We don’t support a team like Chesterfield for the glory. In fact, there’s very little glory ever supporting Chesterfield. There’s no chance of a club like ours winning the FA or League Cup, there are no European games, little media coverage and constant disregard from higher-level clubs, officials and fans. Promotion from one lower league division to another is the closest we can get to any sustained feeling of superiority, but that usually ends quickly afterwards when we have to look forward to a more difficult season ahead of us. This year there is, of course, the FA Trophy, a competition that serves little more than a distraction to the top non-League teams. This is especially true when they have to focus on the demands of such a hectic league structure and the chance of promotion into the Football League.

However, there was one, realistic and tangible, chance of glory we all once reached for. It went by the name of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. Before the competition was sullied by Premier League academy sides and a Papa John’s sponsor that looks as cheap as its pizza is tasteless, the JPT was something to be proud of. It was a competition, contested by all the clubs in League One and Two that fans actually cared about it. It was a chance to win something over the rest of the lower league and find some real glory if your season wasn’t going anywhere.

Chesterfield’s glory came in 2012, during a season that really wasn’t going anywhere. The Spireites, under the management of John Sheridan were in the relegation zone of League One and had done little all season to prove that they didn’t deserve to be where they were.

Chesterfield’s adversary that day was a very strong Swindon Town side that was at the very top of League Two. Despite being in the league below, Swindon were no easy opponent. They were technically only one place below the Spireites and had 13 wins from 15 games going into the final. Before the match started, the script was already written that winning the JPT would be the culmination of Paolo Di Canio’s glorious first season in management. His Swindon side were expected to easily overcome the struggling Spireites.

The Swindon side that day was full of names. Most notably was a young Matt Ritchie who would go on to great things with Bournemouth and Newcastle in the Premier League. Wes Foderingham was between the sticks for the Robins who has since played over 100 games for Rangers and now is Sheffield United’s number 1. Jonathan Smith also started for Swindon that day, half a dozen years later he signed for Chesterfield in our first season in the National League.

Chesterfield’s team was obviously filled with plenty of fan favourites. The names Lee, Lester, Ford, Allott, Whitaker, Smith, Talbot, Bowery and Boden are sure to bring a smile and a good memory to any Spireite of a certain age despite their underperformance that season.

To get to their day in the spotlight, Chesterfield had to get past Oldham Athletic in the semi-final and that tie ended in dramatic fashion. Despite suffering from a broken arm that left him in a cast for the better part of that season, Jack Lester did what he did best and managed to bungle home a late winner in the second leg out of nowhere. 36-year-old Lester was already firmly a Spireite legend and his goal at Oldham was his ticket to the most prestigious venue in the world.

Lester scored hundreds of goals over his long and prolific career, yet he never scored at Wembley. In the first half of the final, he was able to pounce on the ball after a corner was not dealt with by the Swindon defence. As he scored the thousands of Chesterfield fans in attendance erupted into celebration, but the jubilation was short-lived. The goal was ruled out by the linesman who judged defender Simon Ford to be in an offside position. Replays on television didn’t help to show any players offside or to help explain the linesman’s decision. Unfortunately, Jack Lester’s crowning moment was unfairly ripped out of his hands. Soon after the veteran striker was struck down with an injury that forced him to be substituted. Lester was replaced by Craig Westcarr and he walked off the pitch obviously devastated and without the goal he wanted so much.

Swindon were the stronger side for the majority of the match, their 60% possession and 15 total shots outweighed the Blues’ 40% possession and 8 shots respectively. Both teams were going all out to bring the trophy and glory that came with it back home with them but Swindon showed why they were the favourites all game long.

Soon after the second half began Chesterfield was gifted their breakthrough. Alexandre Mendy crossed in a low ball into the corridor of uncertainty and Namibian centre-half Oliver Risser tried to clear the ball away from goal. Risser’s clearance did not, however, go away from goal and instead flew past Foderingham who could do nothing to stop it from hitting the back of the net. Despite the constant pressure applied upon the Spireites, they had forged an opener out of the blue, admittedly with a bit of fortune.

Not too long after the opener came another mix-up at the back. Swindon’s defender let the ball slip between his feet, and it was pounced upon by Westcarr. As he dribbled towards the 18-yard box, one on one with the ‘keeper, he looked unsure, his head was down, Wes Foderingham came out his goal quickly, and the striker could do nothing by scuff the ball wide of the lefthand post.

Tommy Lee was immense during the final. The keeper was back to his best at Wembley after an injury that season and proved himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the lower leagues with numerous shot-stopping saves. Swindon applied so much pressure during the second half that it was difficult to believe that Tommy Lee was a mere mortal like the rest of us. His long hair and heroic dives and saves made him look more like a superhero than anything else.

As stoppage time began Swindon began to throw everything at Chesterfield, and Matt Ritchie received the ball in a dangerous position outside the box on the right wing. As he began to dribble he only had to pass Nathan Smith to get into the box and have the chance to get a shot off, but Smith had other ideas. His tackle on Ritchie was hard but fair, he dispossessed Ritchie perfectly and kicked the ball out for a throw-in. As Ritchie rolled around the floor as if his leg was broken, even Paolo Di Canio shouted at him to get up and a throw in was given. Oftentimes the goals are the only things remembered from a big game, but that tackle by Smith was massive and one of the most memorable and celebrated moments from that final. It summed up Chesterfield’s day. Without oversimplifying they had just worked harder than high-flying Swindon. They had put in the tackle where it needed to be and fought when they needed to fight.

In the dying seconds of the game, Swindon were going all out, pushing high up the pitch desperate to grab an equalizer late on. Yet, they pushed just too hard, a long ball from Chesterfield’s midfield was taken under control by Craig Westcarr who had his second one-on-one chance of the game. The forward must have had that chance he missed still in his mind, it must have been back there somewhere, the self-doubt and nerves were surely high. But Westcarr had a calm head, he shrugged off a defender trying to chase after him, looked up, and slotted the ball past Foderingham and into the bottom right corner of the goal.

There are some moments in life that you’ll never forget. For most people, it’s a massive world event or tragedy or it’s something like the birth of a child and their wedding day. For me, I will never forget Craig Westcarr ripping his shirt off in celebration as he slotted home that second goal at Wembley. The whole team, substitutes and management team ran to celebrate with the goal scorer. In the stands, there was such an outpouring of relief and jubilation that it was intoxicating. After such a long half of football, with so much pressure being applied by Swindon, that moment was unlike anything else.

Chesterfield had their glory that day. The team won at Wembley; the fans had an iconic moment to remember for years to come. Despite having his goal ruled out and being forced to leave the match prematurely, Jack Lester lifted the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy over his head. He had finally got his moment in the sun, and after fighting through injuries and serving the club so long, Jack Lester had his crowing moment at Wembley.

That day at Wembley will be fondly remembered by thousands of Spireites, and rightly so, but it was not enough to inspire recovery for the club that season. John Sheridan’s Chesterfield still got relegated and cup triumph did little to help stop how much that hurt. Sheridan’s success also didn’t help him during his second spell with the Blues where his outdated tactics and stubborn bullishness led, along with negligent ownership, of course, the club to near relegation and surely the implosion of Chesterfield FC as a whole. Chesterfield fans got taught a lesson at Wembley, glory is delicious but fleeting. If the club ever has such glory again, it has to be savoured for as long as possible.