Lifelong Chesterfield FC fan enjoys special day amid National League title celebrations

Lifelong Chesterfield FC fan Peter Makin was delighted to see the club clinch promotion back to the Football League. (Photo: Contributed)

Peter Makin, 87, was at the SMH Group Stadium on Saturday, March 23, at the invitation of the Chesterfield FC Community Trust and, as luck would have it, the three-nil win over Boreham Wood proved to be the result which ended the club’s six-year spell down in the National League.

The VIP visit was arranged in partnership with Ashleigh Residential Home, on Gladstone Road, where Peter has lived for the past three months, receiving care for dementia.

He was accompanied for the day by the home’s activities coordinator Dianne Wildin, who Peter has quickly struck a close bond with over many conversations about his beloved Spireites.

Peter with Dianne Wildin, activities coordinator at Ashleigh Residential Home. (Photo: Contributed)

Dianne said: “Peter’s been a fan since he was a boy, and has always been involved in football. He’s been friends with [chief executive] John Croot a long time too.

“He’s got a signed ball in his room, as well as lots of other memorabilia, and he has so many memories of the club throughout his life. Even though he has dementia it still resonates with him.

She added: “This was the first match he’s been able to go to for a long, long time, and to be there on the day they won the league was very emotional for him. He was overcome with it.

“This means more to him than we probably realise. He can’t believe it’s happened, but we’ve already started making a new display board for his bedroom with photos, his ticket and more memorabilia so he’ll always have that to remember it by.”

Peter has seen many ups and downs over decades of following the Spireites. (Photo: Contributed)

Peter and Dianne were given the VIP treatment throughout the day, with a stadium tour, gifts and a spot in the executive box used by local businessman Marcus Leverton and his family.

Dianne said: “We’ve been working with the community trust for a while, going to their knit and natter group, and they’ve been into the home to do exercise sessions, so when we wanted to arrange for Peter to go to a game they couldn’t have done any more to make us feel important.

“Words can’t express their kindness and generosity from the minute we arrived in the car park to the minute we left. The feeling Peter’s got for the team was reflected in the sincerity of everyone we met. It’s the people who make the club, and they’ve said he’s welcome back any time he wants to go.”

She added: “Thank you to everyone who made it possible – Darren Parkinson and the rest of the trust team, Marcus and his family, John Croot, and to my colleagues at Ashleigh who facilitated it, especially our directors Claire Featherstone and Kelly Beeson.

“There were so many poignant moments in the day, but it was the whole experience – the atmosphere, the passion. It was my first ever game and I have to say I’m hooked now.”

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