A plaque celebrating locally-born footballer Joe Payne has been installed in the Chesterfield FC Memorial Garden. It is sited on the wall near the new sensory area.
Joe was born on Brimington Common in 1914 and was signed by Luton Town in 1934 when playing for Bolsover Colliery. After a few matches at half-back, he was played at centre-forward due to an injury crisis. In that first match up front against Bristol Rovers he scored a league record ten goals.
Joe earned one England cap and later played for Chelsea and West Ham United. He played one war-time game for Chesterfield but as he only managed three goals he was never picked again!
The plaque was originally put up on Brimington Common in 2006, near to where Joe was born. The plaque was removed during developments for safekeeping. Joe’s family and the local councils asked that it be placed in the Memorial Garden.
