The Star / Green Un's Phil Tooley spoke at length with Chesterfield Chairman Barrie Hubbard recently. The following appeared in the Green Un of June 9th and there's a third piece in the Green Un of June 16th.

Chesterfield Chairman Barrie Hubbard last week outlined the latest position regarding the potential re-location to a new stadium in the A61 corridor indicating that the delay in the project had put pressure on build costs.

He has also been indicating for some time, since members of the former majority shareholders, Chesterfield Football Supporters Society, agreed to pave the way to reorganise the structure of the Club back in January, that potential new owners of the Club were on the horizon.

However no names of impending investors have been mentioned, so does Hubbard think that the new ground will be built if no such persons come to the fore?

"That's a good question," said the Chairman, adding, "But I think we can safely say if we don't get any investment, we will be struggling because we haven't got £3.5m or more, so that might tell you that we think we will get some new investment."

Hubbard has said in the past that negotiations with one particular interested party is at an 'advanced stage,' and he confirms that those negotiations remain on the front burner, though he teasingly adds, "There are plenty of rumours circulating around about who any potential investors may be and there are plenty of people barking up the wrong tree and I've done nothing to stop them barking."

"I've had two names bandied about and I've done little to put people on the right track because if any names do come out, it wouldn't be advantageous to the person concerned, indeed it could cause a massive problem to them, so I need to keep the person's identity close to my chest."

The Chairman said, "I am willing to say though that they've got the wherewithal to take the Club forwards. I've spoken to them about this year's budget and I know what they want to do, so we're already operating in a way that won't bring about major upheaval when they come into the Club. The change will be good for the Football Club, and they want to develop the banqueting side as well as the football side."

Should the planned takeover occur though, it won't mean the end of the man who first joined the Board back in 1983 when the Club had one of its many near death experiences, "If the people we're talking to do take over, then unfortunately, as I'm sure many supporters will think, there's a condition and that is that I've got to stop on for a while. I'd like to do that in a way, to see the Club settle in to a new ground then step back a bit, but they want me to stay on a while after being here for most of the time since 1983, they think it's sensible to have that experience on board."

"I have known the people concerned for forty or so years, so it's not as though I don't know them, I trust them. I wouldn't let anyone anywhere near the Club that I don't trust to move it on because the only person that would get blamed for that is me, so I've got to make sure they're right for the Club otherwise I could never be allowed to walk round the Town again."

Hubbard is clear what legacy he wants to leave when he does eventually quit the scene, "I want to see us move into the new ground and watch Championship football, the potential new owners are looking towards that, they'll not be happy with League Two football and they realise it might cost money to fulfil their ambitions and I'm sure they'll make the funds available."

"I also want to see, as do they, training facilities for the Club and I personally think we could make a first class facility work at Wheeldon Mill and the Council are supportive of that aim so that could well be the next big job after a new ground. With training facilities close by, we would be able to make better use of the backroom staff to work on specialist areas of play because at the moment, there's nowhere to go after training. It's no good having this coach and that coach if there's nowhere to do their coaching facilities."

"If I can look back on a new ground and new training facilities, despite the bad and good times, I'll be able to eventually walk away a happy man."

Of the largely cleared site at Whittington Moor, Hubbard is getting excited, "The site looks magnificent, the office block's gone, but there's still a lot of rubbish about, the foundations were really deep and they're pulling up great boulders, but the site looks huge and inviting."

On the playing side, with Jack Lester now having joined the Club and hopes high amongst supporters, Hubbard understands why Lee Richardson's men are amongst the favourites to bounce back but he states that rivals are throwing money at the task, " I can understand why Peterborough have been made favourites, they seem to be throwing big money around whilst we had a player, Neil Mackenzie, all lined up to come here and he went to Notts County for more money, so there are still clubs about who are willing to pay a lot more than we can afford but we are expecting that we may have to dig deep for one or two players."

He admits that a few good results early in the season will also boost the Club's hopes significantly, "I think if we are doing well, we may get more people in but you don't need too many more, an extra 100 people is worth £1000 so if we can attract just a few more, it makes a real difference, 300 more a game translates into £70,000 over the season, that's a lot of extra income, so doing well will pay for a decent player."

PHIL TOOLEY

In the Green Un of June 16th, Barrie speaks about Roy McFarland's departure and Lee Richardson's appointment.