Stat Attack: Notts County vs. Chesterfield

Notts County have played local rivals Chesterfield a total of 64 times over the years, the first meeting coming on the 29th November 1930 in the FA Cup.

The game took place at the Spireites' old ground, Saltergate, and finished 2-1 to the Magpies.

The head-to-head record favours Notts, with 27 victories, 19 defeats and 19 draws. The latter was the outcome of our last meeting (1-1) back in September last year.

Nobody knows the date when the first incarnation of Chesterfield Football Club was formed. A Derbyshire Times newspaper report from the 2nd January 1864 noted a scheduled game between "Chesterfield and Norton football clubs", suggesting that a club in the town was active from at least 1863.

By contrast, club historian Stuart Basson had placed a formally constituted Chesterfield F.C. as being established as an offshoot of Chesterfield Cricket Club in October 1867.

The early history of the club is dotted with tumult and instability - the club lost the right to play at Saltergate following worsening relations with Chesterfield Cricket Club, while in 1915 the subsequent incarnation of the club, Chesterfield Town, was put into voluntary liquidation.

To fill the footballing gap left in the town, Chesterfield Borough Council reformed the club on 24 April 1919, giving it the name Chesterfield Municipal F.C.

After the Football Association and Football League made it clear that they were against a council-run club, the entity became independent, reflected in the name change to Chesterfield F.C. in December 1920.

The club have been successful in terms of minor silverware, winning the Fourth Division (and its subsequent reincarnations) a record four times, while also claimin the Anglo-Scottish Cup in 1982 and the Football League Trophy in 2012 (and finishing runners-up in 2014).

The 1996–97 season saw Chesterfield beat six clubs including Nottingham Forest to reach the semi-final of the FA Cup for the first time. The semi-final match against Middlesbrough was drawn 3–3 after extra time; Chesterfield lost the replay 3–0.

The club's nickname, The Spireites, comes from the Church of St Mary and All Saints in Chesterfield, famous for its crooked spire.

Legend goes that a virgin once married in the church, and the church was so surprised that the spire turned around to look at the bride. It is said that if another virgin marries in the church, the spire will return to true again.

The more realistic explanation is more of a scientific nature, however. It is now believed that the twisting of the spire was caused by the lead that covers the spire.

The lead causes this twisting phenomenon, because when the sun shines during the day the south side of the tower heats up, causing the lead there to expand at a greater rate than that of the north side of the tower, resulting in unequal expansion and contraction.

This was compounded by the weight of the lead (around 33 tons) which the spire's bracing was not originally designed to bear.

Famous Chesterfield players include Ernie Moss, Kevin Davies, Gary Stone, Jason Lee, Walter McMillen, Sam Hardy, Gordon Banks, Herbert Munday, Steve Ogrizovic, Barry Sunday, Freeman Hardy and Willis Edwards .

Famous fans include glamour model Jo Guest, presenter Robert Primrose Wilson, and ex-Arsenal goalkeeper John Lukic.

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Shaun Derry has no new injury or suspension worries ahead of Chesterfield's visit.

Kaiyne Woolery and Balint Bajner started up front together against Oldham Athletic last weekend and could both keep their places in the team.

Spireites boss Paul Cook lost leading scorer Eoin Doyle this week, as he moved to Cardiff City, but added loan signings Caolan Lavery, Mark Duffy and Ashley Carter to his squad.

Lavery will battle it out with Byron Harrison to replace Doyle in the starting line up while Duffy looks likely to come in for injured winger Dan Gardner.

Striker Armand Gnanduillet will be assessed but winger Gary Roberts remains out.