[Frank Thacker]

As regular readers will be aware, the club have asked me to put together a book to mark our departure from the Recreation Ground. Similar things at other clubs have leaned heavily on the recollections of players and similar club figures, and this will too, but I’d like to give a decent chunk of it over to the memories that Chesterfield supporters have of the old place.

This, then, is my first appeal for supporter contributions. If you’d be interested in contributing, email me here. Once I’ve got a few folk interested – in a couple of weeks, say - I’ll email everyone who has responded and we’ll take it from there. I would like to credit everyone who responds with their real names, but if you’d prefer to remain anonymous, then I can accommodate that.

I’ll also be looking for contributors to a digital photo project that I’m thinking about. It’d mean taking your own camera to home games next season to take photos – not of match action, but of what goes on around your own lives and around the place on a matchday - which we’d then build into some sort of website tribute to the Rec, and which we might use in the book, too.

Just in case the link doesn’t work, here’s the address written out:

historian@chesterfield-fc.co.uk

Thanks

Stuart.

[Sap1ent]

Hi Stuart,

I've pasted your message on a new thread in my own forum too, as i think something like this should have maximum exposure.

Post can be found here: http://www.cfieldforum.co.uk/phpBB3/viewto...p?f=2&t=232

Cheers

[Spireite S41]

Stuart Basson, on May 29 2009, 01:23 PM, said:

As regular readers will be aware, the club have asked me to put together a book to mark our departure from the Recreation Ground. Similar things at other clubs have leaned heavily on the recollections of players and similar club figures, and this will too, but I’d like to give a decent chunk of it over to the memories that Chesterfield supporters have of the old place.

This, then, is my first appeal for supporter contributions. If you’d be interested in contributing, email me here. Once I’ve got a few folk interested – in a couple of weeks, say - I’ll email everyone who has responded and we’ll take it from there. I would like to credit everyone who responds with their real names, but if you’d prefer to remain anonymous, then I can accommodate that.

I’ll also be looking for contributors to a digital photo project that I’m thinking about. It’d mean taking your own camera to home games next season to take photos – not of match action, but of what goes on around your own lives and around the place on a matchday - which we’d then build into some sort of website tribute to the Rec, and which we might use in the book, too.

Just in case the link doesn’t work, here’s the address written out:

historian@chesterfield-fc.co.uk

Thanks

Stuart.

Well AAMOF i was planning on taking a digital camera to Saltergate this season to take a few picture to show the grandkids in a few years time and say ''this is what the club was like before Allen's cash took us into the top flight''. Any chance of putting Videos onto the website? Any Pictures Il take i will e-mail to you as soon as.

Good luck and well done for making the effort.

[marlons curtains]

You should have e mail Mr. B.

[Frank Thacker]

Bumping this back to the top, as I will to periodically. Ten people have offered to help with contributions so far; I'll not kick it off for a week or two yet, to let more folk see this.

[dalekpete]

Lyrics to the song of the book?

Dirty old stadium
No longer roaring,
Memories into the night
Terrace so busy
Make me feel dizzy
Floodlights shine so bright.

But I don't feel afraid
As long as I remember Saltergate Sunset
I am in Paradise
Saturday I look at the Blues from my seat
Chilly, chilly is the kick-off time
Whittington Moor’s fine

Herbert meets Ernie
Saltergate Stadium
Every Saturday
Don’t be so lazy
Don't stop to wonder
Don’t stay at home match day

But I don't feel afraid
As long as I remember Saltergate Sunset
I am in Paradise
Saturday I look at the Blues from my seat
Chilly, chilly is the kick-off time
Whittington Moor’s fine

Thousands of people swarming like flies round
Whittington Moor
But Herbert and Ernie
Crossover the road
Where they know history goes on

And they don't feel afraid
As long as they remember
Saltergate Sunset
They are in Paradise

Whittington Moor’s fine
Whittington Moor’s fine
Whittington Moor’s fine

[dalekpete]

Rather than sending your images to Stuart you can upload them to our Flickr group.

We are also interested in conventional photos that pre-date these new fangled digital wotsits- if you can scan these all the better.

Saltergate Sunset at Flickr

[Westbars Spireite]

Stuart Basson, on May 31 2009, 04:20 PM, said:

Bumping this back to the top, as I will to periodically. Ten people have offered to help with contributions so far; I'll not kick it off for a week or two yet, to let more folk see this.

I'll offer any help you may need, Stu.

PM me and let me know what you want.

[dalekpete]

I am pinning this thread for the moment. Check out the Flickr page for current and vintage images.

[Aspire_webby]

Stuart Basson, on May 29 2009, 01:33 PM, said:

As regular readers will be aware, the club have asked me to put together a book to mark our departure from the Recreation Ground. Similar things at other clubs have leaned heavily on the recollections of players and similar club figures, and this will too, but I’d like to give a decent chunk of it over to the memories that Chesterfield supporters have of the old place.

This, then, is my first appeal for supporter contributions. If you’d be interested in contributing, email me here. Once I’ve got a few folk interested – in a couple of weeks, say - I’ll email everyone who has responded and we’ll take it from there. I would like to credit everyone who responds with their real names, but if you’d prefer to remain anonymous, then I can accommodate that.

I’ll also be looking for contributors to a digital photo project that I’m thinking about. It’d mean taking your own camera to home games next season to take photos – not of match action, but of what goes on around your own lives and around the place on a matchday - which we’d then build into some sort of website tribute to the Rec, and which we might use in the book, too.

Just in case the link doesn’t work, here’s the address written out:

historian@chesterfield-fc.co.uk

Thanks

Stuart.

Aren't we barred from taking photo's in the ground????

One bit of info ypou might be interested in - my sisters ex did an art project based around a game - he took pics of his day leading up to and during a game in the 70s (Crystal palace I think). if I can get his contact details I'll ask him to get in touch. There might be some original stuff in there of interest.

This post has been edited by Aspire_webby: 10 June 2009 - 02:18 PM

[dalekpete]

Aspire_webby, on Jun 10 2009, 03:28 PM, said:

Aren't we barred from taking photo's in the ground????

This coming season we are positively encouraged to take them as long as they are not for commercial use.

The 1970s project would be useful I think.

[Eddie63]

Aspire_webby, on Jun 10 2009, 03:28 PM, said:

Aren't we barred from taking photo's in the ground????

One bit of info ypou might be interested in - my sisters ex did an art project based around a game - he took pics of his day leading up to and during a game in the 70s (Crystal palace I think). if I can get his contact details I'll ask him to get in touch. There might be some original stuff in there of interest.

hope he got a photo of the palace fan being taken away on a stretcher and his mate thanking the town fans for the northern hospitality......lol

[johnd51]

Just a suggestion, which might take a lot of research. A chapter on games at Saltergate not involving CFC? The thread on schoolboy internationals on Debate reminded me of a number of matches in my youth. It might be interesting to see which future stars cut their teeth at the old ground. The Alfreton-Barrow game also comes to mind. There will be others.

[spireitenag]

johnd51, on Oct 16 2009, 10:55 AM, said:

Just a suggestion, which might take a lot of research. A chapter on games at Saltergate not involving CFC? The thread on schoolboy internationals on Debate reminded me of a number of matches in my youth. It might be interesting to see which future stars cut their teeth at the old ground. The Alfreton-Barrow game also comes to mind. There will be others.

There has already been extensive research done into this topic covering schoolboys,colleges,local Saturday & Sunday leagues,minor cup finals,testimonials, etc.
I,m sure Stuart probably already has all the necessary info. But failing that that I have a comprehensive list myself.

[Frank Thacker]

spireitenag, on Oct 20 2009, 01:46 PM, said:

There has already been extensive research done into this topic covering schoolboys,colleges,local Saturday & Sunday leagues,minor cup finals,testimonials, etc.
I,m sure Stuart probably already has all the necessary info. But failing that that I have a comprehensive list myself.

you have pm...

[dmb1978]

Hi what about taking some ideas for your book from this thread

http://www.thecfss.c...showtopic=21793

[Frank Thacker]

Stuart Basson, on 29 May 2009 - 12:20 PM, said:

As regular readers will be aware, the club have asked me to put together a book to mark our departure from the Recreation Ground...

I hope subscribers will be getting a surprise from the postman over the next few days.

[60s 70s Spireite]

Well done to Stuart Basson for a great read and reference book that is Saltergate Sunset. Some fascinating and to me revealing stories especially the behind the scenes chapters about the building of the centre stand.
Only after reading and passing the book to my Dad, did I know he can recall going to the ground before the ‘new’ centre stand. He can recall being lifted over the turnstiles and sitting on the wall at the cross street end- his older brother handing onto his legs just in case he fell over backwards. Or if he was elsewhere and he couldn’t see, the men passing him over their shoulders down to the front. He was at the Aston Villa FA Cup game in 1934 when nearly 24,000 were there with him (‘there was plenty of room – don’t know why capacity got restricted’ (?).
After war service he spent a bit of time with the Colts, but one of his main memories is Manchester United reserves coming here round about 1948 – Christmas Day- and a gate of over 20,000.
Of course he got me hooked on visits to Saltergate, unfortunately it was the very late 50’s and early 60’s – as Stuart says some of our darkest days. However in the mid 1960s me and our school friends had started going to the Central League matches – and my, did we see some names! These included the spine of the Everton 1963 championship side- West, Labone, and Young plus Vernon. Cantwell, Foulkes, Brennan of Manchester United, plus of course watching the scoreboard for news of the first team’s away fixture. If the half time score wasn’t updated we knew we had lost, however a winning lead saw a scurry of activity as the numbers were changed.

[Wooden Spoon]

Stuart Basson, on 29 May 2009 - 12:20 PM, said:

As regular readers will be aware, the club have asked me to put together a book to mark our departure from the Recreation Ground. Similar things at other clubs have leaned heavily on the recollections of players and similar club figures, and this will too, but I'd like to give a decent chunk of it over to the memories that Chesterfield supporters have of the old place.

This, then, is my first appeal for supporter contributions. If you'd be interested in contributing, email me here. Once I've got a few folk interested – in a couple of weeks, say - I'll email everyone who has responded and we'll take it from there. I would like to credit everyone who responds with their real names, but if you'd prefer to remain anonymous, then I can accommodate that.

I'll also be looking for contributors to a digital photo project that I'm thinking about. It'd mean taking your own camera to home games next season to take photos – not of match action, but of what goes on around your own lives and around the place on a matchday - which we'd then build into some sort of website tribute to the Rec, and which we might use in the book, too.

Just in case the link doesn't work, here's the address written out:

historian@chesterfield-fc.co.uk

Thanks

Stuart.

A superb effort.

Take a bow, Sir.