Double boost for James Rowe at Chesterfield
JAMES ROWE has been rewarded for turning Chesterfield into promotion contenders with a new contract – a little more than three months after he joined!
The 37-year-old took over the Spireites at the end of November having led Gloucester City to the top of the National League North this season. And the former Aldershot Town first-team coach has inspired a remarkable turnaround with ten wins and just two defeats in his first 15 games – a run which catapulted the side up the National League table and into the playoff conversation. With speculation EFL clubs were monitoring his situation, the club have moved quickly to hand out a new deal with his original contract set to the end of the 2022-23 season. And it’s not just the manager who has put pen to paper this week. Striker Akwasi Asante, who followed Rowe to the Technique Stadium from Gloucester City, has committed himself to the club until the summer of 2024 after impressing with nine goals in 13 games. On completing Rowe’s new deal, chief executive John Croot said: “The results and the style of football over the last three months have fully justified the board’s decision to appoint James and this development forms part of our long-term strategy. “When we appointed James, we said that we would review the situation after a few months and we feel that the time is right to put a new contract in place. “With the backing and support provided by the board, James has overhauled the squad and he deserves much credit for the job he has done so far. Praise must also go to his staff and the players.
Attributes
“Supporters can see the improvements that have been made since the Community Trust took over the running of the club and we look forward to welcoming them back to the Technique Stadium to witness the brand of attacking football now being delivered.” Meanwhile, Rowe has strengthened his back line by bringing in defender Fraser Kerr until the end of the season after he left National League rivals Torquay United. The 28-year-old former Scotland Under 21 international names Gateshead and Hartlepool among his former National League clubs before he joined the Gulls last summer. Rowe said: “I’ve followed Fraser for quite some time and his attributes fit into the way we are trying to move forward. “He is a great addition to our squad and strengthens us for what will be a busy fixture schedule until the end of the season.” Torquay boss Gary Johnson, who brought in striker Scott Boden last week as part in a swap deal with Kerr, explained: “Unfortunately due to the Covid lockdown rules, and Fraser living in the digs, he wasn’t able to go home and see his family. “With him not being involved in the first team at that time, we agreed to let him go to a club a lot nearer to his home.”