Americans Mark Klysner and Zane Kohrs both took an interest in the Spireites from their home country and the pair recently travelled from the States to come to Chesterfield, soak up the English football atmosphere and see the club in real life.
They were given a tour of the Technique Stadium by Pete Whiteley and 1866 Sport commentator Phil Tooley, something they thoroughly enjoyed.
Mark told us the story of how he came across the club and what drew him to becoming a Spireite.
He said: “I’m very familiar with English football. I was simply looking at the oldest clubs in the world and I was interested in the oldest clubs in England.
“Chesterfield came up and after doing a lot of research about this club and other clubs, it seemed like the perfect fit for me.
“It stood out. I wanted to be a supporter and I’m happy to be here finally and seeing the club in real life. It’s fantastic to see the facilities and the stadium.”
Mark is a tennis coach, who has roots in Denmark, and he also touched on the community element of the club, saying: “I got the feeling before coming here that it was a real community club.
“Just from speaking to people before our arrival it was obvious that the club was really based around the community.
“Now being here and seeing it, the club is brilliant. Everyone associated with it has wished us a good trip, told us how much the club means to them and offered us so much help.
“It stands out so much, it’s more than I thought it was going to be.”
He also spoke about how much of a sports fan he is and revealed that Chesterfield FC is now a big part of his life.
“I’m a huge sports fan, I’m a tennis coach, so sport is literally my life,” he said.
“I watch sport all the time, I was brought up as a football fan and it’s been part of my life for ages.
“I simply wanted a team to cheer for and feel part of and I’ve got that here. For me, football is the greatest game in the world.”
The history of football in England was also an interest of Mark’s.
“I’ve followed football all my life and I’ve followed European football for a while now so it’s clear the history of the game is huge.
“I’ve grown up all my life hearing names of some of the biggest players names from my dad and I’ve heard many stories about people such as Gordon Banks and Bobby Charlton.
“Now to be on a tour and hear about all these different things in England is great.
“I’ve heard the name Gordon Banks all my life but I didn’t even know he played here, so it just makes it that much cooler that he started out here.
“I appreciate the history of sport and I think that’s probably my favourite part of it all.”
Zane said: “We talked about coming to Chesterfield in the office back in the United States and it quickly became a reality. It was a really easy decision for me to make.
“This is my first time in England and it’s a really good experience for me. It’s cool for me to see the football over here and see what it’s all about.”
Zane also touched on the difference between American soccer and English football, stating that the atmosphere and environment over here is totally different.
He said: “Everyone in England just supports from the ground up. It’s got a real hometown feel and it’s different.
“It’s certainly been and experience for me and it’s so different to what I’ve been used to.”
