[warfey is a spireite]

Charlie bell,another cracker,,John Ridley

[ronpowellsbutler]

warfey is a spireite, on 14 April 2025 - 08:33 PM, said:

Charlie bell,another cracker,,John Ridley

Dave Blakey played until he was 37.
Mike Summerbee reckoned he was the hardest he ever played against.

[Osborne again]

ronpowellsbutler, on 15 April 2025 - 10:33 AM, said:

Dave Blakey played until he was 37.
Mike Summerbee reckoned he was the hardest he ever played against.

He was a proper gent too, until he got on the pitch, that is, according to my dad. I saw him play when I was young and count him amongst the true legends of Chesterfield FC.

[60s 70s Spireite]

ronpowellsbutler, on 15 April 2025 - 10:33 AM, said:

Dave Blakey played until he was 37.
Mike Summerbee reckoned he was the hardest he ever played against.

He did.
Although unfortunately my recall is of a man who played too long. A match I distinctly recall was the 3-0 home defeat to Peterborough when Dougan scored 3 - totally bossing DB.
I see he played 28, 20 and 3 games in his last 3 seasons, so it’s a question if he ‘played’ when he was 37.
That’s taking nothing away from one of our greatest players. 244 successive league games says it all

[ronpowellsbutler]

60s 70s Spireite, on 15 April 2025 - 01:34 PM, said:

He did.
Although unfortunately my recall is of a man who played too long. A match I distinctly recall was the 3-0 home defeat to Peterborough when Dougan scored 3 - totally bossing DB.
I see he played 28, 20 and 3 games in his last 3 seasons, so it’s a question if he ‘played’ when he was 37.
That’s taking nothing away from one of our greatest players. 244 successive league games says it all

Fair enough. I can’t remember much of that game apart from Dougan’s haircut.

[Osborne again]

ronpowellsbutler, on 16 April 2025 - 07:04 AM, said:

Fair enough. I can’t remember much of that game apart from Dougan’s haircut.

Was that his Mohican phase.

[60s 70s Spireite]

Osborne again, on 16 April 2025 - 07:12 AM, said:

Was that his Mohican phase.

The butler will confirm, but I think he had a shaved head.
I have checked my memory on Dougan’s goals. I was right, it was a hat trick of headers.

[Osborne again]

60s 70s Spireite, on 16 April 2025 - 07:36 AM, said:

The butler will confirm, but I think he had a shaved head.
I have checked my memory on Dougan’s goals. I was right, it was a hat trick of headers.

The Doog was a master with his head, but during the sixties and seventies every Division one team could, at the very least muster one ace with the head. Dougan, Astle, Gilzean and Tony Hateley are just four who spring to mind.

[ronpowellsbutler]

60s 70s Spireite, on 16 April 2025 - 07:36 AM, said:

The butler will confirm, but I think he had a shaved head.
I have checked my memory on Dougan’s goals. I was right, it was a hat trick of headers.

He shaved his head completely at one point but when he came to town I thought it was a kind of Mohawk number, not long in the middle but just a landing strip.
I might well be wrong, it’s only 60 years back.

[Osborne again]

ronpowellsbutler, on 16 April 2025 - 09:23 AM, said:

He shaved his head completely at one point but when he came to town I thought it was a kind of Mohawk number, not long in the middle but just a landing strip.
I might well be wrong, it’s only 60 years back.

I'm pretty sure you're right because I had a football annual for each Christmas from about the age of six and I'd bet my Sunday roast that he had a Mohican hair cut in one of those.

[Sammy Spireite]

With Fleck approaching 3 games in a week (albeit one wasn't a 'proper' game), you have to wonder how muvch of our recent form is down to having him in the middle?

His passing is excellent and he's so calm under pressure and tries to play it quickly and more importantly forward where possible. His experience can't be ignored, too, and you also have to wonder how much of Metcalfes recent form is down to training with Fleck day in day out.


He's proving a lot of doubters wrong on here by simply completing 90 minutes most games, i wonder if there is an offer on the table for a new deal?

If he can stay fit, and with a pre-season under his belt, could he become an important player for us next season?

[warfey is a spireite]

Not sure Sammy,seen him albeit from streaming but he's in and out,was it last week he was quiet,? Then there was another one where his quick passing,did well ,I'd pay per game I think .

[Burgerman]

Sammy Spireite, on 09 May 2025 - 12:42 PM, said:

With Fleck approaching 3 games in a week (albeit one wasn't a 'proper' game), you have to wonder how muvch of our recent form is down to having him in the middle?

His passing is excellent and he's so calm under pressure and tries to play it quickly and more importantly forward where possible. His experience can't be ignored, too, and you also have to wonder how much of Metcalfes recent form is down to training with Fleck day in day out.


He's proving a lot of doubters wrong on here by simply completing 90 minutes most games, i wonder if there is an offer on the table for a new deal?

If he can stay fit, and with a pre-season under his belt, could he become an important player for us next season?

Had you asked me that question two weeks ago I would have suggested Fleck may be worthy of a 1 Year contract. Things are different today because there is a good chance that we may be competing in L1. If that's the case, for me personally, I would like to see the average age of our squad drop a few years.

[Westbars Spireite]

I don't think the division we are in will impact on any decision re Fleck. There's a big jump in quality, much more than we've seen this season and as long as his physical condition has been proved the standard will be comfortable for him.

This post has been edited by Westbars Spireite: Today, 01:14 PM

[Osborne again]

 Burgerman, on 09 May 2025 - 01:05 PM, said:

Had you asked me that question two weeks ago I would have suggested Fleck may be worthy of a 1 Year contract. Things are different today because there is a good chance that we may be competing in L1. If that's the case, for me personally, I would like to see the average age of our squad drop a few years.

Whichever league we're in, I think Fleck will be here next season, unless he decides otherwise. He has his mate here too, and you can see the understanding between them.

[Burgerman]

Westbars Spireite, on 09 May 2025 - 01:10 PM, said:

I don't think the division we are in will impact on any decision re Fleck. There's a big jump in quality, much more than we've seen this season and as long as his physical condition has been proved the standard will be comfortable for him.

Perhaps I am looking into something that's not going to be relevant but it is sticking in the back of my mind. The average age of League 1 clubs is between 23-26 with a jump up to 29 for the Slags. Our average age is currently 30. Is that not a concern?

I totally agree with the quality that Fleck and Fadz bring but is that quality sustainable over 50 plus games, in a faster, better league or would we be take on players to sit on the bench just in case?

[Westbars Spireite]

Our starting eleven or squad age? I think ideally it would be lower. It's not been helped by the injuries to Tanton and Aruajo who conceivably would have played all season in other circumstances. Dobra starting would help in that respect but I don't think it's something that the management will be overthinking.

[Misnomer]

 Sammy Spireite, on 09 May 2025 - 12:42 PM, said:

With Fleck approaching 3 games in a week (albeit one wasn't a 'proper' game), you have to wonder how muvch of our recent form is down to having him in the middle?

His passing is excellent and he's so calm under pressure and tries to play it quickly and more importantly forward where possible. His experience can't be ignored, too, and you also have to wonder how much of Metcalfes recent form is down to training with Fleck day in day out.


He's proving a lot of doubters wrong on here by simply completing 90 minutes most games, i wonder if there is an offer on the table for a new deal?

If he can stay fit, and with a pre-season under his belt, could he become an important player for us next season?

First match I saw Metcalfe, I said there's definitely a player there. He subsequently went downhill at a rapid rate, so you could be onto something with your thinking.

[Osborne again]

 Burgerman, on 09 May 2025 - 02:00 PM, said:

Perhaps I am looking into something that's not going to be relevant but it is sticking in the back of my mind. The average age of League 1 clubs is between 23-26 with a jump up to 29 for the Slags. Our average age is currently 30. Is that not a concern?

I totally agree with the quality that Fleck and Fadz bring but is that quality sustainable over 50 plus games, in a faster, better league or would we be take on players to sit on the bench just in case?

The average age of the squad will, most likely drop even with Fleck and Macfadzean on the books. I'm not going to try guessing who will go, but several of the older members of the squad will be gone. I'd be no good as a football manager, because I like and rate every one of them on the books.

[Burgerman]

 Osborne again, on 09 May 2025 - 03:22 PM, said:

The average age of the squad will, most likely drop even with Fleck and Macfadzean on the books. I'm not going to try guessing who will go, but several of the older members of the squad will be gone. I'd be no good as a football manager, because I like and rate every one of them on the books.

Same here.