Recent signing Glynn Hurst has been a target of former Chesterfield Management duo Nicky Law and Ian Banks for over a year.
 
Banger knew him from his Emley days, most notably from the Yorkshire sides 1997-98 FA Cup run. Ian and Glynn were both members of the team (as was ex Spireite keeper Chris Marples) that drew 1-1 at Morecambe (Banks, penalty) in Round 1, beat them 3-1 on penalties after a 3-3 (Hurst two goals) in the replay, Glynn scored in the round two 2-2 draw at Lincoln City, they won that replay on penalties as well, again after a 3-3 before losing 2-1 in front of 18,629 fans at West Ham in the third round.

Glynn Hurst at Emley v West HamThat season, Emley finished 6th in the Unibond Premier League, who was Emley's top scorer that season ? Unbelievably, Ian Banks with 20 goals!

Glynn, though born in Barnsley on 17th January 1976, moved as a young boy with his family to South Africa (where he won 5 Under 23 caps) before returning to England where he started his career as a trainee with Spurs at a time when other young players included ex Spireite Junior MacDougald and Southend skipper Kevin Maher.
 
Senior pro's at White Hart Lane were Gary Lineker, Nicky Barmby, Gary Mabbutt and just a little older than Glynn, Sol Campbell.

The speedy striker didn't make the Spurs first eleven and in the summer of 1994 moved to his home town Club, Barnsley, then managed by Player-Boss and ex Saltergate hero Danny Wilson, where he made his League debut as a sub on April 22nd the following year in a 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough.

Seven sub games plus a full appearance in the League Cup followed before a loan spell at Swansea City and a debut goal in a 2-4 home loss against Burnley. One more Barnsley sub appearance before, in late 1996, he went on loan firstly to Scarborough and then, for two months, to Mansfield Town.

Left the League to join Emley in the summer of 97, his new team had to battle past Colwyn Bay, Marine (after a replay)  and Gateshead, also in a second match, before the first round proper of the FA Cup, 10 games in all in that competition for the Yorkshire side.

Moved North of the Border for £30,000 to Ayr United in 1998, he suffered through injury initially, the striker made his Honest Men debut in the Coca-Cola Cup tie at Queens Park (won 3-1) for the Division One side, he played the first League game 3 days later, a loss at Falkirk, before scoring his first goal in another Cup tie, a 3-1 win at St Mirren a week after his debut. Grabbed another goal in the Coca-Cola in the win at Motherwell before United bowed out before a packed 11,198 crowd at Somerset Park, Rangers the 2-0 victors, Amato and Miller the scorers.

In the Division One, United finished a creditable third with Glynn bagging 18 in his 34 games in the League including a hat-trick in a 5-0 win over Hamilton Accies.
Glynn at Ayr Utd
In the 99-2000 Scottish Cup, Ayr made the semi finals, again they played Rangers, 38,357 saw Glynn and his colleagues out fought, the old firm blue section won 7-0 (Rozental 2, Kanchelskis, Wallace, Dodds 3).
Meanwhile in the League, 7th (out of 10) but 14 goals in just 25 games, several as strike partner of Nigel Jemson.

Last season, goals flowed from Hurst for Ayr, one v Airdrie, then a hat-trick against Falkirk, two against both Inverness and Raith then two more against Alloa. Raith and Inverness again saw the 5'10" front man bag goals, then, on January 2nd this year (the day after hogmanay mind you!), he managed five in a game, a 6-9 away win at Morton.

They were his last goals for Ayr, two matches later he broke the hearts of the Scottish fans when he moved to Stockport County for £200,000 on St. Valentine's Day, though he often had opinion differences with Ayr boss Gordon Dalziel (who scored for Rangers v Chesterfield at Ibrox Park), Dalziel too was sad to see him leave. Andy Kilner's side were threatened with relegation when Glynn arrived, he made an inauspicious debut (lost 4-0 at Norwich), was dropped to the bench, missed three more games before returning for the final 9 games of the season, teaming up with  another new boy, Albanian forward Shefki Kuqi (who moved to the Owls late last week) and Aaron Wilbraham in a three pronged attack which won 5 and drew 2 of those final games to hold on to Division One status.

This season, Hurst had been a regular in County's front line, he got two goals v Bradford City and one each against Man City (at Maine Road) and at home to Norwich, confirming his big match temperament to match his lightening pace and unselfish off the ball running.

Glynn joined the Spireites on a free transfer in december and made his Spireite debut at home in the 3-2 defeat by QPR. Glynn scored his  first Spireite goals against Oldham his second goal a superb solo effort which will live long in the memories and was voted the Official Club Websites Goal Of the Season 
Glynn was also named the Official supporters Club player of the Month for March 2002

Glynn's League career
   League Apps Goals
Barnsley  8   0
Swansea (loan) 2   1
Scarborough (loan)0   0
Mansfield (loan) 6   0
Emley   N/A   N/A
Ayr United  78   49
Stockport County 26   4
Total   120   54

by Phil Tooley
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