes took them back to non-league football in 2018. After two successive defeats in the play-offs, they came closest to a return to League football in 2023 when losing on penalties to Notts County in the play-off final.[12]

Since their first admission to the Football League in 1899, Chesterfield have spent 20 seasons in the second tier of the English football league system, 55 in the third, 25 in the fourth and 13 in non-league football. The table details the team's achievements and the top goalscorer in senior first-team competitions from their first season in the Sheffield & District League in 1891–92 to the end of the most recently completed season.

Key

Key to league record:

Key to colours and symbols:
scope=colSymbolscope=colMeaning
style=background:gold1st or W Winners
style=background:silver2nd or F Runners-up
style=background:#cfcPromoted
style=background:MistyRoseRelegated
style=background:yellow♦ Top league scorer in Chesterfield's division

Key to divisions:

Key to rounds:

Details of the abandoned 1939–40 Football League season are shown in italics and appropriately footnoted.

Seasons

List of seasons, including league division and statistics, cup results and top scorer(s)
SeasonLeague[13] FA Cup[14] League CupOther[15] [16] Top league scorer(s)
scope=col width=12% data-sort-type=textDivscope=col data-sort-type=numberPscope=col data-sort-type=numberWscope=col data-sort-type=numberDscope=col data-sort-type=numberLscope=col data-sort-type=numberFscope=col data-sort-type=numberAscope=col data-sort-type=numberPtsscope=col data-sort-type=numberPosscope=col width=22% data-sort-type=textCompetitionscope=col width=6% data-sort-type=textResultscope=col width=16% data-sort-type=textNamescope=col width=6% data-sort-type=numberGoals
scope=row1891–92Sheff &D181422633430style=background:gold1st—style=text-align:leftdata-sort-value=-1—
scope=row1892–93Sheff &D2614845934325th[17] QR1—style=text-align:leftdata-sort-value=-1—
scope=row1893–94Sheff CC26111146549266th[18] [19] QR3—style=text-align:leftdata-sort-value=-1—
scope=row1894–95Sheff CC2817836844373rd[20] R1—style=text-align:leftdata-sort-value=-1—
scope=row1895–96Sheff CC2816937137355th[21] R1—style=text-align:leftdata-sort-value=-1—
scope=row1896–97Midland2813697453324thQR4—style=text-align:leftdata-sort-value=-1—
scope=row1897–98Midland2211745423293rdQR3—style=text-align:leftdata-sort-value=-1—
scope=row1898–99style=background:#cfcMidland 2614395942314thQR4—style=text-align:leftdata-sort-value=-1—
scope=row1899–1900Div 234166126560387thQR5—style=text-align:left20
scope=row1900–01Div 2349101546582814thR1—style=text-align:left9
scope=row1901–02Div 2341161747682816th—style=text-align:left10
scope=row1902–03Div 234149116740376thQR4—style=text-align:left15
scope=row1903–04Div 2341181537453011thQR5—style=text-align:left12
scope=row1904–05Div 234141194435395th—style=text-align:left13
scope=row1905–06Div 2381082040722818thR2—style=text-align:left12
scope=row1906–07Div 2381172050662918thR1—style=text-align:left12
scope=row1907–08Div 2386112146922319thR2—style=text-align:left7
scope=row1908–09style=background:MistyRoseDiv 2 381181937673019thR1—style=text-align:left7
scope=row1909–10Midland4227781024461style=background:gold1stR1—style=text-align:leftdata-sort-value=-1—
scope=row1910–11Midland38205138061455thR2—style=text-align:leftdata-sort-value=-1—
scope=row1911–12Midland361481463623612thQR4—style=text-align:leftdata-sort-value=-1—
scope=row1912–13Midland3820117784151style=background:silver2ndR1—style=text-align:leftdata-sort-value=-1—
scope=row1913–14Midland34194118043423rdR1—style=text-align:leftdata-sort-value=-1—
scope=row1914–15Midland38201087641503rdQR5—style=text-align:leftdata-sort-value=-1—
scope=row1915–19data-sort-value="ZZZ"

The Midland League and FA Cup were suspended until after the First World War.

style=border-left-style:hidden data-sort-value="—"style=border-left-style:hidden data-sort-value="—"style=border-left-style:hidden data-sort-value="—"style=border-left-style:hidden data-sort-value="—"style=border-left-style:hidden data-sort-value="—"style=border-left-style:hidden data-sort-value="—"style=border-left-style:hidden data-sort-value="—"style=border-left-style:hidden data-sort-value="999"style=border-left-style:hidden data-sort-value="—"style=border-left-style:hidden data-sort-value="—"style=border-left-style:hidden data-sort-value=" "style=border-left-style:hidden data-sort-value="—"style=border-left-style:hidden data-sort-value="zzzz"style=border-left-style:hidden data-sort-value="-99"
scope=row1919–20Midland342455783553style=background:gold1stDisq—style=text-align:leftdata-sort-value=-1—
scope=row1920–21style=background:#cfcMidland 38181197046473rdQR3—style=text-align:leftdata-sort-value=-1—
scope=row1921–22Div 3N381631948673513thQR5—style=text-align:left10
scope=row1922–23Div 3N38197126852454thQR6—style=text-align:left[22] style=background:yellow23 ♦
scope=row1923–24Div 3N422210107039543rdQR6—style=text-align:left19
scope=row1924–25Div 3N421711146044457thQR6—style=text-align:left11
scope=row1925–26Div 3N422551210054554thR3—style=text-align:leftstyle=background:yellow44 ♦
scope=row1926–27Div 3N42215169268477thR3—style=text-align:left41
scope=row1927–28Div 3N4213101971783616thR1—style=text-align:left15
scope=row1928–29Div 3N421851971774111thR3—style=text-align:left20
scope=row1929–30Div 3N42226147656504thR3—style=text-align:left31
scope=row1930–31style=background:#cfcDiv 3N 42266101025758style=background:gold1stR1—style=text-align:left26
scope=row1931–32Div 24213111864863717thR4—style=text-align:left20
scope=row1932–33style=background:MistyRoseDiv 2 4212102061843421stR5—style=text-align:left17
scope=row1933–34Div 3N4227788643612ndR3Third Division North CupR3style=text-align:left28
scope=row1934–35Div 3N4217101571524410thR3Third Division North CupR3style=text-align:left14
scope=row1935–36style=background:#cfcDiv 3N 4224126923960style=background:gold1stR2Third Division North CupR3style=text-align:left29
scope=row1936–37Div 2421681884894015thR3—style=text-align:left26
scope=row1937–38Div 2421691763634111thR5—style=text-align:left26
scope=row1938–39Div 242209136952496thR3—style=text-align:left22
scope=row1939–40Div 22101222—1
scope=row1939–45data-sort-value="ZZZ"

The Football League and FA Cup were suspended until after the Second World War.

style=border-left-style:hidden data-sort-value="—"style=border-left-style:hidden data-sort-value="—"style=border-left-style:hidden data-sort-value="—"style=border-left-style:hidden data-sort-value="—"style=border-left-style:hidden data-sort-value="—"style=border-left-style:hidden data-sort-value="—"style=border-left-style:hidden data-sort-value="—"style=border-left-style:hidden data-sort-value="999"style=border-left-style:hidden data-sort-value="—"style=border-left-style:hidden data-sort-value="—"style=border-left-style:hidden data-sort-value=" "style=border-left-style:hidden data-sort-value="—"style=border-left-style:hidden data-sort-value="zzzz"style=border-left-style:hidden data-sort-value="-99"
scope=row1945–46data-sort-value="Z"————————data-sort-value=99—R3—data-sort-value="zzz"—data-sort-value=-2—
scope=row1946–47Div 2421814105844504thR4—12
scope=row1947–48Div 2421671954553916thR3—style=text-align:left16
scope=row1948–49Div 2421517105145476thR3—style=text-align:left12
scope=row1949–50Div 2421591843473914thR5—9
scope=row1950–51style=background:MistyRoseDiv 2 429122144693021stR3—style=text-align:left11
scope=row1951–52Div 3N4617111865664513thR2—style=text-align:left12
scope=row1952–53Div 3N4618111765634712thR2—style=text-align:left21
scope=row1953–54Div 3N461914137664526thR4—style=text-align:left19
scope=row1954–55Div 3N46246168170546thR1—style=text-align:left18
scope=row1955–56Div 3N46254179466546thR2—style=text-align:left32
scope=row1956–57Div 3N46229159679536thR3—style=text-align:left16
scope=row1957–58Div 3N461815137169518thR1—style=text-align:left24
scope=row1958–59Div 34617101967644416thR3—style=text-align:left19
scope=row1959–60Div 3461872171844318thR1—style=text-align:left15
scope=row1960–61style=background:MistyRoseDiv 3 4610122467873224thR3R3—style=text-align:left21
scope=row1961–62Div 4441492170873719thR2R1—style=text-align:left16
scope=row1962–63Div 44613161770644215thR2R1—style=text-align:left12
scope=row1963–64Div 44615121957714216thR3R1—style=text-align:left15
scope=row1964–65Div 4462081858704812thR3R4—9
scope=row1965–66Div 44613132062783920thR1R3—style=text-align:left20
scope=row1966–67Div 4461782160634215thR1R2—15
scope=row1967–68Div 446211114715053style=background:silver7thR3R1—style=text-align:left20
scope=row1968–69Div 44613151843504120thR3R1—style=text-align:left18
scope=row1969–70style=background:#cfcDiv 4 4627109773264style=background:gold1stR1R1—style=text-align:left20
scope=row1970–71Div 3461717126638515thR2R1—style=text-align:left19
scope=row1971–72Div 3461882057574413thR3R2—11
scope=row1972–73Div 3461792057614316thR2R3—style=text-align:left10
scope=row1973–74Div 3462114115542565thR1R3—style=text-align:left17
scope=row1974–75Div 34616121862664415thR3R2—style=text-align:left20
scope=row1975–76Div 3461792069694314thR1R1—style=text-align:left18
scope=row1976–77Div 34614102256643818thR2R1—style=text-align:left18
scope=row1977–78Div 3461714155849489thR2R2—style=text-align:left14
scope=row1978–79Div 34613141951654020thR1R3—style=text-align:left11
scope=row1979–80Div 3462311127146574thR1R3—style=text-align:left14
scope=row1980–81Div 3462310137248565thR3R2Anglo-Scottish Cupstyle=background:goldWstyle=text-align:left22
scope=row1981–82Div 34618101857586411thR2R1Football League Group CupGroupstyle=text-align:left14
scope=row1982–83style=background:MistyRoseDiv 3 468132543683724thR1R1Football League Group CupGroupstyle=text-align:left10
scope=row1983–84Div 44615151659616013thR2R2Associate Members' Cupstyle=text-align:left13
scope=row1984–85style=background:#cfcDiv 4 4626137643591style=background:gold1stR2R1Associate Members' Cupstyle=text-align:left15
scope=row1985–86Div 34613141961645317thR1R1Associate Members' CupPrelim(N)style=text-align:left14
scope=row1986–87Div 34613151856695417thR1R1Associate Members' Cupstyle=text-align:left14
scope=row1987–88Div 34615102141705518thR1R1Associate Members' Cupstyle=text-align:left19
scope=row1988–89style=background:MistyRoseDiv 3 461472551864922ndR1R1Associate Members' Cupstyle=text-align:left18
scope=row1989–90Div 4461914136350717thR2R1Associate Members' CupPrelim(N)style=text-align:left16
scope=row1990–91Div 44613141947625318thR2R1Associate Members' CupPrelim(N)style=text-align:left9
scope=row1991–92Div 44214111749615313thR1R1Associate Members' Cupstyle=text-align:left10
scope=row1992–934215111659635612thR1R2style=text-align:left11
scope=row1993–94421614125548628thR1R2style=text-align:left20
scope=row1994–95style=background:#cfc42231276237813rdR1R2style=text-align:left11
scope=row1995–96462012145651727thR2R1style=text-align:left13
scope=row1996–974618141442396810thSFR1style=text-align:left9
scope=row1997–984616171346446510thR2R2style=text-align:left8
scope=row1998–99461713164644649thR1R2style=text-align:left10
scope=row1999–2000style=background:MistyRose467152434633624thR1R2style=text-align:left14
scope=row2000–01style=background:#cfc46251477942803rdR1R2style=text-align:left16
scope=row2001–024613132053655218thR2R1style=text-align:left9
scope=row2002–03461482443735020thR1R2style=text-align:left8
scope=row2003–044612151949715120thR1R1style=text-align:left13
scope=row2004–054614151755625717thR1R1style=text-align:left8
scope=row2005–064614141863735616thR1R1style=text-align:left15
scope=row2006–07style=background:MistyRose4612112345534721stR1R4style=text-align:left8
scope=row2007–08461912157656698thR1R1style=text-align:left25
scope=row2008–094616151562576310thR3R1style=text-align:left[23] style=background:yellow20 ♦
scope=row2009–1046217186162708thR1R1style=text-align:left11
scope=row2010–11style=background:#cfc4624148855186style=background:gold1stR2R1style=text-align:left23
scope=row2011–12style=background:MistyRose4610122455814222ndR1R1style=background:goldWstyle=text-align:left9
scope=row2012–13461813156045678thR2R1style=text-align:left12
scope=row2013–14style=background:#cfc4623158714084style=background:gold1stR2R1style=background:silver11
scope=row2014–15461912156855696thR4R1style=text-align:left21
scope=row2015–16461582358705318thR2R1style=text-align:left14
scope=row2016–17style=background:MistyRose469102743783724thR2R1R3style=text-align:left8
scope=row2017–18style=background:MistyRose461082847833824thR1R1style=text-align:left19
scope=row2018–194614171555535914thR2FA TrophyR3style=text-align:left10
scope=row2019–203811111655654420thQR4FA TrophyR110
scope=row2020–2142216156043696thQR4FA TrophyR5style=text-align:left10
scope=row2021–22442014106951747thR3FA TrophyR3style=text-align:left24
scope=row2022–2346259128152843rdR3FA Trophystyle=text-align:left9
scope=row2023–24style=background:#cfc46315101066598style=background:gold1stR3FA Trophystyle=text-align:left24

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Football & cricket notes . Derbyshire Courier . 7 May 1892 . 3.
  2. News: Gainsborough Trinity v. Chesterfield . Sheffield Daily Telegraph . 19 October 1892 . 8.
    News: Association Cup. Replayed tie . Nottingham Evening Post . 24 October 1892 . 3 . Newspapers.com.
  3. News: Final Curtain: Last Anglo-Scottish cup match: Coventry City 1 St Mirren 1, 22 December 1987 . The Scotsman . Edinburgh . 30 January 2009 . 5 July 2022.
    Web site: Winning the Anglo-Scottish Cup 1980–81 . cfchistory.com . 1999 . 23 June 2016.
  4. News: Maxwell fights on . The Observer . London . 22 May 1983 . 42.
  5. News: Football: Hewitt keeps the Chesterfield dream alive . Phil . Shaw . The Independent . London . 13 April 1997 . 5 July 2022 . live . registration . https://web.archive.org/web/20100411055823/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-hewitt-keeps-the-chesterfield-dream-alive-1267030.html . 11 April 2010.
  6. News: Boro's greatest games: FA Cup semi-final and FA Cup final . Evening Gazette . Middlesbrough . 21 March 2013 . 23 June 2016.
  7. News: Supporters take control of Chesterfield for £6,240 . Daniel . Taylor . The Guardian . London . 1 May 2001 . 23 June 2016.
    News: Peace at Saltergate as fans assume control . David . Conn . The Independent . London . 1 February 2002 . 5 July 2022 . live . registration . https://web.archive.org/web/20160814042251/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/peace-at-saltergate-as-fans-assume-control-9269103.html . 14 August 2016.
  8. News: FA Cup: Chesterfield face expulsion over ineligible player . BBC Sport . 8 December 2014 . 23 June 2016.
    News: Chesterfield ordered to replay FA Cup tie with MK Dons over ineligible player . The Guardian . London . Press Association . 15 December 2014 . 23 June 2016.
  9. News: Chesterfield 2–0 Swindon . Caroline . Chapman . BBC Sport . 25 March 2012 . 23 June 2016.
  10. Web site: English League Two Complete History . statto.com . 23 June 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160402032410/http://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/league-two/history . 2 April 2016.
  11. News: Chesterfield 1–3 Peterborough United . Ian . Woodcock . BBC Sport . 30 March 2014 . 23 June 2016.
  12. News: Chesterfield 2–2 Notts County (3–2 on penalties) . Andrew . Aloia . BBC Sport . 13 May 2023 . 8 December 2023.
  13. Web site: Chesterfield . Football Club History Database . Richard Rundle . 8 December 2023.
  14. Web site: The Emirates FA Cup: Past Results . The Football Association . 8 December 2023. Individual seasons accessed via dropdown menu.
  15. Web site: Chesterfield football club complete match record . 11v11.com . AFS Enterprises . 5 July 2022.
  16. For Third Division North Cup: Web site: Football League Division Three North Cup Summary – Contents . Football Club History Database . Richard Rundle . 18 June 2016.
    For Anglo-Scottish Cup: Web site: Anglo-Scottish Cup . Football Club History Database . Richard Rundle . 18 June 2016.
    For Football League Group Cup: Web site: Football League Group Cup . Football Club History Database . Richard Rundle . 22 June 2016.
    For FA Trophy: Web site: The Buildbase FA Trophy: Past Results . The Football Association . 8 December 2023. Individual seasons accessed via dropdown menu.
  17. News: The Sheffield and District League and Alliance . Sheffield Daily Telegraph . 24 April 1893 . 7.
  18. News: Sheffield and Hallamshire Football Association . Sheffield & Rotherham Independent . 10 May 1893 . 8 . Newspapers.com . ...the chief business transacted was the selection of the 14 clubs to contend for the challenge cup next season, under the new rules by which the competition will be conducted on the league system..
  19. News: Sheffield Challenge Cup . Sheffield & Rotherham Independent . 23 April 1894 . 7.
  20. News: Sheffield and Hallamshire Football Association. Challenge Cup Competition . Sheffield & Rotherham Independent . 29 April 1895 . 7 . Newspapers.com.
  21. News: Sheffield Challenge Cup . Sheffield & Rotherham Independent . 29 April 1896 . 7 . Newspapers.com.
    News: Sheffield Challenge Cup. Sheepbridge Works v. Worksop . Sheffield & Rotherham Independent . 21 April 1896 . 8 . Newspapers.com . This was the last fixture of the above teams for the Hallamshire Cup, and decided the fourth position between Sheepbridge and Chesterfield. ... Result: Sheepbridge Works 1 goal, Worksop 0 goal..
  22. Web site: English League Leading Goalscorers . Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF) . James M. . Ross . 25 June 2015 . 27 May 2016.
  23. Web site: League Two 2008/09 . Soccerbase . Centurycomm . 5 July 2022.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "List of Chesterfield F.C. seasons".

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