Jack Lester
Encyclopedia
Jack William Lester is an English
professional footballer
, currently playing for English Football League One side Chesterfield
. He plays either as a striker
or an attacking midfielder
. He started his professional career with Grimsby Town
, where he moved through the ranks helping the club to two victories at Wembley Stadium
in the 1997-98 season by winning the Football League Trophy
and the Football League Second Division
Play-Offs. Lester also played for Doncaster Rovers
and Nottingham Forest
before joining home town club Sheffield United
. He has since returned for a second spell at Forest before joining Chesterfield.
and signed his first professional contract in 1994. He was nurtured into a first team role at Grimsby by manager Alan Buckley
and his assistant John Cockerill
.
After a brief loan spell with Doncaster Rovers
in which he played 10 games (4 in the starting lineup) and scored one goal, Lester became a regular at Blundell Park
.
During his time there he formed notable strike partnerships with the likes of Clive Mendonca
, Steve Livingstone
, Lee Ashcroft
and Jamie Forrester
.
It was during the 1997–1998 season when he had arguably his best season with Grimsby. He was a regular fixture in the first team and helped the club succeed in an impressive double final win at Wembley Stadium
.
The Mariners defeated A.F.C. Bournemouth
in the Football League Trophy
before beating Northampton Town
in the Division Two Play Off Final a few weeks later.
Lester stayed with Grimsby until mid way through three 1999–2000 season when he was controversially sold just after the turn of the millennium. He made over 90 league appearances and scored 17 league goals in his time with The Mariners, and is still a popular figure at the club.
in 2000 for £300,000, just three weeks after he led the Grimsby attack beating Forest 4–3 in the League; it was from that game that Platt became interested in signing the player. It took some time for Lester to settle in at the City Ground
but when Platt left the club, new manager Paul Hart
moved him to an attacking midfield role where he flourished, making over 70 starts and scoring 24 goals. In 2003 he was released by Hart in an attempt to reduce debts.
at the start of the 2003–4 season. Lester played alongside Steve Kabba
amongst others at Bramall Lane
. He remained a first choice striker at the club for the entire season and made around 50 appearances for United until his exit in November 2004.
in 2004 for £50,000. He scored in his first game but in his third start damaged knee ligaments which kept him out of action for almost 9 months. He went on to play over 30 games in this second spell, most as a substitute. Then after Nottingham Forest failed win promotion in the 2006–07
season, he was released by manager Colin Calderwood
.
on a 3 year contract. He finished the 2007/08 season as Chesterfield's top scorer, with 27 goals in all competitions. This tally made him 3rd top scorer in League Two, with 25 goals in the league, 4 behind Aaron McLean of Peterborough. That season he also became the fastest post-war Chesterfield
player to 20 goals in a season, getting his 20th (and 100th career goal) live on TV against Hereford United
. He finished the season third in England on goal to game ratio, behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Fernando Torres.
Lester scored his 100th League career goal in the 2–1 win over Exeter City on 28 January 2009. He also set a club record in becoming the first striker at the club to score 20 goals in consecutive seasons for 82 years. Despite scoring fewer goals than in his first season at Chesterfield, he finished the 2008/9 term as joint-top scorer for League 2, with 20 League goals.
Lester's goals have brought him 'legend' status among Chesterfield fans. With the Spireites moving to a new stadium in July 2010, part of their End of an Era merchandise included a "Saltergate Legends" plate, on which Lester was included.
In the 2010/11 season Lester scored 17 goals in 29 games as Chesterfield won Football League 2. Later going on to sign a new 2 year contract, keeping him at the club until June 2013.
Chesterfield FC
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, currently playing for English Football League One side Chesterfield
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
. He plays either as a striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
or an attacking midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
. He started his professional career with Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
, where he moved through the ranks helping the club to two victories at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
in the 1997-98 season by winning the Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
and the Football League Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
Play-Offs. Lester also played for Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
and Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
before joining home town club Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
. He has since returned for a second spell at Forest before joining Chesterfield.
Grimsby Town
Lester started his career with Grimsby TownGrimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
and signed his first professional contract in 1994. He was nurtured into a first team role at Grimsby by manager Alan Buckley
Alan Buckley
Alan Peter Buckley is an English football manager. He was manager of League Two side Grimsby Town until his dismissal in September 2008...
and his assistant John Cockerill
John Cockerill (footballer)
John Cockerill is a former professional football player and manager. He is the son of Ron and brother of Glenn Cockerill, both also professional footballers...
.
After a brief loan spell with Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
in which he played 10 games (4 in the starting lineup) and scored one goal, Lester became a regular at Blundell Park
Blundell Park
Blundell Park is a football ground in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England and home to Grimsby Town Football Club. The stadium was built in 1898, but only one of the original stands remain. The current capacity of the ground is 9546, though with the introduction of all seating in the late...
.
During his time there he formed notable strike partnerships with the likes of Clive Mendonca
Clive Mendonca
Clive Paul Mendonca is an English former professional footballer, who played as a striker between 1986 and 2002 notably for Grimsby Town and Charlton Athletic...
, Steve Livingstone
Steve Livingstone
Stephen "Steve" Livingstone is an English former footballer who played between 1986 and 2004 notably for Grimsby Town...
, Lee Ashcroft
Lee Ashcroft
Lee Ashcroft is a former footballer turned manager who is currently managing Northern Premier League side Kendal Town. In his playing career he played as a striker for Preston North End, West Bromwich Albion and Grimsby Town, having also played for Notts County, Wigan Athletic, Port Vale,...
and Jamie Forrester
Jamie Forrester
Jamie Mark Forrester is a former English professional footballer who played as a Striker between 1991 and 2010 in France, the Netherlands and his native England...
.
It was during the 1997–1998 season when he had arguably his best season with Grimsby. He was a regular fixture in the first team and helped the club succeed in an impressive double final win at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
.
The Mariners defeated A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
in the Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
before beating Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
in the Division Two Play Off Final a few weeks later.
Lester stayed with Grimsby until mid way through three 1999–2000 season when he was controversially sold just after the turn of the millennium. He made over 90 league appearances and scored 17 league goals in his time with The Mariners, and is still a popular figure at the club.
Nottingham Forest
David Platt signed Lester for former European champions Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
in 2000 for £300,000, just three weeks after he led the Grimsby attack beating Forest 4–3 in the League; it was from that game that Platt became interested in signing the player. It took some time for Lester to settle in at the City Ground
City Ground
The City Ground is a football stadium in the West Bridgford area of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been home to Nottingham Forest Football Club since 1898, and has a capacity of 30,602 ....
but when Platt left the club, new manager Paul Hart
Paul Hart
Paul Hart is an English football manager and former football defender, who is currently Academy Director at Charlton Athletic. The son of Johnny Hart, a football inside forward and manager, Hart had five-year spells with both Blackpool and Leeds United, while also playing for Nottingham Forest and...
moved him to an attacking midfield role where he flourished, making over 70 starts and scoring 24 goals. In 2003 he was released by Hart in an attempt to reduce debts.
Sheffield United
He was signed by his hometown club Sheffield UnitedSheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
at the start of the 2003–4 season. Lester played alongside Steve Kabba
Steve Kabba
Sorfitu Tejan "Steve" Kabba is an English professional footballer. He is of Sierra Leonean origin. He plays as a striker for Football League Two side Barnet...
amongst others at Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
. He remained a first choice striker at the club for the entire season and made around 50 appearances for United until his exit in November 2004.
Nottingham Forest (second spell)
Lester was offered the chance to return to Forest and he was re-signed by Joe KinnearJoe Kinnear
Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kinnear is an Irish football manager and former player. He was most recently the manager of Newcastle United....
in 2004 for £50,000. He scored in his first game but in his third start damaged knee ligaments which kept him out of action for almost 9 months. He went on to play over 30 games in this second spell, most as a substitute. Then after Nottingham Forest failed win promotion in the 2006–07
2006-07 in English football
The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
season, he was released by manager Colin Calderwood
Colin Calderwood
Colin Calderwood is a Scottish football player and coach. In November 2011 he was appointed as Chris Hughton's assistant manager at Birmingham City....
.
Chesterfield
In June 2007 he signed for Chesterfield F.C.Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
on a 3 year contract. He finished the 2007/08 season as Chesterfield's top scorer, with 27 goals in all competitions. This tally made him 3rd top scorer in League Two, with 25 goals in the league, 4 behind Aaron McLean of Peterborough. That season he also became the fastest post-war Chesterfield
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
player to 20 goals in a season, getting his 20th (and 100th career goal) live on TV against Hereford United
Hereford United F.C.
Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...
. He finished the season third in England on goal to game ratio, behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Fernando Torres.
Lester scored his 100th League career goal in the 2–1 win over Exeter City on 28 January 2009. He also set a club record in becoming the first striker at the club to score 20 goals in consecutive seasons for 82 years. Despite scoring fewer goals than in his first season at Chesterfield, he finished the 2008/9 term as joint-top scorer for League 2, with 20 League goals.
Lester's goals have brought him 'legend' status among Chesterfield fans. With the Spireites moving to a new stadium in July 2010, part of their End of an Era merchandise included a "Saltergate Legends" plate, on which Lester was included.
In the 2010/11 season Lester scored 17 goals in 29 games as Chesterfield won Football League 2. Later going on to sign a new 2 year contract, keeping him at the club until June 2013.
Honours
Grimsby Town- Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
play-off winner: 1997–981997-98 in English footballThe 1997-1998 season was the 118th season of competitive football in England.-Premier League:Arsenal overhauled Manchester United's lead during the final weeks of the season to win the Premiership title... - Auto Windscreens ShieldFootball League TrophyThe Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
winner: 1997–981997-98 in English footballThe 1997-1998 season was the 118th season of competitive football in England.-Premier League:Arsenal overhauled Manchester United's lead during the final weeks of the season to win the Premiership title...
Chesterfield FC
- Football League 2 winner 2010/11