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This football club are somehow managing to be in the best and worst form in their history

What the hell is going on at Chesterfield?

This football club are somehow managing to be in the best and worst form in their history
26 November 2018

If you’re a Chesterfield fan, you probably woke up this morning with a big grin on your face, before promptly bursting into tears. You’d then leap out of bed, bounce down the stairs while laughing, then curl up in a ball of anguish next to the front door. If there was an emoji to describe your mood right now, it would, without any doubt, be the crylaugh one.

Why?

Because National League side Chesterfield are currently in one of the strangest runs of form of any club in football history.

Premier League, BT Sport and BBC statistician Jonny Blain pointed out on Twitter ‘the curious case of Chesterfield’: namely, that they are currently in the midst of record-equalling good and bad form.

On Saturday, they came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw away at Eastleigh - their eighth consecutive league draw, which equalled their club record.

This also meant that, with two wins and a draw in three cup matches over that period, that they are also unbeaten in 11 matches over all competitions - their best run for 12 years.

But - and this is a very large but - it also meant that they haven’t won in the league for 18 matches - equalling the club record worst run.

Despite losing four fewer games that the two teams above them and losing only 8 out of 21, the club lie 21st in the National League, occupying the final relegation spot. Of course, while they’ve not lost that many, they’ve only actually won 3, drawing the other 10 games.

It’s been a very tough time to be a Spireites fan recently - they suffered back-to-back relegations in the past two years and are on course for a third, despite being odds-on to bounce straight back up to the league before the season’s start.

It’s long been a statistical curiosity, since the advent of three points for a win, that a team could be unbeaten and still be relegated - if they drew every game - clearly, Chesterfield are determined to give this a good go.

Chesterfield’s brilliant/terrible recent run in full:

Sept 29: 1-1 v Maidstone (a)

Oct 6: 0-0 v Fylde (h)

Oct 13: 1-1 v Halifax (a)

Oct 20: 3-1 v Fylde (a) - FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round

Oct 27: 1-1 v Wrexham (h)

Oct 30: 1-1 v Sutton (a)

Nov 3: 1-1 v Harrogate (a)

Nov 10: 1-1 v Billericay (h) - FA Cup 1st Round

Nov 17: 0-0 v Havant & Waterlooville

Nov 20: 3-1 v Billericay (a) - FA Cup 1st Round replay

Nov 24: 1-1 v Eastleigh (a)

(Image: Getty)