The 2012-13 campaign for Chesterfield was a pivotal season that marked the beginning of a dramatic upward trajectory for The Spireites. After a disappointing start, the club hired the highly-rated Paul Cook in October, whose arrival immediately injected a new energy and led to a season built on ambition and attacking promise. The Spireites surged back up the table to finish a strong 8th in League Two, agonizingly missing out on the play-off spots by just two points. Leading the charge with vital goals was Marc Richards, whose 12 strikes topped the scoring charts in a season that established the foundation for the League Two title win that would follow a year later.