Wayne Allison

By Phil Tooley

On the opening day of the season, at home to Brentford, we had a player making his 750^th first team appearance, yet it was his first for The Spireites. Experience like that is always great to have and Wayne Allison, when he slid in to put The Spireites ahead, demonstrated that, though shortly afterwards a thigh strain meant he had to leave the field of play, returning to combat at Bradford City when he came on when we were 2-0 down but he and fellow sub Caleb Folan led the rejuvenation as we fought back to take three points.

"It was just one of those games", says Wayne, aka The Chief, "We found ourselves in a precarious position and the Manager changed it, two forwards on, he's got the luxury of having two forwards on the bench, things worked out and we got the three goals that we needed." Wayne was instrumental in the equalising goal, rising high to head on Jamal Campbell-Ryce's cross for Ian Evatt to tee up Caleb.

But, with a year of his contract at Bramall Lane left, why did The Chief move down the A61 to Chesterfield? "It was an interesting prospect with a chance to play for another couple of years although I did have another year left at Sheffield United. We have a young side here, the Manager and Lee Richardson sold it to me and here I am!" But is he a father figure to the three younger lads who vie with him for a starting position? "Only in age!" is his reply. "We all learn off each other, you never stop learning and I'm learning off the guys and hopefully they're learning from me. It's good for all four of us."

With plenty of experience in his locker, Wayne knows exactly what it takes to get on in this Division. In 1996, whilst at Swindon Town, he won a Division Two Championship medal, scoring 20 goals that season. With County Ground colleagues such as Kevin Horlock, Ian Culverhouse, Paul Bodin, Mark Seagraves, Shaun Taylor and Mark Robinson, does Wayne see any similar prospects for progression in the current Saltergate squad? "Hopefully if the squad sticks together over the next few years, when we won the Championship at Swindon, we had quite an experienced squad, we played well together, we played a long time together, so if the boys can gel and maintain the performance levels that they have done already then hopefully we can mount a challenge, maybe not this season, but in future seasons."

Taking a break

Arguably The Chief's most successful ever season came two years ago when Neil Warnock's Blades got to the Play Off Final as well as both domestic Cup Semi's. But did the players reflect upon that season as a great one or a bitterly disappointing campaign? "A mixture of both really, I think we just ran out of steam. It was definitely a successful season, with the two Cup Semi Finals, we were underdogs in both of them and I thought we gave a good account of ourselves, but the Play Off Final was the one we really wanted. That was very disappointing because we didn't play on the day and we were comprehensively beaten. It was over very quickly and that was the disappointing thing about it. We had some chances to get back into it but we never really fired. The players look back on it as a successful season, it just has to be, doesn't it."

A Freddie Ljungberg goal won it for Arsenal in the FA Cup Semi at Old Trafford, they went on to beat Chelsea in the Final and we already a great side then, even before their exploits last season, but are they the best Wayne's ever faced? "They were fantastic. Pace, quality, strength, you name it, they had it all in abundance in every department. It was difficult for us but we put in a good shift, Seaman's great save from Peschisolido right at the death, who knows what might have been. But it always seemed like they had an extra gear, they've beaten the best sides at a canter, so we thought if we put in a good show and have a go, then we'd have no regrets. They are by far the best side I've ever played against, and they had Thierry Henry and Denis Bergkamp on the bench and they brought them on, so you can gauge them from that!"

Chief became a household known player that season, with arguably the best known nickname of all, but when did he become The Chief? "A long time ago, back in my Watford days, it was a flippant nickname and it's stuck. I can remember vaguely who gave me the name but I'm not going to tell you!"

With his 36^th birthday due in October, is Wayne making plans for life after playing? "All being well, it's a great life, I enjoy playing and being involved in the game, so hopefully I can stay involved if someone gives me a job!"

Well. He's got plenty of ex employers who he could turn to. It all started at Halifax Town where he stayed until 1989. Also in the Halifax line up at that time was one Lee Richardson, so the current link up with Chesterfield began at The Shay all those years ago.

A fee of £250,000 took him to Watford, where The Chief soubriquet was born, £300,000 was paid by Bristol City after a year at The Vicarage, and five years later Swindon paid £475,000 for his services. In November 1997 he went "home" to the Town of his birth, Huddersfield and then, after two years, Tranmere Rovers invested £300,000. In 2002 he signed up as a Blade and became a major part in their success.

But with all of those Clubs to look back on, which is the first result he seeks? "Huddersfield Town, then Sheffield United. I always look for Huddersfield first because I was born there so I like them best!"

Wayne is a more than welcome addition to the dressing room here at Saltergate, his strength and aerial ability gives Roy McFarland a real choice of styles to adopt, his experience can only prove to be valuable and, to top it all, he's a really decent bloke too!

Phil Tooley