How a chance encounter eventually led to Paul Cook leaving Chesterfield for Portsmouth

Cook joined the Spireites from Accrington Stanley in October 2012 and guided them to the League Two title in 2014 and the League One play-offs the following season where they lost to Preston.

That defeat turned out to be Cook’s last match in charge of Town as he soon left to join Portsmouth who he led to the League Two title in 2017.

McInnes has recalled how a chance encounter in March 2014 when Chesterfield and Portsmouth played out a goalless draw at the Proact left him in no doubt that ‘Cookie’ would be his next manager.

“We were having a terrible time under Richie Barker and, on the way to our game at Chesterfield, I bumped into Glen Little outside the ground,” McIness told The News.

“When I mentioned catching up after the game he replied: ‘I’ll tell you where I’ll be, in the manager’s office having a drink.’

“Apparently he was good friends with Paul Cook, they had played together at Burnley.

“Well, it was at that time when I discovered Cookie was definitely the manager for me – because he used to hold court in his room after a game!

“The final score at Chesterfield was goalless.

“When my wife, Jane, mentioned going home, firstly I wanted to meet up with Glen. Besides, Paul Cook as a player was excellent and somebody I quite liked.

“I’m a bit bouncy and flouncy and knocked on the manager’s door and opened it up and there were about eight or nine of them sitting in there.

“I was introduced by Glen as Pompey’s chairman and went in – leaving three hours later.

“I remembered Cookie after that, especially when we were looking for a manager a few years down the line.”

After wining League Two with Portsmouth Cook immediately left to join Wigan Athletic and guided them to the League One title in his first season in charge.

McInnes added: ‘Me and Cookie still keep in touch, but not as often as we should.”