A group of Chesterfield supporters have safeguarded a little piece of Spireites heritage by obtaining a very rare item of football memorabilia for the benefit of the club.

The Chesterfield Football Supporters Society (CFSS), the supporters trust, has purchased the oldest known home programme in existence, which is for the Second Division league match between Chesterfield and Manchester City, played at the Recreation Ground, Saltergate, on Saturday 27 September 1902. 

The four page matchday programme, which cost just one penny 105 years ago, was eventually bought with a successful bid of £2,500 in a fiercely contested football memorabilia auction held in Northampton by Sportingold Ltd, auctioneers of quality sporting memorabilia. 

It has been made available for immediate display at the Chesterfield Museum and Art Gallery and can be seen from this week until the end of June 2008. 

In the picture above (from left to right) CFSS chairman John Croot, CFSS vice chairman and heritage organiser Pete Whiteley, and CFSS treasurer Andrew Fantom inspect their new prize before handing it over to the museum for safe keeping.

CFSS chairman John Croot said: "Chesterfield FC is the fourth oldest league club in the country so obtaining this rare programme provides further tangible evidence of the club's long history and was an opportunity too good to miss."

"We may not have reached the pinnacles of success achieved by other clubs over the years but there is no doubting the club's provenance, which is something our supporters can feel justly proud of as we plan for an exciting future in a new stadium."

The programme reveals that the Chesterfield team included the legendary Herbert Munday, who went on to make 370 appearances and scored 134 goals for the Spireites.

And the result of the match -  third placed Chesterfield were beaten one nil by ninth placed Manchester City who then went on to win the league for season 1902-03 as champions.

It is intended to make some replica copies of the programme available in the near future, including copies for any local schools who may wish to use the item as the focus of a local history project.  For more information schools should contact CFSS chairman John Croot on 07896 314 692.

CFSS Treasurer Andrew Fantom attended the auction but did so incognito as the new owner of Brierley Forest Golf Club, Huthwaite, to ensure rival bidders weren't encouraged to inflate the bidding unneccesarily due to the football club connection. 

Andrew Fantom said: "This was what one dealer called great grandfather territory because, with no possibility of anyone whe attended the match still being alive, it puts the value of memorabilia up to another level."

Before this latest discovery the previous oldest known Spireites home programme in existence dated back to 1921.

Museum Note: Chesterfield Museum and Art Gallery, St Mary's Gate, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S41 7TD, is open 10.00am to 4.00pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday (closed Wednesday and Sunday).  Admission is free.  Telephone 01246 345727 or e-mail museum@chesterfield.gov.uk