Saltergate — officially known as the Recreation Ground — was the historic home of Chesterfield Football Club from 1871 until the club’s move in July 2010, giving it a remarkable 139-year operational lifespan that made it one of the oldest football grounds in England at the time of its closure. Nestled tight against the town centre on the road that gave it its famous nickname, the ground grew organically over the decades from a modest shared pitch to a venue with four floodlight pylons and a main stand designed by celebrated football-ground architect Archibald Leitch.
The ground hosted its first football match on 4 November 1871, with Rotherham providing the opposition in a 14-a-side contest played under Sheffield Rules. By the inter-war years, Saltergate had developed a roofed Popular Side, a covered Spion Kop terrace, and the distinctive Leitch main stand that opened in 1936. After Chesterfield played their final home league fixture there on 8 May 2010 — a 2–1 win over AFC Bournemouth — the site was sold to Barratt Homes in January 2012 and demolished by July 2012, replaced by a 68-unit housing development renamed Spire Heights.
Stats at a Glance
- Team: Chesterfield FC
- Location: Saltergate, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England
- Opened: 4 November 1871
- Closed: 8 May 2010
- Demolished: July 2012
- Capacity (at closure): 8,504
- Record Attendance: 30,561 vs Tottenham Hotspur, FA Cup 5th Round, February 1938
- Notable Architect: Archibald Leitch (main stand, 1936)
History and Development
Saltergate’s origins lay in a shared tenancy with Chesterfield Cricket Club at the New Recreation Ground in 1871. When Chesterfield FC became founder members of the Football League’s Third Division North in 1921, the ground underwent its most significant phase of improvements, gaining a seated main stand running three-quarters of the pitch length and a roofed Popular Side terrace. The record crowd of 30,561 arrived in February 1938 for an FA Cup fifth-round tie against Tottenham Hotspur, a figure the ground would never surpass.
Floodlights were added for the 1967–68 season, and the Spion Kop terrace was roofed in 1961, but the stadium’s tight urban footprint and ageing infrastructure ultimately made redevelopment unviable. Over its full lifetime, Saltergate hosted 3,159 first-team matches, including 1,827 Football League fixtures.
Final Years and Legacy
In 2006, more than 90% of Chesterfield supporters backed a plan to relocate to the former Dema Glass factory site. The £13 million Proact Stadium (later renamed) opened for the 2010–11 season, leaving Saltergate vacant. After the site was sold to Barratt Homes in January 2012, demolition began in April 2012 and was completed that July.
Though the terraces and stands are long gone, Saltergate’s memory endures through a dedicated fan archive at saltergate.co.uk and the affection of supporters who watched Chesterfield reach the FA Cup semi-finals in 1997 while playing their home matches on that historic turf. The street running through the new housing estate was renamed Spire Heights in December 2012, a nod to Chesterfield’s famous crooked-spire church visible from the old ground.
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Saltergate FAQs
When did Saltergate close and why?
Saltergate closed in July 2010 after Chesterfield FC relocated to the newly built Proact Stadium. The ground’s ageing infrastructure and constrained town-centre site made long-term renovation impractical, and more than 90% of supporters had voted in favour of a move to a new purpose-built venue.
What was the record attendance at Saltergate?
The record attendance was 30,561, set on 5 February 1938 when Chesterfield hosted Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup fifth round.
Is Saltergate still standing?
No. Saltergate was demolished between April and July 2012 after the site was sold to Barratt Homes. A 68-unit residential development now occupies the land, with the internal street named Spire Heights.
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Photo: Ingy The Wingy / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.