I set out to track our former players every week through the season, but it proved too much for me. I’m sure I’ll have forgotten some here, but this is an update.
Richard Wood is currently Rotherham captain and very much their talisman in the battle against relegation, whilst Liam Cooper attempts a similar role for Marcelo Bielsa’s promotion-chasing Leeds. Unfortunately a draw for Rotherham on Saturday makes relegation look even more likely and Che Adams’ goal for Birmingham might condemn Leeds to the play-offs as their star man Hernandez also suffered an injury on the day.
Amazingly Mark Duffy who struggled for a game with us whilst on loan continues to flourish at Sheffield United for whom he was starter in their 0-1 win over Preston. North End for their part may have been missing the influence of Daniel Johnson who is still fondly remembered in Chesterfield.
The upward curve to Jon Nolan’s career of Grimsby, Chesterfield, Shrewsbury seems to have hit a downward turn on reaching Ipswich. Though he has been a regular part of the team, The Tractor Boys achieved only their fourth league win of the season on Saturday without him ….
At Stoke, where he was signed for £6 million, Sam Clucas currently seems to be reflecting his team’s disappointing season. On Saturday he came on as sub for the injured Paul Ince which puts him on twenty-odd appearances. He’s scored a couple of goals, but it seems that sometime during his spell at Swansea everyone, including himself, suddenly forgot what he was about. He is that bloke you can certainly play anywhere on the left or down the middle and he’ll do you a job and create danger, win the ball, score goals, provide a cross, pick a pass ……… He needs someone to find him again. Call Glenn Hoddle?
After topping the scoring charts in the Southern League Premier South Ricky German was picked up on a long-term contract by Crawley but so far has clearly impressed them in training no more than he did Gary Caldwell. Crawley are losing most of the time, but Ricky appears confined to brief appearances from the bench –the very same process by which he failed to impress Chesterfield. Only Hendon so far have worked out he needs to start and be given confidence by being entrusted with penalty kicks etc.
Diego de Girolamo gets a game at Buxton but isn’t near meeting his promise as a junior, but Buxton are challenging for the play-offs despite losing to the leaders Farsley Celtic on Saturday
Trevor Carson has been out since the end of November with deep-vein thrombosis for mid-table Motherwell, for whom Peter Hartley, after injury, now seems largely confined to the bench whilst Liam Grimshaw has become now a regular at the back and up front loaned Gboly Ariyibi tends to start, but is usually replaced around the 70th minute mark.
Sam Morsy remains captain at Wigan but they continue to struggle and Gary Roberts isn’t on the bench.
Jacob Brown largely keeps his place at Barnsley as they bid for promotion, but as on Saturday, when he was replaced after 60 minutes, seems to be one of those regularly substituted.
Reece Brown is making his mark at Forest Green where he has become a mainspring of the team and has found the net 10 times so far from midfield.
Jordan Bowery will be 28 in July. So far this season he has made 45 appearances for Crewe in all competitions, last season he managed 51. In that time he’s managed 22 goals for Crewe. As during Saturday’s defeat at Port Vale he usually gets the full 90, is hugely experienced in terms of appearances, should be at his peak and his contract with Crewe will be up at the end of the season ………… and he’ll be on the look-out for his tenth club.
Our former keepers are largely retaining their places in League 1: Alex Cairns remains first choice at Fleetwood, as does O'Donnell at Bradford City, who regularly also include Eoin Doyle, despite the team’s persistent failure, and Aaron Chapman who lost his place when Peterborough began to stutter has now regained as their promotion push is lapsing into silence and kept a clean sheet when they won on Saturday. Our Bournemouth loanee Ramsdale is perhaps the most successful at the moment, having played a huge part in Wimbledon’s attempt to escape a relegation, which looked pretty much nailed-on prior to his arrival.
Ryan Fulton did finally get a first team chance at Hamilton and perhaps predictably fluffed it and has now returned to a seated position, whilst Cameron Mason retains his place at Curzon Ashton who confound their lack of support by retaining the National League North status.
Whitmore is regularly on the bench at Grimsby, but was on the field at full back on Saturday when they went down 0-2 to Stevenage in a game in which Krystian Dennis played the full ninety without troubling the scorers.
Jay O’Shea has been having an amazing season at Bury who are fourth in League Two. He has scored 15 so far and has shown some of the form he occasionally put on display at Chesterfield. Unfortunately a dip for him currently seems to have coincided with something similar for the team who lost 3-2 at Carlisle for whom Jamie Devitt seems to have come of age, scoring 12 times from midfield in 37 appearances in all competitions. Carlisle for whom Gary Liddle features every week remain on the fringes of the play-off race. Callum McFadzean came on a sub’ for Bury for whom he has featured 35 times and reportedly avoided head-butting or punching any girls. Caolan Lavery also came on in the 74th minute for Bury in an attempt to win the game, but they conceded a third in the 89th minute and lost.
On Saturday Giles Coke again featured for Oldham as non-playing substitute, a role he is assigned whenever fit enough to sit down. Chris O’Grady on the other hand leads the attack for a team which is sitting above halfway.
At Swindon Jak McCourt has made 11 appearances so far and unfortunately his spell with us remains far the most prolific of his professional career.
For the Macclesfield Morecambe clash Paddy Roche had regained his place, whilst Danny Whitaker was reduced to sub by Sol Campbell. Macclesfield also currently feature Zak Jules who is on a short term contract and at only 22 will become available again in the summer.
Down at Dagenham, regulars Conor Wilkinson and Nathan Smith both featured in a drab game in which Kay helped opponents Barrow to keep the clean sheet old hero Ian Evatt favours.
The forgotten Jonathan Wafula came off the bench to little effect for Boston United on Saturday, but has made 26 appearances in wide midfield for them. George Smith got a full game for them whilst playing out his contract with us.
Lee Novak continued to be Scunthorpe’s front man of choice on Saturday having played 35 times this season and scored 11 so far. Their 1-1 draw at Shrewsbury keeps them in the heart of the relegation race.
Local boy Lloyd Kerry continues to be a mainstay of the Harrogate midfield but went off injured after 34 minutes on Saturday during their win at Havant and Waterlooville.
Manny Dieseruvwe is perhaps the current surprise holding his place in Salford’s attack, even when Rooney came back from injury. He may not be banging in the goals but his team is top and Scott Wiseman is holding his place in defence, which perhaps suggests you don't have to be all that good to succeed in this league.
Down at Bromley Richard Brindley’s career appears to be in a downward spin at the age of 25. On Saturday he could only make the bench, but it is a different story for Armand Gnanduillet who came to Chesterfield through the same agent. Apparently marooned at a club more determined to descend than a Boeing, Armand has made a real success of life at Blackpool. He is scoring, getting full games, the club has shed the Oystons, the crowd is back and though the play-offs are out of the reach the team showed its potential by drawing at Luton on Saturday.
Conor Dimaio despite showing an eye for a goal for Stockport was allowed to go to Ashton United for whom he plays every week in relegation battles whilst Stockport are fighting for promotion.
Jake Beesley remains equal second top scorer in the National League North on 19 goals despite Bradford PA’s slide down to sixth place in the table.
Jordan Burrow remains a major player at York City but Steve Watson having dropped down to manage them is expecting more from the entire squad which I would assume includes Jordan appearing in the top scorers list, which at the moment he doesn’t.
Jordan Sinnott is a regular in Alfreton's side, and usually seems to put in a decent performance but on Saturday he achieved only a 3, though he did remain on the pitch for the full ninety in the club’s biggest–ever home defeat, 0-7.
Michael Onovwigun continues to struggle to get a game at Dulwich Hamlet, whilst in the same division Sam Togwell remains a mainstay every week for Slough Town.
Despite a barren spell Jacob Hazel has still hit 20 for the season so far for Frickley following Saturday’s hat-trick and stands in third place in the scoring charts.
Craig Westcarr continues to carry his age well and leads the line every week at Matlock.
Unfortunately at only 33 injury and time passing has taken Sylvan Ebanks-Blake’s career, from starting at Manchester United through great success at Plymouth and Wolverhampton and England U-21 all the way down to getting a game for Darren Byfield at Walsall Wood who are in the Midland League.
Up in the Northern League the presence of Colin Larkin for Sunderland RCA and Joke Orrell for Newcastle Benfield hasn’t been enough to raise either club much above mid-table.
Down at QPR perhaps another change of manager will see Osman Kakay given the first team chances his bench-time has promised.
The story of Reece Mitchell is a sad one. It appears he is signed as a player for Wealdstone but this season has been loaned to first Hendon and then Wingate and Finchley to regain fitness …. He doesn’t appear to be making Wealdstone’s team. Equally under-achieving is the mercurial Mark Randall who is now demonstrating his midfield passing ability with Hemel Hempstead in the lower reaches of National League South following his release by Crawley.
Matty Briggs, who made a full England squad as a teenager, was plying his trade for Maldon and Tiptree in the Bostik League North on Saturday – they won 1-0 in front of 132 people to maintain second place.
Overseas David Faupala has scored more for Apollon Limassol than he managed for us and he’s made European appearances too. Georg Margreitter is still at Nurnberg in the Bundesliga and is club vice-captain ……… Ole Soderberg the only other Chesterfield goalkeeper to have reached the level of Joe Anyon has signed for AFC Eskilstuna in Sweden who regained their place in the top flight last season. He did gain Swedish age group caps at every level up to and including U-21 so probably that game at Oldham didn’t illustrate his entire range of skills.
I forgot Matty Brown at Halifax who is the foundation upon which they've built the defensive solidity which is keeping them mid-table.
Forgotten also was Ollie Banks on his 13th different club at just 26 years of age. He is having a decent season at promotion-chasing Tranmere where he's notched up 30 appearances and the odd goal.
Can't really find out what happened to Dylan Parkin. He's signed with Boston United. He went on loan, fairly successfully to Cleethorpes. Boston recalled him towards the end of January but he's not on either the pitch or the bench at the moment ............
Jack Brownell went to Spalding after Matlock let him go and he has been playing for them in the Northern premier East ever since. Saturday they drew 1-1 away at Pickering in a game they really needed to win to escape the relegation zone. Luckily Jacob Hazel stuck a hat trick past Spalding's nearest rivals Carlton Town in a 6-0 thrashing.
Jordan Flores is trying to rebuild his career on loan at Dundalk. He was sub in their latest game a 1-0 defeat against St Patricks. (I was really looking for Dylan Hand who is apparently signed with Dundalk, has the No 29 shirt, but I can't find any appearance stats for him.)
Was it deliberate or Freudian - Ched Evans scored 2 on Saturday for Fleetwood, that makes 15 for the season, and he topped it up this week with £800,000 from his solicitors over their handling of his case!!!
Also forgotten was Charlie Raglan who after first failing to gain a regular place followed by career-threatening injury at Oxford is re-building his reputation at Cheltenham who have been climbing the table ever since his arrival.
Richard Wood is currently Rotherham captain and very much their talisman in the battle against relegation, whilst Liam Cooper attempts a similar role for Marcelo Bielsa’s promotion-chasing Leeds. Unfortunately a draw for Rotherham on Saturday makes relegation look even more likely and Che Adams’ goal for Birmingham might condemn Leeds to the play-offs as their star man Hernandez also suffered an injury on the day.
Amazingly Mark Duffy who struggled for a game with us whilst on loan continues to flourish at Sheffield United for whom he was starter in their 0-1 win over Preston. North End for their part may have been missing the influence of Daniel Johnson who is still fondly remembered in Chesterfield.
The upward curve to Jon Nolan’s career of Grimsby, Chesterfield, Shrewsbury seems to have hit a downward turn on reaching Ipswich. Though he has been a regular part of the team, The Tractor Boys achieved only their fourth league win of the season on Saturday without him ….
At Stoke, where he was signed for £6 million, Sam Clucas currently seems to be reflecting his team’s disappointing season. On Saturday he came on as sub for the injured Paul Ince which puts him on twenty-odd appearances. He’s scored a couple of goals, but it seems that sometime during his spell at Swansea everyone, including himself, suddenly forgot what he was about. He is that bloke you can certainly play anywhere on the left or down the middle and he’ll do you a job and create danger, win the ball, score goals, provide a cross, pick a pass ……… He needs someone to find him again. Call Glenn Hoddle?
After topping the scoring charts in the Southern League Premier South Ricky German was picked up on a long-term contract by Crawley but so far has clearly impressed them in training no more than he did Gary Caldwell. Crawley are losing most of the time, but Ricky appears confined to brief appearances from the bench –the very same process by which he failed to impress Chesterfield. Only Hendon so far have worked out he needs to start and be given confidence by being entrusted with penalty kicks etc.
Diego de Girolamo gets a game at Buxton but isn’t near meeting his promise as a junior, but Buxton are challenging for the play-offs despite losing to the leaders Farsley Celtic on Saturday
Trevor Carson has been out since the end of November with deep-vein thrombosis for mid-table Motherwell, for whom Peter Hartley, after injury, now seems largely confined to the bench whilst Liam Grimshaw has become now a regular at the back and up front loaned Gboly Ariyibi tends to start, but is usually replaced around the 70th minute mark.
Sam Morsy remains captain at Wigan but they continue to struggle and Gary Roberts isn’t on the bench.
Jacob Brown largely keeps his place at Barnsley as they bid for promotion, but as on Saturday, when he was replaced after 60 minutes, seems to be one of those regularly substituted.
Reece Brown is making his mark at Forest Green where he has become a mainspring of the team and has found the net 10 times so far from midfield.
Jordan Bowery will be 28 in July. So far this season he has made 45 appearances for Crewe in all competitions, last season he managed 51. In that time he’s managed 22 goals for Crewe. As during Saturday’s defeat at Port Vale he usually gets the full 90, is hugely experienced in terms of appearances, should be at his peak and his contract with Crewe will be up at the end of the season ………… and he’ll be on the look-out for his tenth club.
Our former keepers are largely retaining their places in League 1: Alex Cairns remains first choice at Fleetwood, as does O'Donnell at Bradford City, who regularly also include Eoin Doyle, despite the team’s persistent failure, and Aaron Chapman who lost his place when Peterborough began to stutter has now regained as their promotion push is lapsing into silence and kept a clean sheet when they won on Saturday. Our Bournemouth loanee Ramsdale is perhaps the most successful at the moment, having played a huge part in Wimbledon’s attempt to escape a relegation, which looked pretty much nailed-on prior to his arrival.
Ryan Fulton did finally get a first team chance at Hamilton and perhaps predictably fluffed it and has now returned to a seated position, whilst Cameron Mason retains his place at Curzon Ashton who confound their lack of support by retaining the National League North status.
Whitmore is regularly on the bench at Grimsby, but was on the field at full back on Saturday when they went down 0-2 to Stevenage in a game in which Krystian Dennis played the full ninety without troubling the scorers.
Jay O’Shea has been having an amazing season at Bury who are fourth in League Two. He has scored 15 so far and has shown some of the form he occasionally put on display at Chesterfield. Unfortunately a dip for him currently seems to have coincided with something similar for the team who lost 3-2 at Carlisle for whom Jamie Devitt seems to have come of age, scoring 12 times from midfield in 37 appearances in all competitions. Carlisle for whom Gary Liddle features every week remain on the fringes of the play-off race. Callum McFadzean came on a sub’ for Bury for whom he has featured 35 times and reportedly avoided head-butting or punching any girls. Caolan Lavery also came on in the 74th minute for Bury in an attempt to win the game, but they conceded a third in the 89th minute and lost.
On Saturday Giles Coke again featured for Oldham as non-playing substitute, a role he is assigned whenever fit enough to sit down. Chris O’Grady on the other hand leads the attack for a team which is sitting above halfway.
At Swindon Jak McCourt has made 11 appearances so far and unfortunately his spell with us remains far the most prolific of his professional career.
For the Macclesfield Morecambe clash Paddy Roche had regained his place, whilst Danny Whitaker was reduced to sub by Sol Campbell. Macclesfield also currently feature Zak Jules who is on a short term contract and at only 22 will become available again in the summer.
Down at Dagenham, regulars Conor Wilkinson and Nathan Smith both featured in a drab game in which Kay helped opponents Barrow to keep the clean sheet old hero Ian Evatt favours.
The forgotten Jonathan Wafula came off the bench to little effect for Boston United on Saturday, but has made 26 appearances in wide midfield for them. George Smith got a full game for them whilst playing out his contract with us.
Lee Novak continued to be Scunthorpe’s front man of choice on Saturday having played 35 times this season and scored 11 so far. Their 1-1 draw at Shrewsbury keeps them in the heart of the relegation race.
Local boy Lloyd Kerry continues to be a mainstay of the Harrogate midfield but went off injured after 34 minutes on Saturday during their win at Havant and Waterlooville.
Manny Dieseruvwe is perhaps the current surprise holding his place in Salford’s attack, even when Rooney came back from injury. He may not be banging in the goals but his team is top and Scott Wiseman is holding his place in defence, which perhaps suggests you don't have to be all that good to succeed in this league.
Down at Bromley Richard Brindley’s career appears to be in a downward spin at the age of 25. On Saturday he could only make the bench, but it is a different story for Armand Gnanduillet who came to Chesterfield through the same agent. Apparently marooned at a club more determined to descend than a Boeing, Armand has made a real success of life at Blackpool. He is scoring, getting full games, the club has shed the Oystons, the crowd is back and though the play-offs are out of the reach the team showed its potential by drawing at Luton on Saturday.
Conor Dimaio despite showing an eye for a goal for Stockport was allowed to go to Ashton United for whom he plays every week in relegation battles whilst Stockport are fighting for promotion.
Jake Beesley remains equal second top scorer in the National League North on 19 goals despite Bradford PA’s slide down to sixth place in the table.
Jordan Burrow remains a major player at York City but Steve Watson having dropped down to manage them is expecting more from the entire squad which I would assume includes Jordan appearing in the top scorers list, which at the moment he doesn’t.
Jordan Sinnott is a regular in Alfreton's side, and usually seems to put in a decent performance but on Saturday he achieved only a 3, though he did remain on the pitch for the full ninety in the club’s biggest–ever home defeat, 0-7.
Michael Onovwigun continues to struggle to get a game at Dulwich Hamlet, whilst in the same division Sam Togwell remains a mainstay every week for Slough Town.
Despite a barren spell Jacob Hazel has still hit 20 for the season so far for Frickley following Saturday’s hat-trick and stands in third place in the scoring charts.
Craig Westcarr continues to carry his age well and leads the line every week at Matlock.
Unfortunately at only 33 injury and time passing has taken Sylvan Ebanks-Blake’s career, from starting at Manchester United through great success at Plymouth and Wolverhampton and England U-21 all the way down to getting a game for Darren Byfield at Walsall Wood who are in the Midland League.
Up in the Northern League the presence of Colin Larkin for Sunderland RCA and Joke Orrell for Newcastle Benfield hasn’t been enough to raise either club much above mid-table.
Down at QPR perhaps another change of manager will see Osman Kakay given the first team chances his bench-time has promised.
The story of Reece Mitchell is a sad one. It appears he is signed as a player for Wealdstone but this season has been loaned to first Hendon and then Wingate and Finchley to regain fitness …. He doesn’t appear to be making Wealdstone’s team. Equally under-achieving is the mercurial Mark Randall who is now demonstrating his midfield passing ability with Hemel Hempstead in the lower reaches of National League South following his release by Crawley.
Matty Briggs, who made a full England squad as a teenager, was plying his trade for Maldon and Tiptree in the Bostik League North on Saturday – they won 1-0 in front of 132 people to maintain second place.
Overseas David Faupala has scored more for Apollon Limassol than he managed for us and he’s made European appearances too. Georg Margreitter is still at Nurnberg in the Bundesliga and is club vice-captain ……… Ole Soderberg the only other Chesterfield goalkeeper to have reached the level of Joe Anyon has signed for AFC Eskilstuna in Sweden who regained their place in the top flight last season. He did gain Swedish age group caps at every level up to and including U-21 so probably that game at Oldham didn’t illustrate his entire range of skills.
I forgot Matty Brown at Halifax who is the foundation upon which they've built the defensive solidity which is keeping them mid-table.
Forgotten also was Ollie Banks on his 13th different club at just 26 years of age. He is having a decent season at promotion-chasing Tranmere where he's notched up 30 appearances and the odd goal.
Can't really find out what happened to Dylan Parkin. He's signed with Boston United. He went on loan, fairly successfully to Cleethorpes. Boston recalled him towards the end of January but he's not on either the pitch or the bench at the moment ............
Jack Brownell went to Spalding after Matlock let him go and he has been playing for them in the Northern premier East ever since. Saturday they drew 1-1 away at Pickering in a game they really needed to win to escape the relegation zone. Luckily Jacob Hazel stuck a hat trick past Spalding's nearest rivals Carlton Town in a 6-0 thrashing.
Jordan Flores is trying to rebuild his career on loan at Dundalk. He was sub in their latest game a 1-0 defeat against St Patricks. (I was really looking for Dylan Hand who is apparently signed with Dundalk, has the No 29 shirt, but I can't find any appearance stats for him.)
Was it deliberate or Freudian - Ched Evans scored 2 on Saturday for Fleetwood, that makes 15 for the season, and he topped it up this week with £800,000 from his solicitors over their handling of his case!!!
Also forgotten was Charlie Raglan who after first failing to gain a regular place followed by career-threatening injury at Oxford is re-building his reputation at Cheltenham who have been climbing the table ever since his arrival.