The Power of the Badge

The inspirational tale of how a determined and devoted group of Chesterfield FC fans saved the club from oblivion after its money was stolen by an errant owner who was jailed for the crime.

The fans had a vision to embed the club in the local community for the good of everyone in the town. With encouragement from the local council, they ran the club on a knife-edge for several years, then sold it to a trustworthy new owner, who financed a new era.

After many ups and downs, relegation from the Football League came for the first time in Chesterfield’s history. The club was sold to a community trust created by fans, which once again saved the Spireites from going under, and four years later they were back in the Football League.

This is the story of how the will and resilience of local fans rescued one of the world’s oldest professional football clubs from probable extinction – not once but twice.