The Duke Of Devonshire & Chesterfield Football Club — Forum Archive

4 May 2004, 17:46

On the Chesterfield FC message board, absolutely every single post regarding the passing of the Duke Of Devonshire, president of CFC, was written/typed in the same sort of vein: "Oh, RIP Duke, we`ll miss you. Blah blah blah"

Is it just me, or did this sickening barrage of royalism seem rather odd for a football website? I had half a mind to be the first guy in Chesterfield to post a republican "Yeah sorry hes died but he was the Queens cousin, after all" style-message, but Ive only just joined the message board, & didnt want to offend anyone (Unlike here, I love getting on NOOL members nerves!)

Just seemed bizarre to me, thats all. Itd seem especially weird to all of you aswell, as where I live is a very working-class/anti-Royal Family area, so it was a surprise seeing so much pro-Duke sentiment on a local football website, just because he was the clubs president...

4 May 2004, 18:05

JAMES We Are Not Amused ! :laugh:

5 May 2004, 04:11

Surely you're missing the point, James? Re-read your first sentence - he was the PRESIDENT of Chesterfield FC (I didn't know footie clubs had presidents these days, I thought he was chairman or director or something, but there you go?).

So it doesn't really matter what his social background was - he was 'associated' with the club and that's why people are honouring him.

I believe Chesterfield are even holding a minute's silence for him in their final match against us on Saturday? I thought it strange when I heard this news at first, but 'til this week, I never knew he had any association with said club.

5 May 2004, 05:00

Originally posted by Al Jarvis Surely you're missing the point, James? Re-read your first sentence - he was the PRESIDENT of Chesterfield FC (I didn't know footie clubs had presidents these days, I thought he was chairman or director or something, but there you go?).So it doesn't really matter what his social background was - he was 'associated' with the club and that's why people are honouring him.I believe Chesterfield are even holding a minute's silence for him in their final match against us on Saturday? I thought it strange when I heard this news at first, but 'til this week, I never knew he had any association with said club.

I understand that His Dukeness was president of CFC, but to me, the title of president of a football club is the same as the title of Duke, or Lord, or whatever: namely a title that incurs snobbery & the cult of "Im more important than you", but, in the end, means absolutely nothing. Even you didnt realise that clubs still had presidents, & I bet you`re not the only one.

Ill be there this Saturday, & I will respect the minutes silence like I would no matter who had passed away. My point, clumsily made I admit, was that I was amazed that there wasnt one single person posting on the CFC message board who shared my anti-royalist views. Everyone was carrying on like it was the biggest tragedy of the decade, & to me it smacked of hypocrisy

5 May 2004, 05:40

Originally posted by James Stephen Barnes My point, clumsily made I admit, was that I was amazed that there wasn`t one single person posting on the CFC message board who shared my anti-royalist views. Everyone was carrying on like it was the biggest tragedy of the decade, & to me it smacked of hypocrisy

Not entirely sure what you're getting at James? Are you saying that the Duke died, and you immediately posted with ant-royalist sentiments? Or that people are posting condolences simply because he was a royal? I'd have thought people only had an interest in him because of his association with your club, and nowt else. You'd better get used to it - 'celebrity' fans get intrinsically linked with your club for many years to come. Eric Morecambe still gets mentioned in the same breath as Luton, twenty years on. Actually though, that's a bloody brilliant thing: the man's a legend!

5 May 2004, 15:30

Originally posted by Al Jarvis Not entirely sure what you're getting at James? Are you saying that the Duke died, and you immediately posted with ant-royalist sentiments? Or that people are posting condolences simply because he was a royal? I'd have thought people only had an interest in him because of his association with your club, and nowt else. You'd better get used to it - 'celebrity' fans get intrinsically linked with your club for many years to come. Eric Morecambe still gets mentioned in the same breath as Luton, twenty years on. Actually though, that's a bloody brilliant thing: the man's a legend!

No, course I didn't post an anti-royal comment there, believe it or not, even I'm not that insensitive! I haven't posted a sausage there, to be honest, apart from a quick query regarding next seasons replica kit.

I guess you're right, Al, I shouldn't expect people to react negatively to a (fairly) famous bloke who was president of our football club, even if he was a scumbag... sorry, member of the Royal Family. Let's face it, Chesterfield has something of a shortage of proper celebrities, so I guess the Duke was somewhat of a coup. I just thought it two-faced of the CFC fans to lament the club's loss so publically, when, behind closed doors, most of them are probably as republican as I am when it comes to more prominent Royals like Queenie & Big Ears.

You're right also about Eric Morecambe, he is a legend! Though if Luton Town are looking for a president or public figurehead, why don't they choose that Lorraine Chase from 'Emmerdale'? Didn't she do wonders for Luton airport in that old Campari advert...?!

PS The Spireites are gonna stuff the Hatters on Saturday, & avoid releg... oh, bugger it, who am I kidding?... :cry:

5 May 2004, 15:36

Originally posted by James Stephen Barnes PS The Spireites are gonna stuff the Hatters on Saturday, & avoid releg... oh, bugger it, who am I kidding?...

To be honest, you should do us easily. We must be the most out-of-form team in the division - only 2 wins in the last 10 and both those came with injury time goals. We were poised just below the play-offs with 3 games in hand then fell away just when we needed a good run. We've been in AR all season and it's finally taken it's toll - started with 5 YTS lads against Wrexham 2 weeks ago, then added a 17 year old keeper to the mix last weekend. Having said that, the young lads do like to have a go, but I reckon you'll just scrape it.

5 May 2004, 16:21

but wasnt one of them against "in the play offs" bristol city?

5 May 2004, 16:43

Originally posted by Mr Hibster but wasnt one of them against "in the play offs" bristol city?

Yeah, we did QPHahaha a favour. Doh! :banghead: