[dart in the crossbar]

A big thank you to our CHs Grimes, Palmer and Williams for giving it 100% whenever they've played for us from non-league to the football league.

They've never let us down when they've had to complete in the air, do the ugly stuff and compete against quicker players on the floor. They've given it their best when asked to play with the ball on the floor, even though that's not really their game.

Whatever the outcome of the retained list, they have been assets for us and have played a very important part in getting us where we are.

thanks to the three of them and all the very best for the future

[Exharboroughspireite]

Grimes has been a fantastic servant to the club and deserves nothing but praise. Not many players play every single match in a season as he did

[metallilad]

I reckon Palmer may have just played himself into being offered a one year deal at least.

[lindo-spireite]

metallilad, on 17 May 2025 - 11:26 AM, said:

I reckon Palmer may have just played himself into being offered a one year deal at least.

Same, think he’ll get offered a year as back up.

Grimes is a town legend as far as I’m concerned, always kept fit, never hid in games, yes he hasn’t made the step up but he’s always put a shift in

[lindave]

lindo-spireite, on 17 May 2025 - 11:30 AM, said:

Same, think he’ll get offered a year as back up.

Grimes is a town legend as far as I’m concerned, always kept fit, never hid in games, yes he hasn’t made the step up but he’s always put a shift in

I hope he stays.

[Bald magician]

dart in the crossbar, on 17 May 2025 - 11:22 AM, said:

A big thank you to our CHs Grimes, Palmer and Williams for giving it 100% whenever they've played for us from non-league to the football league.

They've never let us down when they've had to complete in the air, do the ugly stuff and compete against quicker players on the floor. They've given it their best when asked to play with the ball on the floor, even though that's not really their game.

Whatever the outcome of the retained list, they have been assets for us and have played a very important part in getting us where we are.

thanks to the three of them and all the very best for the future

Agreed

[lindo-spireite]

lindave, on 17 May 2025 - 11:36 AM, said:

I hope he stays.

Who?
Palmer I’d be ok staying as long as it’s back up, grimes no we can and will do better, we can’t have room for sentiment if we want to improve.

This post has been edited by lindo-spireite: 17 May 2025 - 11:45 AM

[Osborne again]

lindo-spireite, on 17 May 2025 - 11:45 AM, said:

Who?
Palmer I’d be ok staying as long as it’s back up, grimes no we can and will do better, we can’t have room for sentiment if we want to improve.

I'd keep both as backup. Not many opposition players out-jump or out-muscle Jamie Grimes. Yes, both have mistakes in them, but we're league two Chesterfield, not Premiership Liverpool.

[Blue5]

Osborne again, on 17 May 2025 - 12:00 PM, said:

I'd keep both as backup. Not many opposition players out-jump or out-muscle Jamie Grimes. Yes, both have mistakes in them, but we're league two Chesterfield, not Premiership Liverpool.

I would certainly offer Jamie a deal for next season, but him staying might not be in his best interests.

As I see it, Dunkley is under contract for next season and I suspect, so is McFadzean. Therefore this leaves little in the way of movement in terms of bringing new central defenders in if you start offering deals to Jamie, Ty and Ash Palmer.

Football is brutal at times like this and Paul Cook is welcome to be having those types of conversations.

It will be a sad day when we have to say goodbye to the players who have contributed significantly in getting us to our current position and I hope the club manages it well and acknowledges their contributions.

[lindo-spireite]

Osborne again, on 17 May 2025 - 12:00 PM, said:

I'd keep both as backup. Not many opposition players out-jump or out-muscle Jamie Grimes. Yes, both have mistakes in them, but we're league two Chesterfield, not Premiership Liverpool.

It’s money out the budget though, we need one maybe 2 first team centre halves depending on what the situation is with Dunkley

[Zigsuk]

I’d actually like to see Jamie stay if only as back up. I don’t think he’ll be retained though. As has been said he was rarely out jumped or out muscled in the air and his consistency in appearances and injury free time in a squad often decimated by injuries during his career here was remarkable.
Some have said that people didn’t regularly get on his back but I ‘m afraid some did. I recall after one of his mistakes helped lose us a game someone saying ‘that big donkey Grimes should never play for us again,’ which I thought was disgraceful. I would wager over his time here Jamie has saved us more goals than he had cost us. He also comes over as a genuinely nice bloke and a fair player. Remember when he laid the Solihull bloke out last season off the ball he walked off immediately as it was so out of character. He also apologised for letting the side down.
Obviously not anywhere among the best centre halves we’ve had, but perhaps the best in the past 10 years or so and one of the best captains I can remember.
I also wouldn’t mind keeping Palmer and Williams, however despite the optimistic noises about Williams there still must be some doubt he will play again.

[Osborne again]

lindo-spireite, on 17 May 2025 - 12:37 PM, said:

It’s money out the budget though, we need one maybe 2 first team centre halves depending on what the situation is with Dunkley

We need a stand-in left centre back, and I don't think we'll get a much better servant than Grimes, who won't be on a massive wage.

[lindo-spireite]

Osborne again, on 17 May 2025 - 01:03 PM, said:

We need a stand-in left centre back, and I don't think we'll get a much better servant than Grimes, who won't be on a massive wage.

I think he’ll be on quite a decent wage mate, and will get decent offers too.

[Osborne again]

lindo-spireite, on 17 May 2025 - 01:04 PM, said:

I think he’ll be on quite a decent wage mate, and will get decent offers too.

Compared to Macfadzean and Dunkley, I think Grimes will be the poor man of the three, but you maybe right. I agree with you, that he'll get offers, and in league two. If played in a lower defensive line, then he really is in his element.

[Rodders]

All 3 have been great this season when called upon and they can do a job in League 2 but i feel we need to build with league 1 in mind. I think our most pressing need is to sort out the right back situation.

[Looker-on]

This season has shown that the problem with keeping anyone just for "back-up" is that your eight-game a season back-up man might suddenly have to play 35 games or more. Really, everyone who is in the squad needs to be a 46-game player, if the need arises (again.)

[gordon_brittas]

Exharboroughspireite, on 17 May 2025 - 11:24 AM, said:

Grimes has been a fantastic servant to the club and deserves nothing but praise. Not many players play every single match in a season as he did

Agree on that one, absolute gent too. I hope he manages to get himself signed up at a decent National League side such as Aldershot or Woking. He’s got at least 2 good seasons left in him and it would be nice if he could finish his career with another promotion push.

[Osborne again]

Rodders, on 17 May 2025 - 01:22 PM, said:

All 3 have been great this season when called upon and they can do a job in League 2 but i feel we need to build with league 1 in mind. I think our most pressing need is to sort out the right back situation.

I fully agree with you, and its needs to be someone who can defend as well as push on and cross the ball. If only Carlsberg made Albert Holmes clones.

[Rodders]

Osborne again, on 17 May 2025 - 01:48 PM, said:

I fully agree with you, and its needs to be someone who can defend as well as push on and cross the ball. If only Carlsberg made Albert Holmes clones.

That would be fantastic. I would love to have Sparkes on the left but not sure we could afford him and to be fair to Gordon he has played well this season and is solid.

[stainlessstephen]

Please remind me someone...

How old are these players?