History of Derby County F.C. (1967–present)

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See also: History of Derby County F.C. (1884–1967)

The history of Derby County Football Club from 1967 to the present covers the major events in the history of the club from Brian Clough assuming control in 1967 up until the 2022–23 season.

Whilst the first 80 years of Derby County F.C.'s existence had been relatively consistent, the era covered here saw the club experience five promotions and five relegations as it rose dramatically to its peak and back. After over a decade in the second tier of English football, Brian Clough took charge at Derby and kickstarted a revolution at the club; it went on to win the Football League First Division twice in the 1970s and reach the European Cup semi finals in 1973 before rapidly declining back to the third tier and near financial meltdown within ten years of its second Championship. A rise back to the top followed towards the end of the 1980s and start of the 1990s before a spell of flitting between top flight and second-tier football followed over the next 20 years.

During this period the club was managed by its greatest ever manager, Brian Clough, and was represented by players such as Kevin Hector, Roy McFarland, Archie Gemmill, Stefano Eranio and Igor Štimac, all of whom where voted into the club's All Time First Eleven in 2010.

The Clough and Taylor years (1967–1973)

Promotion and consolidation

Clough and Taylor had guided

League Cup semi finals, the club's first ever notable run in the competition, where they lost 4–2 on aggregate to eventual winners Leeds United. The campaign also saw Reg Matthews set the club record of 246 appearances by a goalkeeper, as he surpassed Harry Maskrey
's previous record of 222.

With the addition of

top-flight Everton and Chelsea in successive rounds, before again being knocked out by the competition's eventual winners, falling 1–0 away to Swindon Town in a replay. Promotion saw Derby return to the top flight for the first time in 16 years and Dave Mackay's performances saw him named Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year, alongside Manchester City's Tony Book, the only Derby County player to earn the honour.[1]

1970 Watney Cup Final
Event1970 Watney Cup Final
Derby County Manchester United F.C.
4 1
Date8 August 1970
VenueThe Baseball Ground, Derby
Attendance32,049
1971 →

Clough's team entered the 1969–70 Division One campaign more than ready for the challenge of top-flight football and went 11 unbeaten from the opening day, briefly topping the table. A club record 41,826 packed into The Baseball Ground to see a 5–0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, before an indifferent run of form between September and January saw the club fall of the title pace. The recruitment of Terry Hennessey, Derby's first £100,000 player, from Nottingham Forest in February restored some impetus in the side and the club rallied, finishing the season 11 unbeaten, including a sequence of 6 consecutive wins, and earning a fourth placed finish, which would have claimed the club its first ever European campaign as entrants in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup but a joint FA and League disciplinary panel found the club guilty of 'gross negligence' after an unexplained gap of £3,000 in season-ticket income and payment of fees to Dave Mackay outside of the terms of his contract. The fine of £10,000 and a one-year ban from European competition saw the club bring in Preston North End secretary Stuart Webb into the club to help its administrative efficiency off the pitch match the playing efficiency on it.

Derby opened the 1970–71 season with a pre-season participation in the inaugural Watney Cup, an invitational tournament in which the top two scorers from all divisions of the Football League who had not earned promotion or European football, took part. As an invitational, the player's participation in the competition is not officially recorded in the club's records but the tournament did give Derby their first cup win since 1946, with a 4–1 win over Manchester United in the final at The Baseball Ground. This was Derby's sole participation in the tournament, which lasted only four seasons, but the victory proved to be the highlight of an otherwise unremarkable season as Derby consolidated their top-flight position with a ninth-placed finish, though Roy McFarland became the first Derby player to represent England since 1950 when he appeared against Malta, and Clough made two more key signings in the shape of Archie Gemmill, £66,000 from Preston, and again broke the club transfer record with the £170,000 capture of Sunderland's Colin Todd. Dave Mackay ended his three-year tenure at the club with his first ever ever-present campaign, a personal goal, and won the club's Player of the Year award.

1971–72: Champions of England

Described as Derby's "greatest ever season", the

The Central League for the first time since 1936. The season started in encouraging fashion, with a 12 match unbeaten run, though 7 of these were draws, only coming to an end 1–0 defeat away to Manchester United. Following a 3–0 capitulation away to title rivals Leeds United following an inconsistent period of form which saw 5 wins and 6 defeats from 11 fixtures, Clough savaged his squad and produced the desired effect – Derby lost just 3 of their remaining 19 fixtures and did enough to hold off both Leeds United and Liverpool to claim the title. A crucial Easter victory over Leeds United, 2–0 with goals from John O'Hare and a Norman Hunter own goal, was vital but a defeat by Manchester City
in City's last and Derby's penultimate match of the campaign left the title race wide open between Derby, Liverpool and Leeds.

Derby County First XI: 1971–72

Derby ended the season with a 1–0 win over title rivals Liverpool at the Baseball Ground,

Wales. Steve Powell also became Derby's youngest ever player, a record he held for almost 30 years, when he made his debut in a Texaco Cup tie against Stoke City
aged just 16 years and 30 days.

Although Derby reached the FA Cup quarter-finals (losing 1–0 to eventual runners-up Arsenal in a second replay at Filbert Street, Leicester), their primary cup success for 1971–72 came in the Texaco Cup, a competition between English, Scottish and Irish clubs who were not in European competition and featuring 16 clubs. With Derby's home gates always over 20,000 they overcame Dundee United (8–5 on aggregate), Stoke City (4–3) and Newcastle United (4–2) before playing Airdrieonians in the final. After a 0–0 draw at Broomfield Park, Derby overcame their Scottish opponents 2–1 at the Baseball Ground, with Roger Davies, signed for £12,000 the previous summer from non-league Worcester City and who scored many a crucial goal in the successful reserve team, grabbing the winner in a 2–1 victory to give Derby their second cup win in as many season.

Europe and Clough's departure

Juventus: at the end of the 3–1 defeat in Turin, Clough accused the rivals to have bribed the match officials — and called the Italians "cheating bastards" —,[2] despite the Bianconeri will prove later unrelated to any attempt to combine.[3] Derby's European adventure came at the expense of their league campaign, with a run of just 3 wins in 11 towards the end of the season contributing to a disappointing seventh-placed finish in the club's first ever title defence, as they finished the 1972–73 First Division, 14 points behind eventual winners Liverpool. One memorable match came in the club's run to the FA Cup quarter finals, in a fourth round FA Cup tie against Tottenham Hotspur. After a 1–1 draw at The Baseball Ground, Derby found themselves 3–1 down with 10 minutes to go in the replay at White Hart Lane, before Roger Davies grabbed a brace to take the game to extra time, before completing his hat-trick as Derby ran out 5–3 winners. Kevin Hector, who grabbed a brace in the match, became only the 7th Derby player to score 100 league goals when he hit the second in a 2–0 win over Coventry City in April 1973 and Derby broke the British Transfer Record for the first time in 24 years with the £250,000 capture of Leicester City's David Nish
in August 1972.

Without the distraction of European football removed, hopes where high that Derby would enter the 1973–74 season as title contenders, but the increasingly fractious relationship between Clough and the board came to a head following a 1–0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford on 13 October 1973. The club were 3rd in the table at the time. Two days later, Clough and Taylor resigned their positions as Derby County manager. Clough and Taylor had briefly resigned 18 months previously on 27 April 1972,[4] to take over at Coventry City before Longson offered them more money, and Clough's burgeoning media personality went at odds with what Longson wanted from his manager. Following the game at Old Trafford a director called Jack Kirkland demanded to know what Taylor's role within the club and the pair, feeling undermined, left their role after six and a half years in charge.

The move was received with widespread uproar from the Derby support, with the formation of a protest group, the holding of public meetings and even the backing of respected local M.P. Phillip Whitehead. However, neither the club nor Clough would back down and, after being turned down by

Dave Mackay
, then Nottingham Forest manager, who took over at the end of October 1973.

Having to contend with a discontented dressing room, who had nothing against Mackay but simply wanted Clough reinstated, and an indifferent start to his Derby management career seeing the side go winless until a December win at Newcastle united, and leave the League Cup at the first hurdle with a 3–0 mauling at the hands of lower league Sunderland, Mackay was initially under pressure. However, the signing of Swindon Town's Rod Thomas and Aston Villa's Bruce Rioch turned the club's season around and they lost only four of their last 18 fixtures to grab a third place finish and a return to European football; a fine achievement considering the tumultuous nature of the campaign.

Champions again (1974–1975)

Derby County First XI: 1974–75

Whereas Clough built his Championship winning team on discipline and a solid defence, Mackay's 1974–1975 side relied on its attacking power to overwhelm its opponents. With the goals of front three Kevin Hector, Francis Lee (a £100,000 capture from Manchester City in August 1974), and Roger Davies, all of whom hit 12 or more league goals, supplemented by midfielder Bruce Rioch, whose 15 strikes helped me finish the club's top league scorer, Derby hit Q.P.R. and Burnley 5–2 and Luton Town 5–0 (with Davies becoming the first Derby player to hit 5 goals in a match since Hughie Gallacher in 1934) to finish the season as the league's leading scorers. Such abandon often left the side defensively frail however, and there were heavy defeats along the way including a 3–0 defeats to Ipswich Town and Carlisle United, who finished the season bottom, and 4–1 to Q.P.R.

The season started in worrying fashion, with just one win in the club's opening seven fixtures, and despite a brief rally of 6 wins in 10 over September to November, a 0–1 defeat at

Peter Daniel, who stepped in for Roy McFarland who suffered an Achilles Tendon injury whilst on international duty and missed all but the last four matches, warned the club's Player of the Season award and Ron Webster became only the fifth player to break 500 appearances for Derby during his appearance in the defeat at Luton, whilst Boulton broke the record for goalkeeping appearances during the campaign, on his way to 344 appearances total for the club. Colin Todd was awarded the PFA Players' Player of the Year
award for the 1974–75 season, the only Derby County player to do so.

Although domestic cup progress was limited (only reaching the third round of the League Cup and the fifth round of the FA Cup), Derby's

penalty shootout and overcame their opponents, winning 7–6. However, that was to be as good as it got for The Rams as Yugoslavian Velež Mostar
were able to overturn a 3–1 first league deficit to win 5–4 on aggregate and reach the quarter-finals.

Missing out on the Double and a dramatic decline (1975–1984)

1975 FA Charity Shield
EventFA Charity Shield
Derby County West Ham United
2 0
Date9 August 1975
VenueWembley Stadium, London
RefereeGordon Kew
Attendance59,000
← 1974
1976 →

To maintain the momentum of winning the Championship, Mackay added more firepower to his side with the £100,000 capture of

Read Madrid, George claiming a hat-trick, in a 4–1 victory at The Baseball Ground. George grabbed another goal in the return leg at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
but Derby conceded 5 and crashed out 5–6 on aggregate.

Despite this disappointment, the club maintained a healthy tilt at the league title and were well in the race until March, when George dislocated his shoulder in a 1–1 draw at home to Stoke City saw the striker miss the run-in, with Derby taking just 6 points from the remaining 14 and finishing the season in fourth, 7 points behind winners Liverpool. Prior to this blow, the club was on a run of just 1 defeat in 11 and where scoring goals for fun – the return of 75 goals was the club's highest in a top-flight campaign since the 1930s, with Bruce Rioch, Charlie George and Francis Lee all reaching double figures.

The club had also reached the FA Cup semi finals for the first time since winning the competition in 1946, but without the inspiration of George they crashed 2–0 against Manchester United at Hillsborough and any talk of "The Double", not a fanciful notion given the club's form, disappeared. Although the season ended with a 6–2 victory over Ipswich Town at Portman Road, with Francis Lee grabbing 2 goals in the final game of his career, unbeknown to Derby County and its fans, the club's peak was passing.

Mackay's record of a League title and two top five finishes, as well as an FA Cup semi-final, in just two-and-a-half years should have made him fireproof but an alarming start to the 1976–77 season, which saw the club fail to win a league match until the 9th fixture, when they thumped Tottenham Hotspur 8–2 with Bruce Rioch grabbing four in his emergency centre forward role, had Mackay's position coming under threat. During this period the Rams did secure their biggest ever victory, with a 12–0 home demolition of Finn Harps on 15 September 1976, with Kevin Hector grabbing 5 and Leighton James, a club record £310,000 capture from Burnley, and Charlie George each grabbing hat-tricks (Rioch scored the other). The second leg was won 4–1 for a 16–1 aggregate victory, but the club exited Europe at the second stage for the second consecutive season, crashing out 5–2 on aggregate to Greek side AEK Athens, with a 3–2 home defeat the club's first ever home defeat in European competition. Following the AEK Athens defeat, a 1–1 draw away to Q.P.R. and a 0–2 defeat away to Everton, Mackay approached the board with a request for a vote of confidence. When this was not granted, Mackay's position became essentially untenable and he was sacked on 25 November 1976. As with Clough, Mackay lasted just 18 months at Derby after winning the title.

Mackay's departure triggered a revolving managerial door at Derby over the next 8 years. His immediate replacement was reserve team manager

Italy, and Ron Webster broke Steve Bloomer's 60-year-old appearance record with his 526th appearance for Derby in a 1–1 draw with Sunderland
in April 1977.

Murphy lasted just 6 games into the 1977–78 season before being replaced by former Manchester United manager Tommy Docherty. Docherty was constantly engaged in the transfer market whilst at Derby, but the only truly successful capture was Steve Buckley, a £163,000 signing from Luton Town who was Derbys first choice leftback for the next 8 years. In his two years in charge at Derby, Docherty could only oversee 12th placed and 19th placed finishes. During his spell, the backbone of Derby's glory era departed, as Colin Boulton, Colin Todd, Archie Gemmill, Kevin Hector Charlie George and Leighton James either retired or were sold and on and not adequately replaced, with Docherty's "three Van Goghs" midfield trio of Bruce Rioch, Gerry Daly and Don Masson flopped in particular. Docherty was unpopular amongst fans now used to success and it was with a sense of relief when he resigned in May 1979 to take over at Q.P.R.

For all his faults, however, Docherty had kept an increasingly ailing Derby County side in the top flight and this proved impossible for Colin Addison the following season. Addison spent heavily in his attempt to preserve Derby's top-flight status, with £1m spent on Barry Powell, Alan Biley and Dave Swindlehurst, with Swindlehurst being the club's first £400,000 player. Against a background of turmoil, with various changes of chairman and a police investigation into alleged boardroom corruption during the summer of 1979, Derby could only record a finish of 21st out of 22 teams, 5 points from safety and exited the top flight after 11 years and 2 titles with a whimper.

Derby's first second tier fixture for 11 years saw them crash 3–0 at

Bradford City
.

Derby entered the

Peter Taylor
.

Since Taylor had left the club 9 years previously he had won two

Champions of Europe
at the time 2–0 at The Baseball Ground in a fractious FA Cup third-round tie before being knocked out in the 5th round 1–0 against Manchester United.

With the team of Taylor and McFarland leading the team to an impressive second half of the season, hopes were raised for the

Customs and Excise issued winding up petitions on the club. The true extent of the club's financial woes were born out when they could not afford to pay Telford United their share of the gate receipts after and FA Cup 4th round tie (the club eventually reached the quarter finals, their best run for seven years) and Stuart Webb was appointed a director and set about acquiring shares and striving to attract investors to the club and cottoned onto media proprietor Robert Maxwell, who was owner of Oxford United. Maxwell, who appeared to have vast wealth at his disposal, helped the directors raise the £220,000 necessary to lift the petitions and Derby survived off the pitch. On the pitch however, things fell to a new low. With Derby clear in the high court, Taylor was fired as manager following a 5–1 defeat at Barnsley, with the club having won just 31 points from 33 games, and McFarland was appointed until the end of the season. Although the club rallied under McFarland, securing 4 wins and a draw from these final nine fixtures, they were relegated to the now-national Third Division
in 1984, their centenary year, in 20th place, 5 points from safety.

Consecutive promotions and Top Flight return (1984–1991)

Having just clinched promotion to Division One with an exciting Newcastle United side, Arthur Cox left St James' Park on a point of contract and Derby wasted no time in appointing him as manager in May 1984. He was the club's 9th manager in less than 11 years, a damning statistic, but Cox was a huge success at Derby and became their longest serving manager since George Jobey, with Roy McFarland stepping back into the position of Assistant Manager.

Whilst Derby were now under the control of the Maxwell family, with

Kevin Wilson for £150,000 to Ipswich Town helped fund moves for Trevor Christie, Gary Micklewhite and Geraint Williams. Of the players at the club when Cox arrive, the key man was Peter Taylor signing Bobby Davison, who became the first Derby player to hit 20 league goals in a single campaign since Kevin Hector in 1967–68 when he hit 24 goals in 46 matches to finish as the club's leading scorer for the third consecutive season.

Arthur Cox

The following season Davison was again top scorer and, alongside new signings such as

Oldham Athletic the club went unbeaten at The Baseball Ground in the league for the rest of the season. Bobby Davison (who finished top league scorer for the fifth season on a row, with 19 strikes, taking his league tally to 82 in 5 years) and Phil Gee
grabbed 32 goals between them, half of Derby's total, and Cox's team set a club record with 11 away league victories to secure a return to top-flight football after a traumatic seven years away.

Derby's upturn in form had also sparked an upturn in attendances, which had fallen dramatically during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

With Derby back in the top flight,

Mark Wright, at a cost of £760,000, and Peter Shilton from Southampton. Both played a key role as the club fought hard to secure a 15th-placed finish, eight points clear of relegation, although an eight-match mid-season losing run prevented them from finishing higher. Using safety as a momentum, Cox infused some extra class into the squad with Newcastle United's Paul Goddard and Oxford United's Trevor Hebberd. Hebberd's Oxford teammate Dean Saunders joined the club in October 1988 as Derby's first £1million signing, the club reached the dizzy heights of 5th in the 1988–89 Division One table. This was Cox's team at its peak and, as Peter Shilton put it, it was a "battling fifth"[5] and further investment was required if Derby were to maintain the surge back to their peak. Maxwell, however, was drawing away from the club; critical of attendances (The Baseball Ground as this point could hold only 25,000 spectators and only broke 20,000 on three occasions) and at war with the football league as they blocked his attempts to add Watford to his portfolio of clubs and lent money to Tottenham Hotspur.[6]

He eventually put the club up for sale in September 1990, putting it into limbo as it was unable to buy players or even bring any in on loan. Form declined badly and key players departed –

1990 World Cup semi-finals the club could only manage a 16th-place finish in 1989–90 and endured an even worse campaign the following year. Between December 1990 and April 1991 the club went a club record 20 games without a win and equalled the worst ever home league defeat when they crashed 7–1 at home to Liverpool. Gates dropped to just over 11,000 from an opening match crowd of 18,011 against Sheffield United
and the team looked a shadow of the one that had finished fifth two years before as they were relegated in bottom place with just 5 wins and 24 points from 38 games, a massive 13 points from safety.

Big spending playoff contenders (1991–1995)

Despite such struggles Saunders had managed an impressive 17 goals, almost half of Derby's 37 total, and it was no surprise that the club failed to hold on to him as he was sold to

Football League playoffs for the first time since they had been introduced in 1987. Facing off against fellow big spenders Blackburn Rovers, Derby fell at the semi-final stage as a 2–1 win at The Baseball Ground wasn't enough to overcome a 4–2 defeat at Ewood Park in the first leg and they crashed out 4–5 on aggregate and missed out on the opportunity to be a part of the inaugural Premier League, instead spending the 1992–93 season in the renamed Division One
.

Despite the addition of

Cremonese – and recorded a club record 7 consecutive away league wins, starting with a 3–1 win at Cambridge United on 3 October 1992 and ending with a 2–1 defeat at Brentford on Boxing Day, 1992, the season was seen as something of a disappointment considering the amount of money spent and the players available to the club.

1994 Football League Division One play-off Final
Leicester City Derby County
2 1
Date30 May 1994
VenueWembley Stadium, London
Attendance73,671
← 1993
1995 →

The Anglo Italian cup run, coupled with extended interest in the

FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time in 9 years, taking Sheffield Wednesday to a replay after a 3–3 draw at The Baseball Ground meant the cup took part in 64 matches between 15 August 1992 and 8 May 1993, a new club record with Paul Kitson taking part in 61 of them and finishing the season as leading scorer, with 24 goals in all competitions. Arthur Cox retired in October of the 1993–94 season
, citing severe back problems, leaving the role after 9 years in charge.

He was replaced by his assistant

Bradford City
.

Premier Rams and Pride Park Stadium (1995–2002)

A host of names were linked with the Baseball Ground managerial spot – including

Robin Van Der Laan (£475,000 and Lee Mills) from Port Vale, Sean Flynn (a £250,000 makeweight in the Paul Williams deal), Gary Rowett (another makeweight, this time in exchange for Craig Short), Darryl Powell for £750,000 from Portsmouth and Ron Willems for £280,000 from Swiss champions Grasshopper Zürich. Smith's eye for capturing players such as Rowett and Flynn in part exchange deals, as well as the fact that most of Cox's big money buys had held a large percentage of their value, meant that his transfer dealings did not hit the red until the signing of Ashley Ward for £1m from Norwich City
in March 1996.

"My brief was to reduce the wage bill and get some money in. "The board told me I could then have some of the cash to buy players, and they've kept their word. Mr Pickering's excited by the way things are shaping, so maybe he'll make more available. There's a buzz about the place, and I have a genuine feeling we can achieve success this season."

- Jim Smith prior to the 1995/96 promotion season[7]

Employing his new signings alongside incumbent players such as

Robin Van Der Laan ensured the club won 2–1 to secure 2nd place and a return to the top flight, and a first season in the Premier League
, after a five-year absence. Smith became the first man to earn promotion at the first attempt in the club's history and had managed it with very little outlay, using his knowledge and experience to shape an attacking outfit which played football the right way.

The biggest event of the 1995–96 season, however, wasn't Derby's promotion but the announcement prior to a 1–1 draw with Luton Town on 21 February 1996, that the club would leave the Baseball Ground. Derby's home since 1894, The Baseball Ground had been reduced to just 18,000 seat due to the legal requirement for all seater stadia, and the club's revenue opportunities were held back by limited attendances and the move to a purpose built, 30,000 seater stadium, later name Pride Park Stadium, on the Pride Park business park just outside Derby city centre, was born more of necessity then desire. The Baseball Ground's location in residential area meant that after all alternatives had been explored, including the renovating the Baseball Ground to a 26,000 all-seater arena, it was decided it would be of more benefit for the club to move instead, with it being announced that the stadium would be completed for the start of the 1997–1998 season.

Smith prepared for Derby's first tilt at the Premiership with the signing of two players who had competed at

the treble in his first 3 months at Old Trafford
. The 1998–99 season was Jim Smith's Derby County peak, as the financial demands of Premier League football began to catch up with them.

Several key players left in the build-up to the

refused entry back into Britain after a club training break in Portugal when immigration officials discovered that his Italian passport was forged; Derby were able to recoup his fee by transferring him to French side Lens
for £2.8m.

Although the improved end to the season had given fresh hope that the impetus of the late 1990s could be revived, such plans were dashed when the club took 14 matches to record its first league win of the

Sunderland
which took the club to 30 points, their lowest return for 11 years, and 19th place.

Back in the Football League (2002–2006)

Derby had budgeted for a fourth bottom finish (i.e. survival) in the Premier League and when this was not achieved the club was once again plunged into financial crisis.

Lee Grant, Pablo Mills, Izale McLeod and Lee Camp all handed debuts throughout the course of the season. Although the club won its first game following the exodus 3–0 against Rotherham United[16] they then embarked on 9 match winless streak which seriously threatened relegation. The eight match of this run was a 0–3 defeat by Nottingham Forest and Gregory was suspended the next day, the club alleging serious misconduct. Nothing specific was ever offered and the next board had to pay Gregory a seven figure settlement. Gregory's replacement (initially on a short-term contract until the end of the season but then appointed full-time) was former Ipswich Town boss George Burley. His remit was simple: avoid relegation. A 2–1 win over Norwich City in Burley's first match got his reign off to the perfect start, and although only 6 points were taken from the next 6 games, it was enough to finish 18th in the league with 52 points, 6 clear of relegated Sheffield Wednesday
in 22nd.

Burley's first full season in charge brought little joy, as they recorded a

Candido Costa was taken on a season long loan whilst seven others – including Mathias Svensson and Leon Osman – were recruited on short-term loans, as Derby used a club record 36 different players in the course of the season. Of the eight loanees, only Everton's Osman made a significant impact[17] and without him Derby could well have been relegated, as the club collected almost half of its 52 points from his 17 games. There was also the continued introduction of academy players to the side, with Tom Huddlestone and Marcus Tudgay making significant contributions alongside players such as Lee Grant and Lee Holmes. Burley achieved safety against a background of boardroom uncertainty – Chairman Lionel Pickering, after putting temporary faith in former Coventry City chairman Bryan Richardson and a notional £30m bond, was removed from the chair after the club temporarily entered receivership by The Co-operative Bank, who instantly installed a new board composed of John Sleightholme, Jeremy Keith and Steve Harding, for the cost of £1
each.

With no money to spend, Burley played the markets and made two key free signings in

Tommy Smith) Derby enjoyed a splendid second half to the season, recording just 6 defeats in their final 24 fixtures, including a run of 1 defeat in 14, and equalled the club record for away wins in a season and setting a club record of 6 consecutive away victories. However, the club entered the Playoffs without the presence of key duo Rasiak and Idiakez – both unavailable through injury – and a 2–0 defeat in the first leg away to Preston North End proved impossible to overturn in the second leg at Pride Park, which finished 0–0 in front of a crowd of over 31,000. Behind the scenes circumstances were deteriorating, and Burley left his position, citing interference from football agent turned Director of Football Murdo Mackay, and the sale of Huddlestone, to Tottenham Hotspur, against his wishes. Financial circumstances were worsening as the debt spiralled to £30m plus, despite Burley building success on the pitch without using any transfer funds. A refinancing scheme was put in place which saw Pride Park sold to the "mysterious"[18] Panama-based ABC Corporation and the club paying rent of £1m a year to play there, which local journalist Gerald Mortimer described as "an affront.. to those who put everything into building (the ground)."[18]

Burley was replaced by

League One side Colchester United.[19] He was replaced by Academy Coach Terry Westley who made key captures in Alan Wright, Kevin Lisbie and Michael McIndoe as well as introduced youngsters such as Lewin Nyatanga and Giles Barnes
into regular first team action. Although results did not improve dramatically (most games ended in draws, taking the club to a record 20 draws in a single campaign) Derby managed to take 18 points from their final 16 games and avoided relegation, finishing 20th.

Former Rams chairman Peter Gadsby

Again, however, the season was overshadowed by confusion off the pitch. The ownership trio of Sleightholme, Keith and Harding, dubbed "The Three Amigos", came under increasing criticism from the Derby support, with two separate supporters groups set up in protest of their ownership in the form of the RamsTrust and the Rams Protest Group (RPG). When Derbyshire Constabulary received allegations of financial irregularities, Sleightholme resigned his position as chairman in April 2006, stating "My position has been made untenable. Recently it has come to my attention that meetings have been held, important decisions taken and documents signed without my knowledge. Important information has been withheld from me."[20] A group of local businessmen, dubbed "The League of Gentlemen" by the local press, and led by former board member Peter Gadsby, emerged to take over the club at the end of April 2006, although Jeremy Keith, with the back of London venture capital company SISU, fought hard to retain control. It was revealed that the debt had risen to £52million, with the Gadsby-led consortium injecting more than £20million, paying off the ABC Corporation loan and negotiated a deal over the remaining debt with the Co-operative Bank, as well as returning Pride Park to club ownership.[21] Three years later, Murdo Mackay, Jeremy Keith and finance director Andrew McKenzie were charged with taking a secret commission worth £440,625 from the club and were each sentenced to a combined seven and a half years in prison.[22]

Promotion and the Premiership nightmare (2006–2008)

Further information:
2007 Football League Championship play-off Final
2007 Football League Championship play-off Final
Derby County West Bromwich Albion
1 0
Date28 May 2007
Venue
2006–07 Championship playoffs
.

In the semi-finals the club were drawn against 6th placed

St. Mary's in the first leg, a dramatic 120th-minute strike by former Ram Grzegorz Rasiak took the game to penalties after the match finished 3–2 to Southampton after extra time in the second leg at Pride Park. Another former Derby favourite, Iñigo Idiakez, missed the decisive penalty to see Derby through to the newly completed Wembley Stadium to face off against West Bromwich Albion in the 2007 Football League Championship play-off final.[27]
The match was dubbed "The £60m Final" (in reference to what the winning club would expect to earn as a result of competing in the Premiership[28]) and, after three failed attempts, Derby finally won promotion via the playoffs thanks to Stephen Pearson's 61st-minute goal, his first for the club, proving the decisive moment in a 1–0 victory. Davies praised the players "great courage", emphasising the importance of scoring the first goal and making note of how organised and well-prepared his side had been, adding promotion was "a dream come true."[29] The day after the game, thousands of Derby County supporters lined the streets of the city as the club's staff and players took part in an open top bus tour.[30]

In preparation for the club's return to the Premier League, Davies spent the summer busily improving the playing and backroom staff, strengthening the squad with established Premier League players such as

Aston Villa (0–2) being followed by a 5–0 home defeat against a West Ham side ravaged by injuries. After taking just 6 points from 14 matches Davies left by mutual consent[37] The move was seen to be more as a result of Davies publicly questioning Adam Pearson's chairmanship of the club in a post-match interview following a 2–0 home defeat by Chelsea than actual results (as Pearson publicly gave Davies his backing a few weeks previously), with some supporters suggesting Davies engineered his dismissal as he was unable to turn the club around. Within two days of Davies's dismissal, on 26 November 2007, Derby appointed highly rated former Wigan manager Paul Jewell.[38] On 28 January 2008, it was announced that Derby had been purchased by American group General Sports and Entertainment, with Tom Glick taking the role of new president and chief executive.[39] and although Jewell frantically tried to restructure the playing staff in the January 2008 transfer window, selling several players and bringing eight new players in, including Everton defender Alan Stubbs,[40] ex-England international defender Danny Mills on loan from Manchester City and Blackburn midfielder Robbie Savage[41] results did not improve and Derby's relegation was confirmed on 29 March 2008, the first time a club had been relegated from the division before April[42] and sealing the club's first immediate relegation following promotion in its history. Poor results continued: a 6–0 home defeat at the hands of Aston Villa on 12 April 2008 is the biggest defeat at Pride Park and, by the season's end, they had recorded the Premier League's lowest points total (11).[43] and equalled Loughborough's
108-year Football League record of going through an entire season with only one win.

The Championship years (2008–2022)

Despite such an embarrassing relegation from the Premier League, hopes were high of an immediate return, especially after manager

League Cup final four, where they lost 4–3 on aggregate to eventual winners Manchester United. Jewell was replaced by Nigel Clough, manager of local non-league club Burton Albion and son of the club's greatest ever manager Brian. Despite overseeing two defeats in his first two games, Clough soon turned the club's form around, taking them to the 5th round of the FA Cup and just 3 defeats in 13 matches, a run which included 4 consecutive wins. A run of three consecutive defeats in mid April meant that survival wasn't guaranteed until the penultimate game of the season when Player of the Year Rob Hulse scored the winner in a 1–0 win over Charlton Athletic at Pride Park
.

With money tight, Clough was forced to cobble together a team from free transfers and loan deals ahead of the 2009–10 season, with

Division One Central Section campaign, which saw them finish top and become the first Derby reserves team to win the title since Arthur Cox's reserves claimed it in the 1985/86 season. It was also the first time a Derby County reserves side had won its respective division since the club successfully captured the Premier Reserve League
in 2000/01.

In the 2010–11 season, the club entered the season with odds of 25/1 for the title, the same as the previous year, 6–1 to be promoted and 8–1 to be relegated.

Leeds United's 27,299 and the 15th best in the country. It was also higher than the average gate of seven Premier League clubs.[49][50]

In the 2011–12 season Derby started the season well, winning their first 4 league games in August, which was also the club's best league start since the 1905–06 season.

Football League from 2012, as revenue from the Plaza was intended to be reinvested back into the club.[57] The planned development also coincided with plans from the City Council to build a multi-use sports arena on the same site as the proposed Plaza.[58] Derby City Council's Planning Control Committee gave planning permission for The Plaza @ Pride Pride Park development in January 2012,[59] with chief executive Tom Glick stating the club had started looking for a development company to build the plaza.[59]

Nigel Clough described the club's 2012–13 campaign as being "Frustratingly close to being in the top six (but) we were also very pleased with the level of performances, home and away."[60] Steve Nicholson of the Derby Telegraph added that Derby's 10th-placed finish was "thoroughly deserved" and noted that only the small size of the squad, combined with injuries and a lack of signings in the January transfer window, meant that the club did not qualify for the playoffs. He also praised Derby's home form, their best in six years, and noted that "foundations are in place" for a top six finish.[61][62] Derby finished seven points off the play-offs, with poor away form being another factor in missing out on the top, however they again showed decent home form, but the cup results were a disappointment, losing in the First Round of the League Cup and Fourth round of the FA Cup.

Clough was sacked nine games into the

Brighton & Hove Albion 6–2 on aggregate in the semifinals, although in the finals they lost 1–0 to Queens Park Rangers in the 89th minute.[63]
McClaren also saw The Rams beat their record for most goals scored in one season (84 goals).

The 2014–15 season saw Derby competing at the top end of the Championship for much of the season, even leading the table going into March. However, a slump in performances and a poor run of form towards the end of the season in which Derby only picked up two wins in thirteen matches saw them slide down to eighth, not only missing out on automatic promotion, but the play-off positions as well. As a result of this, on 25 May 2015 Steve McClaren was sacked.[64]

Paul Clement was announced as McClaren's successor ahead of the 2015–16 season,[65] with local businessman Mel Morris named as the new Club Chairman. Pre-season spending saw Derby twice break their club-record transfer fee, with the £4,750,000 signing of Hull City's Tom Ince[66] followed by the capture of Norwich City's Bradley Johnson for £6,000,000[67] as part of an unprecedented £24,000,000 outlay. The season started very strongly, with just two defeats in the opening half of the season seeing Derby sitting at the top of the table with 47 points after 23 games.[68] Results started to falter after a 2–2 draw with Leeds United and, following a 1–1 draw with Reading, Chairman Mel Morris entered the changing room to criticise the players' performance and cancel a training camp in Saudi Arabia, telling the players "You're not training in the sun, you're training in the mud." Following a seven-match winless run which saw the club drop to 5th place in the table, Clement was sacked on 8 February 2016, though Morris said the sacking was not due to results but because "not enough progress had been made" in the club's playing style. Academy director Darren Wassall was appointed as coach for the remainder of the season.[69] Derby finished fifth in the league, qualifying for the play-offs, but lost 3–2 on aggregate to eventual winners Hull in semi finals.

Former Leicester City boss Nigel Pearson was appointed head coach in May 2016.

training ground altercation with Mel Morris compounded already growing concerns over his management methods[74] Assistant manager Chris Powell took over in a caretaker role for two games until Pearson was sacked on 8 October.[75]

"Mel Morris (is) a micro-manager who demands success and is not known for his patience - four managers in just over a year testify to that. But it is his club, his £100m-plus investment, and he will run it his way."

- Pat Murphy on Mel Morris[76]

Although

Brighton, which included a performance that Mel Morris described as being "far from what we expect to see from those wearing a Derby County shirt."[76] Two days later, former player Gary Rowett was appointed as Derby boss, Derby's third manager of the season and Morris' fifth manager in 13 months.[77] Rowett signed a contract until the end of the 2018–19 season.[78]
and took 15 points for the final nine games to guide them to a 9th-placed finish.

The club endured three unsuccessful play-off campaigns, failing in the semi-finals twice and losing in the 2019 final to Aston Villa. In May 2021, the club, now managed by Wayne Rooney, narrowly avoided relegation to League One.[79] Earlier, in October 2020, it was announced that Morris was intending to sell the club and was actively seeking new owners.[80] In May 2021, the club, by then managed by Wayne Rooney, narrowly avoided relegation to League One.[79] Earlier, in October 2020, it was announced that Morris was intending to sell the club and was actively seeking new owners.[80] A potential deal with a Middle Eastern-backed company was discontinued in March 2021, after which an agreed sale to a Spanish businessman, Erik Alonso,[81] also fell through after doubts about Alonso's funding emerged,[82] alongside possible EFL sanctions regarding breaches of financial fair play regulations[83] and a deduction of nine points remained under consideration in mid-September 2021.[84] On 8 July 2021, the EFL imposed a transfer embargo on the club,[85] leaving Rooney with a squad of just nine contracted senior professionals.[86] The EFL later relaxed the embargo but said any deals would have strict wage limits.[87] Following a long-term injury to Colin Kazim-Richards in the early stage of the 2021–22 season, the club were given special dispensation by the EFL to bring in veteran defender Phil Jagielka and striker Sam Baldock.[88]

On 17 September 2021, the club's board of directors announced that the club was to go into administration, and the EFL confirmed Derby faced a 12-point deduction.[89] Having invested "in excess of £200m" in the club, owner Mel Morris apologised to fans and staff about the club going into administration.[90] Relegated in May 2021, former Championship club Wycombe Wanderers considered legal action against Derby County following the administration announcement,[91] as did Middlesbrough.[92] On 22 September 2021, the club formally went into administration and were deducted 12 points, leaving them bottom of the Championship.[93] During October and November 2021, former Derby owner Andy Appleby,[94] US businessman Chris Kirchner,[95] and Sandy and James Easdale,[96] were named as interested parties as administrators looked for a buyer for the club, planning to shortlist three preferred bidders by the end of 2021. However, a quick sale was unlikely pending discussions with HMRC, and confirmation of Derby's full liabilities.[94] On 16 November, the club had a further deduction of nine points for breaching EFL accounting rules, leaving the club on −3, 18 points from safety. A further three-point deduction, for breaches of EFL profitability and sustainability rules, was suspended.[97] Derby and related companies were reported to owe £29.3m to HMRC. Other liabilities included a £20m loan from US investment group MSD Holdings, plus various football and trade creditors owed around £15m.[98]

On 21 November 2021, Quantuma said it hoped to identify a preferred buyer "in the next two to three weeks", with Kirchner the only potential buyer to have publicly confirmed his interest.[99] On 2 December, after press speculation that the club might go into liquidation due to the scale of its debts, Rooney insisted that was not an option.[100] On 18 December, he said three bids had been received and a preferred bidder should be announced by Christmas,[101] and administrators hoped to complete a sale "in or around February 2022".[102] On 24 December, Kirchner withdrew his bid.[103] Then, on 7 January 2022, former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley was reported to be interested in buying the club.[104]

On 14 January 2022, with no immediate prospect of Derby County's purchase (hampered by the legal actions involving Middlesbrough and Wycombe), the EFL gave administrators until 1 February 2022 to provide information about how they intended to fund the club until the end of the season.[105] The Middlesbrough and Wycombe claims, if proved, could leave Derby with liabilities running into millions (the BBC suggested as much as £60 million),[106] because football debts must be paid in full. Consequently, potential purchasers were unwilling to commit to buying the club. As a result, the BBC reported on 17 January that Derby's administrators could seek a legal ruling that the claims do not fall within the normal "football-related" agreements over issues such as transfer fees and ticket sales.[107] Middlesbrough and Wycombe subsequently said they were willing to discuss a possible compromise.[108] On 20 January, the club's administrators committed to providing the EFL with funding information "within days", after the EFL said "the club will run out of cash by February".[109] The following day, another bid to buy the club, from the Binnie family, founders of US investment company Carlisle Capital, was reported, but the £28m offer did not include the stadium, against which the MSD Holdings loan was secured.[110] Following the Binnie bid, and reports that former chairman Andy Appleby was working on an alternative bid that included the stadium, the EFL and administrators Quantuma were due to meet on 25 January to discuss the club's future.[111]

On 27 January 2022, Quantuma and the EFL announced that administrators had been given an extra month to provide proof of how Derby would be funded for the rest of the season.

Huddersfield.[113] On 4 February, trying to "unlock the impasse" over Derby's sale, former owner, Mel Morris, invited Middlesbrough and Wycombe to take their compensation claims to the High Court against him personally.[114] On 11 February, it was announced that Morris had reached a private "accord" with Middlesbrough's owner and details had been shared with the administrators,[115] but there was no update regarding Wycombe's claim.[116] As the 28 February deadline approached without news of a sale,[117] the EFL called for an urgent funding update from Quantuma.[118][116] On 1 March, it was reported the EFL had no plans to expel the club despite administrators missing the deadline,[119] and a defeat at Cardiff City left Derby eight points from safety with 11 Championship games to play.[120] On 2 March, the administrators said they had sought "further requests for clarity from prospective purchasers" and hoped to be able to name a preferred bidder "shortly".[121] The EFL said the "lack of progress" in naming a preferred bidder, or providing proof of funding, was "threatening the very future of Derby County".[121] Even after Quantuma provided a forecast showing the club had "sufficient cash" to get to the end of the season, the EFL still felt "a number of challenges" remained.[122]

On 4 March 2022, Quantuma said it was in "active dialogue" with potential buyers: "Due to the complex nature of the mechanics of the bids received, it is necessary for us to work through each of these matters individually, to ensure the bids meet our terms of purchase. ... We remain confident that we will be in a position to name a preferred bidder shortly."[123] However, on 10 March, the Binnie family ended their bid to buy the club after a £30 million offer was rejected by Quantuma as too low, with the administrators thought to be seeking bids of around £50 million.[124] Meanwhile, and subject to completion of international paperwork, Derby sold Polish international winger, Kamil Jóźwiak, to US MLS side Charlotte FC for £2 million - funds that would help the club survive to the end of the season.[125] A preferred bidder had still not been announced by the end of March 2022, with Quantuma disappointed at "attempts by some parties to delay and undermine the process".[126] Manager Wayne Rooney said: "I don't know where the club's going, I don't know if the club's going to be here next season."[127]

On 6 April 2022, with the club nine points from safety with six matches remaining, Chris Kirchner was confirmed by Quantuma as the preferred bidder, having recently renewed interest in Derby County following a failed attempt to buy Championship rivals Preston North End. The administrators said his offer "represents the best deal for creditors and one which will secure the long-term future of the club", but did not include the stadium (owned by former majority shareholder Mel Morris), about which further negotiation would be needed. The arrangements were also subject to review by the EFL.[128] With games running out and a third spell of third-tier football looking increasingly likely, Rooney talked about the continuing transfer embargo ("You cannot just pick players out of thin air"), and a 15-point penalty remained a possibility if outstanding debts were not settled in line with EFL insolvency rules.[129]

Following a defeat at QPR on 18 April 2022, Derby County were relegated to League One.[130] With a final-day defeat by Cardiff City, the club ultimately finished 23rd on 34 points, seven points from safety.[131] Kirchner subsequently confirmed that Derby's business plan would be handed to the EFL for approval on 22 April, with the club set to abide by EFL rules on paying creditors to avoid a 15-point penalty next season.[132] On 28 April 2022, Rooney said he expected Kirchner's takeover to be completed within 10 days. Until the sale was agreed, and EFL checks had been completed, Derby remained under a transfer embargo, with only five first-team players contracted beyond June 2022. Rooney also said that Derby City Council was working towards a deal to purchase the club's ground,[133] but on 8 May an "impasse" in negotiations over the ground's purchase was reported to be holding up the takeover deal,[134] and the exclusivity period for the Kirchner takeover bid was extended.[135] On 17 May 2022, Quantuma exchanged contracts for the club's sale to Kirchner with completion scheduled by 31 May 2022,[136] later revised to 1 June 2022.[137] Local businessmen, 'Team Derby' MPs and city council bosses continued to work on a deal to purchase Pride Park, so that the Kirchner takeover could be completed.[136] However, the takeover remained incomplete into early June,[138] and Kirchner was given until 5pm on Friday, 10 June 2022, to provide evidence that he could complete the club's purchase. Quantuma also engaged with other interested parties, including Mike Ashley, as "a contingency measure".[139] The deadline passed without any confirmation from Kirchner, and the BBC said the hold-up related to funds awaiting anti-money laundering approvals.[140] With fixture announcements imminent, the EFL sought to become more closely involved in the sale, "increasingly concerned" that the delays presented "a real risk to the integrity of next season's competition".[141]

On 13 June 2022, Kirchner withdrew his bid to buy Derby County.[142] Quantuma resumed negotiations with a consortium led by former chairman Andy Appleby. Mike Ashley was reported as having renewed his interest in purchasing the club,[143] but had started a court action regarding comments allegedly made by Quantuma's Carl Jackson.[144] Housebuilding tycoon, and former Wolves chairman, Steve Morgan, was also reported to be interested.[145] Discussions were not reopened with the Binnie family,[146] but at least eight groups were reportedly interested,[147] but the EFL was prevented by privacy agreements from dealing directly with bidders.[148] The Appleby group submitted its bid on 16 June 2022, with Appleby potentially a "trusted" buyer after years of previous involvement.[147] Quantuma had earlier revealed that HMRC's claim for unpaid taxes had risen to £36m, while the club owed finance company MSD £24m. Quantuma had also incurred costs of £2.1m in the first six months of the club's administration.[147] Payment of the club's June wages bill was likely to require external funding,[147][149] adding to the costs to be borne by any successful bidder. It was also unclear if any bidder would pay the sum Kirchner had agreed to, including paying football creditors in full and a minimum of 25p in the pound to other creditors, raising the potential of a 15-point deduction for Derby in the 2022–23 season.[148][149] On 24 June 2022, Rooney quit as Derby's manager with immediate effect;[150] Liam Rosenior became interim manager.[151]

On 26 June 2022, after Derbyshire-based property developer David Clowes had purchased Pride Park,[152] his bid to buy the club was accepted, and Quantuma granted Clowes preferred bidder status. The administrators said Clowes's offer complied with EFL insolvency policy, meaning Derby would avoid a further points deduction. Completion of the acquisition of the business and the assets of the club was initially targeted for 29 June;[153] the deal - and the club's exit from administration - was eventually confirmed on 1 July 2022,[154] though some constraints on transfers were agreed by the EFL and Derby's new owners.[155] The club's transfer embargo was finally lifted in May 2023.[156]

League One (2022–present)

In September 2022, Derby approached Rotherham United to request permission to speak to Paul Warne,[157] who was announced as the club's new head coach on a four-year-deal on 22 September 2022.[158] The side vied for promotion, but missed out on the League One play-offs, finishing 7th, after a 1–0 defeat by Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough on 7 May 2023.[159] In the 2023–24 season, they were promoted back to the Championship as runners-up with their highest ever points tally.[160]

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External links

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