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About the Chargers

History

Rugby League in Chesterfield can be traced back to the late 1970's when a team baring the Chesterfield name were involved in the West Yorkshire Sunday League. However by 1983, records of the club become hazy. The last secretary of the club did become the secretary of Shirebrook and it is assumed that due to the close proximity of the town to both Clowne and Shirebrook , that many of the players went to these clubs. Although for many years there has been a latent interest in the sport around the town, not least due to the Sheffield Eagles using the Football clubs Saltergate home for games in the early 1990's, the town itself was not represented in Rugby League circles until 2003, when Chesterfield Spires was formed by a group of three Friends in the Welbeck Arms on Soresby Street on 29th July. The first training session was held the week after on Highfield park with only three players. The club grew steadily in the autumn of 2003 and many players gained Rugby League experience with Worksop Sharks in the 2004 season, including one game where the club provided 6 players for a game. The club itself hit standstill in the Autumn of 2004 and it was feared that the ambitious project was dead. However a series of meetings demonstrated that there was still energy for Rugby League in the town and the club began to prepare solid foundations for the future. By the end of April the club had signed a deal to play Rugby League at Gosforth Fields in Dronfield, and they made their first appearance competitively in the Sheffield 7's tag tournament on 3rd May 2005 finishing 3rd in their group with two wins and being beaten 6 - 3 by York in the elimination stage of the competition. The Spires followed this up with with a 32-24 Victory over the Sheffiled Beagles before a 60-16 reverse at Telford Raiders, and a heavy defeat in the return against the Beagles

The Club began the 2006 full of confidence having dome much to strengthen in the off season. A 80-8 resvese at Rossington in a freindly did nothing to dampen the spirits of the Spires. but the season went from bad to worse. A flu bug ripped through the camp and the Spires couldn't field a full team for the opening game of the MML. The club rallied over the next game against East Riding and there was hope that the poor start could be rectified. However, it was not to be. The big defeats contiued and the club suffered as a result. It was at the Heavy Woolen Donkeys , however, that the club started to turn it round. With a generally inexperienced side, the Spires competed against the Donkeys all the way but lost out in the end 31-44. But the hope had returned and so had some of the belief. Next match, a home game against Telford Trojans was a real Nail-biter, ending 34-32 with the Spires stopping the last play of the game just an inch short of their own line. This was followed up by a meeting with the Sheffield Forgers - who were well understrength, for the Spires all-time record victory- and longest ever winning streak.

2007 has seen much more strengthening, but the Spires refuse to be overconfident- having learned to be humble in 2006. 2008 sees a merger between the Spires and Eckington Chargers to create a bigger and better club that is able to field two open age, two junior and one womens team.

Responses to this article

"Just been on your website and read about the gap in your history. I played for Shirebrook from the mid-80's to early-90's when Paddy Fagan was secretary and he had been involved in the running of Chesterfield. He later went on to be involved at a high level in BARLA. Quite a few of the Chesterfield players played for Shirebrook in the early days although I wasn't aware of any who went to Clowne. Shierbrook folded a couple of years ago although players have continued to turn out for teams such as Worksop, Derby and even Mansfield."(Mike Moore)

Alex Jarvis from Hull helped to found the old Chesterfield club I think in the late 70s. He moved up to the North East and helped me found the Sunderland Rugby League Club in 1980/81, that club is still going and plays in the summer conference. Just after we started it was Wembley and Alex and I went on a weekend trip with the Chesterfield Lads who played in the Milton Keynes tournament on the Sunday, so I actually played in it for Chesterfield. They were a great set of lads, there was a big lad called Vic played and it was at the time when the song "Is Vic there?" was out, so when anybody rolled back to the hotel at whatever time they would hammer on his door and sing "Is Vic there?". Needless to say we didn't get very far in the tournament. Another point I remember from the weekend was when we went to pick the lad up who was the hooker and his wife/girlfriend said to him "don't do anything too stupid", she accepted he was going to be stupid but she didn't want it going too far. Happy days, sad to hear the original club packed in, I remember Paddy who was very much a larger than life character but I doubt he will remember me. Peter Benn