Chesterfield could re-introduce a reserve team

Chesterfield might reintroduce reserve team football, but it won't be next season according to first team boss Jack Lester.
Chesterfield Reserves vs Gateshead Reserves - Laurence Maguire goes for a header - Pic By James WilliamsonChesterfield Reserves vs Gateshead Reserves - Laurence Maguire goes for a header - Pic By James Williamson
Chesterfield Reserves vs Gateshead Reserves - Laurence Maguire goes for a header - Pic By James Williamson

This season saw the club abandon the reserve side, instead favouring games against non-league opposition or behind-closed-doors friendlies.

Lester sees the pros and cons of having a team in a reserve league.

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“I understand when you’re a big Championship club and have 30, 35 pros, it’s probably a nice way to do it, although the Under 23 league only allows three overage players,” he said.

“We can’t at the minute because we wouldn’t have the bodies to support a reserve league side.”

The boss seems to favour the flexibility the current arrangement gives him but it’s a situation that could change somewhere down the line.

“There’s loads of teams who want games and we get offered games all the time,” he said.

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“When we have a fully fit squad we just arrange games on a Tuesday and it’s exactly the same as a reserve league fixture.”

“It just gives us a little bit more control and we’re not forced into playing games we don’t really want.

“One or two games have been forced on us a bit recently and they haven’t been at great times, we’re having to shoehorn teams together to fulfill fixtures.

“I think for us it gives us flexibility.

“If we have a trialist in and want to take a look we can arrange a game, because some of the fixtures they have to be signed before you can play players, that limits what you can do and who you can see.

“It might be something we look to change in the future but it won’t be next year, I don’t see the pros outweighing the cons.”