[spireitematt]

At that time you got to play cricket against every Chesterfield player who could play cricket and lived locally, because they had their own team playing out of the Racecourse Tavern. John Archer was a decent cricketer from earlier times, Randall was a very good cricketer, Pughie used to play, old Nobby Clarke was a good cricketer ......... then I played in Phil Tingay's team anyway ..... but in those days there was more of a division between the seasons. Footballers got chance to play cricket. Chris Marples played both for Derbyshire at cricket and Chesterfield at football (and had to watch me keep goal badly for his dad's team in the worst season I ever had!). Steve Ogrizovic was a talented cricketer. Alan Stevenson played. Ernie Moss could play. Geoff Miller played for Derbyshire schools at football, represented the county at table tennis - if you were around the same age as these people you got chance to play with and against them. I played against Derek Randall at cricket twice - he was only miles and miles better than me. And even 25 years ago very good footballers like Bob Newton and Richard Dawson were still happy to become amateurs again and play in the Chesterfield League.

If you play competitive football every Saturday and most Sundays from the age of 15 till you cripple yourself at 26 you get to play with and against a lot of people. When you then help to run teams and and even leagues you get to meet a lot more. Leaving Chesterfield at the age of 40 ended all that. I miss it.

Footballers wouldn't be allowed to play cricket or even amateur football today in case they get injured, but the thing is you could get injured walking down the stairs. Dave Beasant broke his toe dropping a bottle of Salad cream on it and David James pulled a muscle reaching for the TV remote.