The Spireites will look to continue their perfect start to the National League season when they travel to Oxford City this evening.
The meeting against the Hoops will be the first ever fixture between the two sides.
Here’s everything you need to know…
Match Details
Date: Tuesday, August 15, 2023
Opponents: Oxford City
Kick-off: 7:45pm
Competition: Vanarama National League
Location: RAW Charging Stadium
Tickets
Please note that tickets for this fixture have gone off sale.
Any tickets not collected will be available for collection at the reception at Oxford City’s RAW Charging Stadium on matchday.
Live Radio Commentary
Our in-house radio station, 1866 Sport, will provide exclusive full match commentary on the game, as well as pre and post-match analysis.
Don’t forget that 1866 Sport is on air 24-hours a day, seven days a week!
You can download the app from the Apple Store here: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/1866-sport/id1580041321
If you’re an Android user, you can download the app here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.radio.ma57501030
Alternatively, you can listen online here: https://streaming.radio.co/s47db4a4f3/listen
It is also available via Alexa.
Our dedicated matchday show is sponsored by National Windscreens and will see commentator Phil Tooley joined by a special co-commentator.
Social Media
You can follow the action on our Twitter page (https://twitter.com/ChesterfieldFC), where we will provide regular updates as well as our exclusive goal graphics, which are used when a player scores.
Key news and moments will also be posted onto our Facebook and Instagram pages.
Pre/post-match interviews and highlights will be posted to our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6hnRkCdElagLJlOqlgukPA) throughout the weekend.
The Opposition
Name: Oxford City Football Club
Nickname: The Hoops
Founded: 1882
Stadium: RAW Charging Stadium
Capacity: 3,100
Manager: Ross Jenkins
Honours:
National League South Play-Off Winners | 2022-23
Southern Football League Play-Off Winners | 2011-12
Southern Football League Division One South & West Play-Off Winners | 2007-08
Spartan South Midlands Football League Premier Division Champions | 1992-93 & 2005-06
Isthmian Football League Division One Champions | 1995-96
FA Amateur Cup Winners | 1905-06
On Ross Jenkins
Ross Jenkins unfortunately had his playing career cut short due to persistent injuries. The former midfielder joined Oxford City as he moved into a coaching role. Upon David Oldfield’s departure to Weymouth, the 32-year-old was given the chance as caretaker manager before getting the role on a permanent basis in March 2022. In his first full season in charge, Jenkins guided the Hoops to promotion to the National League.
Before Oxford’s game against Rochdale last Saturday, Jenkins spoke about the games coming up.
He said: “We’ve got some big games coming up with Rochdale and Chesterfield visiting us and we’re really looking forward to and both at home which is a big bonus for us.
“We worked so hard last season, everyone associated with the football club, to get here.”
One to watch
Since signing for Oxford City last summer, Josh Parker has become one of the most important cogs in Ross Jenkins’ system. The 32-year-old bagged a number of goals in their play-off winning campaign and has also started this season with a couple of goals.
Last season in numbers:
Appearances – 37
Goals – 21
Assist – 0
Yellow Cards – 4
Red Cards – 1
Minutes Played – 3,141
Played for both
One player who played for both the Spireites and the Hoops really endeared himself to both fanbases with his scoring ability – and that is Kabongo Tshimanga. His time with City was relatively short as he only spent a year down in Oxfordshire. In his 54 competitive games, the striker scored an astonishing 37 goals before making the move to Boreham Wood.
After two years with the Wood, Tshimanga swapped Hertfordshire for Derbyshire as he signed for Chesterfield. He immediately became a fans’ favourite as he raced away to the top of the National League goalscoring charts. An horrific injury at Weymouth stopped his 2021/22 season at 25 goals in 31 appearances. Game time was a little more sporadic for the forward the season after as he bagged eight times in 22 games. Tshimanga would then move to League One side Peterborough United.
View from the dugout
Will Grigg said: “For us, we are everybody’s biggest game of the season at the moment. So, we are going to expect a really tough challenge again.
“It will probably be a different challenge to Dorking and Fylde. It’s another test. We have to watch their strengths and weaknesses, which we have done.”
