FA Cup Countdown Part II

Saturday’s Second Round FA Cup tie will be the fourth occasion Chesterfield and Southend United will have met in the FA Cup. The first was a third round tie on 7 January 1939 but due to fog the game was abandoned after 73 minutes with the scores level at 1-1. The match was rearranged for four days later when a Billy Bushby goal earned Blues a replay. The replay turned out to be a superb match with the Shrimpers winning 4-3 after extra time. The score at ninety minutes was 2-2 but goals from Sid Bell and Len Bolan gave Blues a 4th round tie away to Blackburn Rovers. The last time the clubs met in the FA Cup was the 1953/54 season. A second round tie where Blues had this time come out of the hat first but the Spireites gained revenge for their 38/39 defeat winning 2-1.

Chesterfield, who have former Blues men Martyn Booty and Roger Willis in their squad are currently 19th in Division Two having won four, drawn one and lost five of their home matches. Last Tuesday Chesterfield crashed out of the LDV Vans Trophy when they lost 3-0 at home to Blackpool.

Martyn Booty - played for Blues between February 1999 and August 2001

Other players who have played for both clubs include Billy Shaw. A powerful centre-forward who only played twice for Chesterfield before drifting into non-league football. Joined Blues in 1925 where he scored 18 goals in 34 games. Cyril Oxley left Chesterfield for Liverpool for a then record Chesterfield transfer of £2,000 in 1925. Three years later he joined Southend but only lasted a few months before drifting into non-league football. Accomplished forwards to serve both clubs include George Duncan, Stuart Parker and Steve Phillips. Then there’s Jason Lee who left Roots Hall for a £200,000 fee to join Nottingham Forest but didn’t get the best of opportunities when he went to Saltergate. Goalkeeper John Roberts played 46 games on loan at Chesterfield in 1966/67 and also played in the Blues team that thrashed Brentwood 10-1 in the FA Cup in 1968/69. Steve Yates who made 224 appearances in a Blues shirt also played for Chesterfield and then of course there’s Martyn Booty who made 80 appearances for Blues before joining Chesterfield at the start of this season.