The club’s annual accounts have been sent out to shareholders. The following Chairman’s Statement is provided with the documentation…
This financial report represents Chesterfield FC’s first full season back in the EFL after a six-year absence and the first full year since the Kirk family took control of the club. Whilst reaching the play-offs and achieving the highest average attendance in many years was a great effort and built on the solid foundations laid in the promotion season, the past year has been overshadowed by the death of my brother Phil.
I would like to take this opportunity to remind all investors that without the ambition, direction and financial support provided by Phil and his wife Sharon, the club would not be celebrating its second season in the Football League and indeed, it probably would not even be in existence. Phil loved the club and was so proud to become the Owner, it is a great shame that he never had the opportunity to see the future years of league football that his investment and passion will bring to our club.
The support Phil, Sharon and the whole family has received from the club, the local community and the wider football world has been truly humbling and I would like, on behalf of all of us, to thank everyone for your love and best wishes during what has been a truly terrible period.
This is my first year as chairman of Chesterfield FC and both I and the club would like to place on record my thanks to Mike Goodwin who stepped down as Chairman after five years but continues to serve on the board as Vice Chairman. The role Mike has played in stabilising the club during one of its most turbulent periods has been immense, I can only hope to come close to matching his calm stewardship of the club, he will be a very difficult act to follow.
These accounts once again show a considerable operating loss yet a big improvement from last year. Undoubtedly the increased revenues from being members of the EFL have played a large part in the reduction but running an ambitious club in the current football economy is an expensive business. The Owners were comfortable with the level of investment required and continue to support Paul Cook and the football department as we develop and improve the squad. The club losses are underwritten by the continued capital injections by the Kirk family and we are more than comfortable with the debt reduction repayments on our outstanding external loans from the two Councils and Sport England.
Further capital investment has resulted in an overhaul of the hospitality areas as we continue to modernise the stadium and its facilities. The three lounges are now state of the art and it is a strange but confident boast that we have the finest toilets in hospitality across the EFL. Our challenge will now come in promoting the venues for private hire and club run events whilst navigating the tricky economic conditions affecting the country as a whole.
The next few months will see the club and football come under government regulation for the first time with the establishment and introduction of the Independent Football Regulator (IFR). Over the next three years, the IFR will fundamentally reshape how English football is governed, with club licensing at the centre of its approach. Established by the Football Governance Act 2025, the IFR’s core mission is to strengthen financial sustainability, corporate governance and fan engagement across the top five tiers of men’s football, replacing the previous system of self-regulation.
From the 2026–27 season, the 116 clubs in the Premier League, EFL and National League will begin applying for provisional operating licences. This means that we will be submitting strategic business plans, financial forecasts and evidence of governance and supporter engagement. Clubs will have up to three years to transition to full licences, during which the IFR will supervise progress and may impose bespoke conditions on at-risk clubs to control costs, strengthen liquidity and boost long-term resilience.
Alongside licensing, the Regulator will enforce enhanced Owners’ and Directors’ tests, monitor debt-funded takeovers more closely, and increase transparency about clubs’ financial risk profiles. This regime aims to protect clubs’ heritage, safeguard fans’ interests, and prevent insolvencies that have historically destabilised the English game. The board welcomes this approach and hopes that it will lead to greater prudence amongst the clubs that we compete within the league. Chesterfield FC has already reached out to the Regulator offering to be a pilot club with a view to getting our governance, financial controls and processes in line with the regulators requirements at the earliest opportunity. One thing that we should all note is that this in no way guarantees more money from the Premier League to clubs at our level.
The Board has already produced a high level strategy document looking forward to the end of 2028 and a brief outline of our aims are as follows:
Promotion to and consolidation in EFL League One
Significantly reduced reliance on owner funding
Modern facilities supporting elite performance and player development
Strong governance, commercial growth and supporter engagement
By the end of the 2027/28 season, we would like Chesterfield FC to be a financially sustainable EFL League One club. However, we accept we might be a financially sustainable EFL League Two club. We aim to be operating from modern facilities, supported by strong governance, diversified revenues, an engaged supporter base and a football model capable of delivering consistent performance and long-term value.
Finally, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to our investors and supporters for the unwavering commitment you have shown over the past 12 months. Your belief in the club during a period of steady, measured improvement has been invaluable, and we recognise that building long-term success takes both time and patience. We remain determined to reduce our reliance on owner funding as we strengthen our commercial and operational foundations, ensuring a more sustainable future for Chesterfield FC. I also wish to place on record our heartfelt gratitude to Sharon Kirk for her continued support and resilience during what has been an exceptionally difficult year. Together, as a club, a community and a family of supporters, we are working tirelessly to bring Phil’s dream to life and to honour and build upon the legacy he so passionately created.
Ashley Kirk
