In the latest We Are Sailing podcast Ashley Kirk and John Croot sat down with Nick Johnson to discuss a host of topics both on and off the pitch.
In the first season back in the EFL, the Spireites had a very positive season reaching the League Two play-offs.
Ashley reflected on a busy campaign, saying: “I think it’s been a season of ups, there was a few downs and challenges that were thrown our way with injuries and one thing or another.
“I thought that we’ve acquitted ourselves really well, we got in the playoffs which was the target initially as we kicked off the campaign. Obviously, that didn’t go quite to plan but we lick our wounds and go again for next season.
“I think being in the league is just such a difference. It’s a different approach to football; the football’s better, the teams coming are better, the challenges are tougher, and I think the guys responded fantastically well and the most pleasing thing for me was the level of support that we got.”
Following defeat in the play-off semi-finals, focus immediate turned towards the 2025/26 season.
On the pitch, the retained list has been announced, and plans are underway in terms of recruiting for the first-team.
Work has also begun on resurfacing the pitch at both the SMH Group Stadium and the Erwin Training Ground.
Ashley explained why resurfacing is essential to the pitches after speaking to groundsman Josh Rimmington.
“The first thing is when you cut the grass it’s and you can’t obviously pick up all the grass it eventually mulches down and turns into soil and mud,” Ashley stated.
“What a football pitch needs is drainage and grass growing. What it doesn’t want is something that will stop the water draining away.
“So, if you don’t rip it up and you just keep cutting and mowing it, the soil and the base prevents the drainage, so it reduces the ability for the pitch to drain, causes problems.
“It takes seven or so weeks to get a pitch up and running so for it to be fit for when they come back for pre-season, we had to start almost before the season had finished.”
Changes have been made to the matchday hospitality experience for the upcoming campaign.
John clarified why the switches are happening, saying: “We did listen to feedback when we put it out there and in fact that’s why we’ve still got the offering.
“The feedback that we got from people was that some said the quality of the food’s great, we’ve really enjoyed it there.
“Interestingly, I spoke to other clubs and particularly towards the end of the season and they have done exactly the same.
“For the same reasons as us with the costs now and it’s about that accessibility. It was about trying to make it accessible for people that had been with us for so long, and hopefully we’ve achieved that.”
There are plenty of other topics discussed on the latest We Are Sailing podcast. To listen to the full podcast, click the following link: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/chesterfield-fc/episodes/We-Are-Sailing-May-2025-e33jspj
