Senior club officials have paid tribute to Spireites legend Ernie Moss, who has passed away at the age of 71.
Chief executive John Croot said: “One of the highlights for me when I was a young lad following Chesterfield was watching Ernie play. You knew when you saw his name on the team sheet that there was a good chance he would score.
“Ernie would give his all for Chesterfield and that made him a very popular figure with supporters. His dedication and professionalism shone through and he will always feature when people from that era talk about their favourite players.”
Chairman Mike Goodwin said: “I remember standing on the Kop, chanting ‘Ernie, Ernie, Ernie!’. Ernie was an old-fashioned centre-forward who led the line well. He was a great goalscorer.
“Later, after Ernie had ended his playing career, I used to visit the Moss & Miller Sports Shop and chat to Ernie. It’s a sad loss to lose someone of Ernie’s standing.”
Commercial manager Jim Brown, who played in the same team as Ernie, said: “I was really sad to hear the news about Ernie – a local lad who became a legend for his home town club.
“He was a player who always gave 100% effort at all times and he was a joy to play alongside, someone you could always rely on as a friend and team-mate.
“The number of goals he scored and the appearances he made speak volumes for the man he was. When you heard the fans shout: ‘Ernie, Ernie, Ernie!’ the opposition team knew they were in for a difficult day.
“He will be greatly missed by his friends and footballing colleagues and our thoughts are with Ernie’s wife Jenny and his family at such a sad time.”
