[Devongone]

Ever since my worst experience following Chesterfield away at Grimsby when I was 17 .... and we lost 2-0, never had a shot, then got chased by trawlermen wielding gaff hooks I've thought winning at Cleethorpes was impossible. All my mates were slower runners than me, so I couldn't even run as fast as I wanted ........... And it snowed and was fffffinn freezin'. Dire.

Much as I've disagreed with a number of things James Rowe has done, especially his high-player-turnover last season, I've got to say he and the players are doing wonders to be top at this stage. We've had 11 or 12 out injured, yet we keep picking up the points. Then we get Asante and Jack Clarke back within two weeks, so now I start worrying will supposed improvements improve the team? I imagine Asante and Tshimanga up front with Danny Rowe coming from a bit deeper, hitting the occasional rocket and think we'd be unstoppable, either at this level, or back in EFL2, but what if, like Wrexham, the team didn't quite gel?

I watched Wrexham again and I'm convinced their players are as good as anyone's but their style of play doesn't bring the best out of them. Mullin is really good, but he should have scored at least as many as Tshimanga. Tozer's throw should be a real weapon, but it so over-used that keepers like Ross Fitzsimmons just come out and catch them in six yard box. In midfield they've got a real dead-ball specialist, but is everybody running scared of him? If they get their shit together I'm sure Wrexham are more than a script written in Hollywood awaiting more professional actors and further investment. They're good now!

Saturday it's Guiseley in a trophy even I don't think we should really be going for, but then my experience both playing and watching the game tells me just keep winning, make it a habit and Saturday will be tough. They only went down 1-0 at Brackley who are top! Bencherif always could play, despite a lack of pace, and Prince Ekpolo will be trying to show, but last week their keeper was making his debut. so if he is facing us he might be nervous. But there it is. When we are the bottom I worry in case we never improve. When we are up top I worry whether it can continue.

And what if someone pinches our manager, or we sell Tshimanga? The last time anyone scored this many goals we sold him for £500,000. Christmas terrors!

[spireitematt]

Thought about writing a book Dev about your experiences and stories of following Chesterfield?

[Devongone]

Thought about writing a book Dev about your experiences and stories of following Chesterfield?

No Matt, I always followed the results, but I didn't actually follow the team away that much. Some seasons growing up I'd have seen all the home games, but every other Saturday I'd have been watching my dad's team in the Hope Valley.

Then I started playing in men's football at 15. By the time I was in the sixth form at school I was in the team every week so I only got to see night matches and the odd Saturday.

But there must be someone my age who saw everything I saw and much much more, who would have a wonderful funny book inside them. To this day I have no idea why those trawlermen came for us. Chesterfield were miserable. 2-0 could have been 8-0 and no-one would have moaned. It was even worse than when we spent all day hitching to Scunthorpe only to see the team not try an inch. The Old Show Ground?

If the devil has somewhere worse than Cleethorpes lined up I'd be a good boy from now till I pop my clogs in the hope of avoidance ..........

I'd love to be able to research and write a book about the old Hope Valley League and take it through to the present day. It was a wonderful league back when I was young. I remember my debut on the wing against Hathersage Reserves. I'd never ever played on the wing before, but I was 15 so I was on the right wing. But when I finally got my chance to play in goal I have to say there aren't many feelings in life better than coming out to catch a cross at full stretch. I loved that feeling of just catching the ball and the more difficult the situation the better it felt. If goalkeepers aren't in love with what they are doing, if they fear crosses, feel frozen to their goal line they should give it up. Keeping goal is absolute poetry. maybe that's the book I should write.

[Dancingwilldoit]

I think Rowe and Tshimanga will still be here at the end of the season. Rowe hasn't actually achieved anything yet and watching Tshimanga completely miss that header against Salford would put a few clubs off. They are both on 3 year contracts and seem quite happy with us. Rowe has actually moved to town which shows a bit of longer term intent. Next season in League 2 if we are near the top then maybe I'd be a bit worried about losing them, In the meantime, carry on boys.

[Devongone]

If they are intent on staying, great. Tshimanga is far from perfect, but he's way clear of both Mullin and Madden in the scoring charts and how much did they cost? His great virtues are - he tries and he has got better every season since I first recommended him - back when he was playing for Oxford City. He isn't the biggest, he sometimes make the wrong decision, I do hope everyone is put off, because he top scores for his club every season.

Since I moved to Cheltenham thirty years ago I've taken note of their local rivals Gloucester too. It has been downhill almost all the way. The only time it wasn't was when they came up with James Rowe managing them. He got them to top National League North. In my eyes that's achieving. Equally Chesterfield have been in a downward spiral that even experienced managers have not been able to arrest. Now, of course, the change of ownership was necessary to facilitate the change of fortunes, but James Rowe has taken us from what, third bottom to winter champions. There is no trophy for that, so in the eyes of the harshest judges that doesn't count as an achievement (and perhaps Mr Rowe might agree with them) but in the circumstances, in what everyone agrees is the toughest National League ever, to climb to the top despite a phenomenal injury list registers on my radar.

The stupidity of football clubs will hopefully prevent any decent club bidding for Mr Rowe until he has put a trophy in our cabinet. Seems it won't be the FA Trophy. But come on, do you really think Ryan Lowe, now a Championship manager is better than James Rowe? Certainly Lowe has achieved something tangible, but then so did a manager who got Wigan back into the Championship before giving us a firm shove out of the EFL.

If we did reach EFL2 with the same manager I'm pretty sure that unless some big clubs fall from grace in EFL1 this season we'd be up top again and every club with a bit of cash and a need for promotion would be casting flirtatious glances in James Rowe's direction.