Pat Nevin

One of the better people in football, one of the better and fairer voices, especially when it comes to discussing us. He's always come across as a good guy.

I believe Ashley (Fairport Convention founder), despite being a North Londoner, is a Chesterfield supporter.

I was excited when we signed him and was a very skilful player.

The challenge was that he came in to fill big boots as we were transitioning from the most successful team of our history.

Great player to watch though.

Not sure if others have an opinion, and I was a lot younger back then, but parallels with Duncan MaKenzie? Easy on the eye but not really up there? Just a thought.

A bit of a luxury player, similar to when we had James Rodriguez. Brilliant and frustrating in equal measures.

[This was prior to my drinking days!]

He got injured early in the season against Forest, and was doing his guest DJ spot at Radio City whilst injured. I was at the second leg of the League Cup 2nd round away at Bury (2-2) and we bumped into him – on crutches – after the game. He had insisted on travelling with the team to watch the game (something I doubt many primadonnas these days would bother with).

He chatted with us for about 10 minutes about football, music until the team bus, exasperated at him holding them up, started sounding the horn.

When Howard Kendall came back for his 2nd spell, he didn't rate Nevin (or any of Harvey's signings, even though Colin was back as #2), and Pat was farmed out to Tranmere on loan. He was settled in his house in Chester – and I think had his daughter there – and made the move to Tranmere permanent.

A good footballer, but a great ambassador for the game, and EFC. He was a very articulate and intelligent communicator – in the days before "media training" for players – and explains why he went (briefly) into football administration, and became a commentator and writer. Top bloke.

Incidentally, when I worked in "dat London", one of my colleagues told me that, during his Chelsea days, Pat used to join them for a kick about in a local park on weekends when he wasn't playing for Chelsea. Strictly against their rules, but everyone kept it quiet.

Till now!

That goal he scored in the 3-2 win vs Man Utd where he chipped Jim Leighton after racing clean through — I practiced that goal forever.

The look on his face, when he picked himself up, of 'What hit me?' was hilarious.

I wrote him a letter after watching him play for Everton Reserves v Nottm Forest on a cold and windy day at Goodison, asking him what he felt like, wasting his time for the reserve team when he deserved better? He wrote me a reply on a scrap of green paper saying he just loved playing football but preferred to play in the first team, not feeling sorry for himself in any way.

Kendall wasn't fussy on him, Harvey liked him enough to sign him so one man's meat was another man's poison. I was with Colin on this one.

Psycho deliberately and blatantly elbowed and floored David Speedie. The Ref missed it, so he got off scot free!!

Almost like his waist-high tackle against the Luton player in the semi-final at Villa Park.

Nothing to see here!!

That goal made it 3-0 early in the 2nd half and a lad sat behind me in the Upper Bullens went mad because he had a bet on for a repeat of the 5-0. Didn't work out for him.

It was a great goal though.

When I lived in Edinburgh, I played footy in the university league for a team called FC Pat Nevin's Haircut. The name was the nearest we got!

It was how full backs dealt with diminutive wingers or ones that didn't like the physical side.

I remember Gary Stevens going through Jesper Olsen the first time Olsen got the ball. It achieved the desired effect as Olsen didn't want the ball, and got rid of it as soon as possible, for the rest of the match.