What Happened To Saltergate? Historic Former Chesterfield FC Stadium Tour (2024)

[@jonethomas3892]

Sad days Ian rush will feel it.

[@andy1962ish]

Have some fantastic never to be forgotten memories of watching the Spireites on the kop at saltergate. Great video mate.

[@RichardHill-o3b]

As a life-long supporter of CFC, some 66 years, no longer living in the area, it was a real treat to watch the video. Thank you for the nostalgia.

[@peteglover129]

Great video! Thank you. My dad, and two uncles took me at the age of four in 1953 loved it. Been a season ticket holder their right to the end. Even got behind the dugout to boo "Billy Bremner" for the filming of 'The Damned United'. Great memories. Thanks

[@glyn6206]

Good vid. The two buildings, you mentioned, at the side of the old social club, are the samaritans and an accountants,. They were always private and never part of the social club.

[@richarduttley2524]

Enjoyed that. I used to live on Cross Street next to the ground during the 90s. I also noticed a photo outside the old Scarborough ground; where I now live.

[@tourobscure]

We did a video on the history of Scarborough FC a few weeks back, go check it out 👍 thanks for watching my friend

[@58tommo]

Love this mate. Only visited Saltergate once. The last day of the season. We (The Posh) came from 2-0 down to grab a draw and promotion that season. The first I'd had witnessed. That ground will always be in my memory. You have great fans and pleased to see you guys start to rise again. Great video mate.

[@nigelbaldwin1038]

As a Brentford fan I remember trips to Salergate. Irrelevant fact, it’s the only time I caught a ball directly ( probably from a miss placed 🐝💤 shot ). Never to be forgotten moments of our footballing memories…

[@shaunfrawley6860]

Great video. I went to Saltergate a couple of times to watch Chesterfield play my team Preston in the late 90’s. Remember sitting on the supporters coach as a young lad always looking for the tops of the floodlights. I remember getting soaked on the away end kop and the next year we sat in the main stand, in the away section in the corner. If I remember rightly, we sold David Reeves to Chesterfield and he scored against us in a 2-1 win for the spirites. He scored against us at Deepdale as well for Chesterfield. I also remember the Chesterfield fans being on the terraces at the side of the pitch in the corner close to the goal, cheering on their team. At half time, disappearing from the side to go in the stand behind the other goal. Old football grounds go, but memories don’t. I know that there is something there to remember the football ground, but there should be something more to remember a football ground that was Chesterfield home for 139 years ago. Welcome back Spirities to the football league. Shaun (Pne fan)

[@paul5491]

Loved that mate...as a Leicester Supporter,My Dad (75 at the time),son and me came up for a friendly on a Tuesday night....Absolutely pissing down!We made our way to the stand behind the goal that had a roof .....All the other Leicester fans were in the other end getting soaked.Got talking to a few chesterfield fans and had a great time!1 0 City(Danny n'guisen) if memory serves.

[@makingbakingnana9652]

Me & my husband actually bought the house when you first enter into Saltergate. (Our car was on the video!! 😂😂 We were the absolute first to buy on the site. We had a great deal with Barretts…..so we actually moved in 2 years later. I goggled our plot and our next door neighbours actually have the penalty spot. Theres a lot More history in the area. We used to be an agricultural land before the football land and the green grocers are still going today…I’m not from Chesterfield but it’s a wonderful place to live.

[@iansmith1286]

Sheffield United fan here. Was a steward at Saltergate for a few matches a long time ago. Loved watching Kevin Davies tear the opposition apart and remember saying to a colleague, that guy will play at the top level in a few years. How right I was.

[@zincalloy2213]

Enjoyed that very much - my Dad took me to my first game there in 1964 - have supported the club ever since but I have no real affinity with the new ground even though it made perfect sense to move there 👍

[@opagodaswirling9383]

Marvellous ! I only made it to Saltergate once .... and that was about 45 years ago. I will notify friends who I am sure will revel in your video .Many thanks .

[@DavidIanDove]

Excellent piece. Well informed commentary and some great pictures. I attended my first match at Saltergate in the early 1960's and have supported Chesterfield ever since then. The move to a new ground was inevitable and the right thing to do but as far as I'm concerned Saltergate will always be the spiritual home of the Spireites.

[@THIRV]

400th Thumb Like is from me, I’m sure there’ll be thousands soon. Great video, I never got to Saltergate, one potential visit I missed was an FA Cup QF which Spireites won 2-1 against us (Wxm). I’m so glad I wasn’t there! The new ground I have been to, and for the reasons you said, it was the right thing to do. Capacity, running costs, modern facilities etc. Spireites are now back in the FL and are the same size club as we are, we both belong in L1, generally. You’ll be there soon. Cheers.

[@spireitexi]

The QF game you're talking about mate ended 1-0 to us (Chris Beaumont). After the game many of your fans were hanging around outside the ground and we feared there maybe an upcoming rumble......however, they were very gracious and congratulated us on our victory, so credit to them. Glad to see you're doing well, all the best in league 1. Maybe we'll meet again soon 👍

[@THIRV]

@@spireitexi oops, 1-0, I didn’t go, so the nightmare details clearly didn’t sink in! Spireites enjoyed a semi final, what a blast. I enjoyed my two days and a night stay in chesterfield a few years back, maybe it was 2018, can’t remember. Stayed in ‘spoons. Good to see you guys back in the EFL, it was horrible not being in the 92 wasn’t it. You’ve got a really decent honest manager there. There’s no doubt we will be facing each other real soon, maybe eighteen months from now if you go up to L1. All realists at Wxm and even some of those running the club are all saying Consolidate, and we’d be happy with mid table. It’s such a step up, particularly for most of our players. Good to hear our fans didn’t spoil things at Saltergate. Every club has, or had, an element, whether that’s twenty or fifty or a hundred or so. But the vast majority don’t want any of that nonsense. Good luck for next season and beyond, matey.

[@chrisrichardson2590]

Really enjoyed your tour. I watched my first match there, aged 4/5, 60 plus years ago.

[@nigelworne46]

Thanks for the memories, went to my first game in 1967 with my dad, long gone are the days when you could stand anywhere you wanted……..some fantastic memories made there

[@NeilArgyle]

Well done, excellent video. I was born on Fairfield Road, about 100 yards away. I am getting on a bit and might be wrong but I think when I was little the small white building used to be a doctor’s surgery run by Dr. McCiver. ( spelling ? ). Happy to be corrected, I left Chesterfield 50 years ago. Cheers.

[@Nick_1072]

One of the best memories for Stockport County in 1997 when Brett Angell scored aa header in the 5th minute to secure promotion to the Old Championship in a 1-0 win.

[@wellsworld]

great stuff - was there, in the bournemouth end, for the last game. great memories.

[@Honourable66]

Great vid fella. Been a Spireite for 48 years and went to St Mary's school on Cross Street.

[@tourobscure]

Thanks for watching! 👍

[@anthonylloyd8557]

I did the same at gigg lane when they were out of action for three years .just me in the stadium on my own amazing feeling. Saltergate really came to my attention after watching the damed United..great video hope to see some more soon 👍

[@tourobscure]

Did worksops old ground last week 👍 video is on the channel. Thanks for watching my friend

[@anthonylloyd8557]

Just watched it bud . Brilliant watch will be going through Darlington , Scarborough ones you done next love the history and the side by side old and new give you that sense of what once was ..oh and the music ..eerie 👍

[@peterhignett9047]

Really interesting to watch, I watched Chesterfield in 77,78,79 as my sister was renting a flat just of Cross Road at the back of the away end. Was a lovely little ground - I remember players like Ernie Moss, Steve Cammack, Andy Kowalski, John Green and Steve Hardwick. Shame clubs lose a lot of history when they move to a newer ground. I understand why though. Always had a soft spot for Chesterfield since and really glad they have now managed to return to the football league. Many thanks for the video. Has brought many happy memories back.

[@paulsnowden9949]

Sheffield United fan here but saw the 3 0 WIN VS Glasgow Rangers, thought Chessie had a great side back then 1980/81, players like goalie John Green, Danny Wilson, Ernie Moss, Phil Turner, Alan Birch

[@taproomkid]

I have the sandwich shop on the corner of Saltergate “lotties” I saw you filming last week, I wish I’d come over for a chat now as I’ve been watching chesterfield for 40 years. Enjoyed your video👍🏻

[@tourobscure]

I’d have deffo popped in for something to eat if I hadn’t had a big breakfast that day! Thanks for watching 👍

[@taproomkid]

@@tourobscure it sounded like you were just doing your round up at that point and I didn’t realise it was about football. I knew I’d seen your face somewhere lol

[@tourobscure]

I was indeed just finishing up when i past there! Your shop was start and finish point

[@HockeySemp]

Oh my god. So I just searched this shop and where it is - Not sure if you are the same owners as many years ago, but back when the football ground was still the used one, I remember my dad every now and then used to come with me for a some food from the same building. This was a memory unlocked moment as I completely forgot this happened until I saw the building. It would have been somewhere between 2005-2010ish

[@taproomkid]

@@HockeySemp hiya, no it’s changed hands a few times since then. I also used to eat in “Linda’s” as it would of been back then. My mum used to work at the football ground so used to go in to work with her and go to the sandwich shop in the 90s. Never would of believed I would own it many years later, and that the footie ground would be a housing estate 😟

[@markspooner9730]

Great video to watch and full of information and nostalgic photos. Only ever visited after the ground had gone, I was ironically involved in the building of the houses back in 2012-13 period and always appreciated the history of the ground we were working on. Keep up the good work mate 👍

[@tourobscure]

Many thanks! 👍

[@coloquixcfc]

Many good times spent there 💙 Cheekily, I went in when it was derelict and there was a piece of seating from the main stand laying on the pitch with the seat number on it. Turned it into a bench which sits in my gaff to this day. Terribly done, but a piece of Saltergate none the less. Anyway, nice video, man. Really enjoyed it.

[@tourobscure]

Thankyou very much for watching. Appreciated!

[@azabrown]

Got one of these too

[@AJ87868]

I took home many pieces of the main stand seats every week as splinters in my backside!

[@melthebell33]

Great stuff Joe yer mum and Dad will be so proud.

[@stuartearland9744]

Many thank's. brings back many happy memories

[@paulfaulkner6299]

I have lived in Chesterfield for 20 years. I am not a Chesterfield supported but had been into the old ground a few times both with friends in the home end and to support my own club who'd come to visit a few times whilst here. I've also seen that part of Saltergate change too as the housing has gone up. Good for the town as a whole that the club has made it back top the FL. I hope my side comes up this season coming too - Go Daggers!!!

[@craiglittle1437]

Went with Fulham in about 93/94ish. It was a throwback then but it did have a certain flavour now missing from almost all grounds. Great video chap

[@jimmurray1795]

Cracking stuff as an ayr fan love see to the auld grounds look forward to watching more

[@spywriter]

The old white building was opposite side of the stone house from the social club. Just had a look on Streetview that shows various historical dates going back to 2009 when the stadium was still in use

[@michaelcollins4791]

Thanks for the memories of the old place. Much appreciated.

[@burningsoul1365]

great vid, im a blade, but last last time we came to saltergate it was chesterfield v droyslden fa cup , great atmosphere.

[@malcolmwaddilove1822]

Great video,I only know about the new stand and visited for several games,glad there back in the football league 24/25 season

[@charliesmithurst5785]

Live on cross street ,so this is fantastic to see for me, thank you

[@markjosephbudgieridgard]

Wow thank you what a great vidio many many fond memories of watching my team play at the rec as we called it … the recreation ground , on saltergate … loved the photo you took when you snook into the wonderful old stadium go walking around there often reminicing iam 67 now but I fist stood on the kop on the opening day of the 69/70 as a wide eyed 13 year old taking it all in on that baking hot August day … the old 3rd division chesterfield 2-3 Aston Villa …. What a game villa supporters took over the kop end that day and there’s me stood there with my 6ft blue an white scarf on surrounded by thousands of claret n blue clad villa skinheads but they had a laugh with me it always sticks with me a villa fan said to me this ground is like a postage stamp compared to villa park 😂 guess he was right 😂 … had some wonderful times at the old ground … RIP saltergate … cheers mate great vidio 👍

[@dianaday4819]

Nice little cast & reminder of the old stadium. Visited once in the early 80's Millwall had to win to stay in Div3. Wall won 1-0. Must have been 4k travelling fans that day. Doesnt seem to have changed much since my visit & your picture except the grass is longer.

[@duke2664]

The building you thought was the social club was not it was an office. Also the stone building next to which I worked at 40 years ago. So every day I would look out my window at the football ground. I worked there for 3 years , the social was to the left of the stone office . Thanks for the trip down memory lane Well done young man .

[@missyembo]

So informative! The research must take you ages

[@BS15RED]

Cracking video, went to Saltergate three times with Bristol City in the early 2000’s, very run down, but with bags of character. We were trying hard to move to a new stadium back 10+ years ago, fortunately we redeveloped Ashton Gate and didn’t have to see it turn into another soulless housing estate.

[@AJ87868]

The stadium may be gone but the pitch lives on in my Dad's lawn, we took some home on the last ever game and planted it. It took over the lawn. The ground may have been decrepit but the grass was top-notch

[@philwise872]

took a piece of turf home from the old Goldstone after one of those promotion pitch invasions.done the same, laid it in the back garden,but unfortunately I've since moved

[@chrisking1900]

The old white building used to be Dr Morgan's surgery when we lived in John St and Boythorpe Rd in the 50/60s. I remember it well 60 yrs later. Dad worked the turnstiles every week so I got in free.

[@stuartbellamy5741]

Really enjoyed well done great memories

[@davidwakefield4749]

Loved it

[@HockeySemp]

I now feel pretty old. I remember my dad living on compton street, looking out the frontroom I could see 1:10 and on matchdays the programme seller would be right outside. Never went to a game oddly, not sure why, but regularly went into the supporters club and played many games of pool and even snooker in there (best I could as a kid) with the old 20p light control that gave a certain amount of time. I also just remembered how on matchdays, or just days they trained or did work on the pitch we regularly lost TV signal because of the lights too Also no, that was not a part of the social club. The club was to the left of the stone building that is still there. There was a temp type wall between that building and the supporters club that I remember having art, maybe graffiti? on it, but it was 100% to the left of the stone building where the small car park also was. I don't actually recall them buildings being anything to do with the club, they were there, but I think from the fact there was a wall there I dont think they were to do with the club, at least from what I remember.

[@MelanieRuck-dq5uo]

Great video. And, we loved seeing our friend's house over your shoulder on Cross Street on the occasions when you were walking away from the town centre.

[@chris_3636]

Great video and story about you getting your treasured last photo of the ground 👍. I visited Saltergate as an away fan following GTFC.

[@GarethGriffiths-um1un]

Great little film

[@luapnosboh7421]

Great vid 👌 been there a few times wi blades

[@tourobscure]

Was my first ever away day - sat with home fans as couldn’t get a ticket for away stand. Sat in the main stand on wooden benches in 2002

[@luapnosboh7421]

@@tourobscure as ya come up from west bar to ground there was a pub on left , think ya can see it in then and now shot been in there many a time

[@pw7752]

Great memories, was there most weekends in my younger days.

[@janeabbott5379]

Fantastic viewing! So informative xx

[@andrewpeacock7223]

Love it, especially the before and after shots!

[@humbleguy4726]

I played on the Saltergate ground a few times. I played for Chesterfield boys around 1968 and our home matches were played midweek under flood lights. For a youngster as i was then, it was a real highlight to play on a pitch that professional footballers played on. Even being in the dressing rooms was something else and as players we were able to watch home games for free, usually sat near the dugout. Great memories.

[@allanoneill1023]

Well done! lovely to see the old grounds and all that history.

[@marklittlewood2919]

Enjoyed some wonderful times with my son Ben at saltergate ..loved the ground ..cheers for the video 😊

[@james60681]

Excellent informative video. Keep up the good work

[@brianjames9828]

Ghost of the legend, Arthur Bottom

[@moosehunter1969]

There is also the old match programmes made out of metal cemented into the ground by the fence memorial. Surprised you didn’t spot them as you were stood right next to them at one point.

[@cbrown182]

There was meant to be something on the green space to mark the centre spot (I never ventured into the estate to look though). Where the saltergate sign and railings are there are some QR codes laid into the floor that included stories and information about the stadium. You can see the metal strip they are in at 16:29 in the video. With regards to the Samaritans building, that wasn't part of the stadium, it was owned by the council until a few years ago along with the stone building next door. The social club was sold separately to a building company that used it for storage / offices for a few years until it was developed into housing too.

[@revwpitt2347]

As a young lad I used to follow my team all over the country in the 70`s and 80`s . In 1976 our greatest ever player Don Rogers made his return which made many fans happy. . One of our early away trips in the 76/77 season was to Saltergate . Rogers scored late in the game for a 0-1 win. In my excitement I ran on the pitch to celebrate and was unceremoniously ejected from the ground Great memories.

[@CorinthiaBlade1889]

Being a unitedite with an uncle living in Dronfield; I used to go to saltergate when united were playing away. My first match there was Chessy v Wrexham in the third division. Unfortunately Wrexham won 3-1

[@garybooth7121]

So sad that in the name of progress these old grounds have succumbed to the wrecking balls. All the history and emotions gone forever. Remember visiting there as a Huddersfield supporter in the early 80s as a teen with my dad. I think it was Easter, and some of town lads were dressed up in fancy dress. One of the well known faces at the time was dressed up as the pope. Remember the police arresting him for constantly going onto the pitch and kissing the grass. Remember distinctively where I was stood that day, Thankyou for the memory.

[@alansmith795]

Been to saltergate wi Bradford was a pretty good stadium where are they playing now

[@garylovattlovatt193]

Really enjoyed and appreciated watching 😊😊

[@tonyshields2000]

Cheers dude, keep doing what you are doing.

[@markbates2922]

Thank you for this video, I really enjoyed it.

[@amberdy12]

Really enjoyed that tour

[@CorinthiaBlade1889]

Brilliant t-shirt

[@Bigaitch]

Great video - loved the conparison shots and tge story behind you setting the alarms off...

[@EASTEASTEASTLONDON]

Excellent video fella 👏🏻 Liked and subscribed from a West Ham fan ⚽️⚒️🫧

[@historyoffootball87]

I remembering doing a video on Saltergate awhile ago.

[@DavidMulrenan]

Went to Saltergate early 1975 in Charlton's promotion season out of Division Three. Goals from (I think) Shanahan and Moss gave the Spireites a deserved 2-0 win. The crowd was over 5,000 and I remember thinking what a brilliant old-fashioned ground it was then!

[@mikekilby8079]

Excellent video, very much enjoyed it.

[@TheJayLordx]

17:01 Similar story to you, me and my brothers climbed over that wall in the background a couple of times back in 2012 to get into the ground lol. Kicked a ball around on the pitch, explored a bit, took some pictures. I'll have to see if I can dig them out

[@QuakerJones268]

Really enjopyed this, Well done that man!

[@chrissybreege4602]

A bit of random information - I have some of the blue metal fencing from in between the brick pillars (shown at 3:35) which is now incorporated into my garden balustrade. A friend was going past the ground as they were demolishing the wall on St Margarets Drive and asked if they could have it!

[@pietweety7020]

Top video as always, you really have a talent for this style of content. Your photo fades are great as is your presentation. Well done pal👍

[@tourobscure]

Thankyou my friend for the kind words. Thanks for watching!

[@leedavies3629]

Nice one lad well interesting 🙂🇬🇧✌️

[@fredjames9867]

All in.the name of progress

[@the_hopelesshobbit]

Remember Chesterfield v mansfield that was always fun 😂😂😂 Great video . Miss saltergate Spireite till i die

[@nickevans9904]

Thanks for a great video, but alongside the memorial stone there is another little memorial of a few plaques of players on the floor at the entrance to the estate. Maybe you missed them.

[@jimmycburfield5997]

Loverly video

[@alex.crossley]

The wall behind the Samaritans you could jump over and get in for nowt

[@jamielew]

Nice video bro, wouldn't even know about this place if it wasn't for this class video.

[@tourobscure]

Thankyou very much for watching. It is greatly appreciated

[@maxthedoomer]

Keep it up pal

[@tourobscure]

Thankyou my friend!

[@MrJimbaloid]

Hi mate and TX for this because you couldn't know how much of my life happend whiten yards of where you are standing out side of my school and I lived on avondale road. Now Years and years before Ally me and my mates went through that white bungalows garden to play on the pitch and then I thought it would be a good idea to climb the floodlamps and I got a game cancelled due to flood light failure. You need to read "The Forth Protocol" By Robert Ludlem because he put loads of that book in chesterfield>

[@darrelhill9754]

enjoyed it should do more old grounds and wats there now

[@tourobscure]

Yeah there’s some in the works, stay tuned!

[@Dezzasheep]

Reminds me of what remains of the old baseball ground. Characterless housing.

[@whufciironworkes]

I went there 93/94 with West Ham league Cup game irons won 2-0

[@ashleyw6728]

How we stayed there till 2010 is still behond me 😂😂 I still remember getting splinters in my ass as a kid after games 😂

[@ChesterfieldFc1]

The little boy playing football js my sisters mate

[@philwise872]

my 1st away game was at Chesterfield with Brighton in 1976.last game of the season,we had to win and your rivals Mansfield had to lose,for us to go up as champions.anyway brighton -chesterfield finished 1-1,can't remember how Mansfield got on

[@mjsteier]

Had a look at the 1976 / 77 third division season , going into the last game of the season Mansfield were 2 points above Brighton , but the final table has them winning the division by 3 points so Mansfield must have won that last game of the season . Fast forward all these years and it could be the other way round Chesterfield champions of the National League and Mansfield could get runners up to Stockport in division Two of the football league . I attended a game at saltergate back in the early 80's seen my home town team play there , cant remember the result , but recall standing down the side of the pitch not at an end behind a goal .

[@mjsteier]

Was two points for a win in them days .

[@mjsteier]

Mansfield beat Wrexham away 1-0 last game of the season 76/77 to win the league .

[@mjsteier]

Another twist in the post they are both fighting it out for Runners up this year in division two of the EFL .

[@philwise872]

@@mjsteier ah yes! Wrexham,they blew it big time that season and let our rivals palace go up with us ,still it was good in a way,we got to play palace again.

[@sterobwilk]

THE DAMNED UNITED WAS MAINLY ABOUT LEEDS NOT DERBY

[@tourobscure]

I was waiting for this comment 😂 hence why I said afterwards “well part of it was anyway” ☺️

[@spywriter]

It was mainly about Leeds but Saltergate played the part of Baseball Ground

[@dfnffc]

It might be worth getting the City Ground done at some point mate with all the talks about Forest moving ground