Chesterfield FC’s John Croot named League Two CEO of the Year
The CEO of Chesterfield Football Club has been named League Two CEO of the Year in the Football Business Awards.
The vote was made by senior contacts from other clubs in the English Football League.
John’s involvement with Chesterfield Football Club goes back several decades, having started as a programme seller. He was a key leadership figure of the supporters’ society that saved the club from being expelled from the league during a difficult period back in 2001.
After supporting the club in a number of roles throughout the years, John was named the club’s CEO following the Community Trust takeover of the club in 2020.
Since then, the club has seen a dramatic increase in attendances on matchdays, and a promotion back to the English Football League last year.
Now under the ownership of brothers Phil and Ashley Kirk, the Spireites are poised to continue pushing up the divisions on the pitch, as well as continuing to grow the club’s engagement with the local community off the pitch.
John was also heavily involved in the creation of walking football, a sport which is now played globally. A blue plaque was recently unveiled at the SMH Group Stadium to officially recognise the town as the sport’s birthplace.
By winning the award, John has been put forward as a nominee for the EFL CEO of the Year, which will be announced on May 9.
John commented: “I am delighted to have received the award. While it is pleasing personally to be acknowledged by your peers, it is great to see that the hard work being done by everyone at the club and the Community Trust is recognised by people in the game.”
Chesterfield Football Club supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 230 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.
(Featured image by Tina Jenner)
