From the publisher:
A Fine Line: How the Spireites (Almost) Reached the FA Cup Final is a nostalgic celebration of one of the most extraordinary underdog stories in FA Cup history.
Foreword by Spireites legend Jamie Hewitt.
The book revisits Chesterfield’s remarkable 1996/97 cup run, when the Spireites came within a whisker of being the first team from outside the top two tiers to reach the FA Cup final.
Filled with personal memories and behind-the-scenes insight, it includes:
- Exclusive interviews with Chesterfield players from the era, supporters who witnessed the cup run first-hand, sports journalists who covered it, plus a rare insight from one of English football’s most famous referees, David Elleray
- Rich, detailed anecdotes that capture how the cup run unfolded and how it affected both the club and the town of Chesterfield
- Photos of key moments and personalities
- A look at how following a football club has changed since the 1990s, including the effects of 90s culture on the game
- An exploration of the FA Cup’s place in the modern football landscape
A Fine Line is a feel-good chronicle of a classic giant-killing adventure, perfect for Spireites fans and FA Cup romantics alike.
The author:
Matthew Rhodes was born and raised in Chesterfield. A freelance sports journalist and broadcaster, he provides live audio commentaries on football matches and on-the-whistle written match reports for Flashscore. From 2021 to 2025, he was North Derbyshire Radio’s senior sports editor. A Fine Line is his first full-length book.
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