Bontddu Ram

A stranger we had yet to meet.
Our paths had never crossed.
And yet, it seems, we knew him well,
A dear friend we have lost.
A heart of gold, a Kindly soul,
A friendly word to each.
A clumsy gaff may oft appear,
But ne’er offence be reached.
A call to arms, a plea for fight,
A positive embrace.
Defiant stance, a pumping fist,
A smile on his face.
Hatred of pink, and all things red,
More strangers for him to meet.
“A sea of black and white” he’d call,
“Let’s all stand at our seat”!
A disregard for marriage,
for relationships of two,
“Never, ever” he would wail,
“That would never do”!
Yet he loved all, and we loved him.
His quirks always forgiven,
His stubbornness frustrated,
But missed, now he’s in Heaven.
The truest Ram, amongst us all,
Now gone for evermore.
For Daniel, for DCFC
Let’s all be more B4
xxx
🐏🤍

So, it seems it wasn’t just me he was looking out for when posting about my own troubles on here. 
It appears he’s PM’d pretty much every one of us in our hours of need, and offered his unique advise to us all… and all in private!
B4 the agony aunt!  Who knew!  
😁❤️

Well, I guess we know the answer to his question. 
What do you guys think 
A lot of you B4. We think a lot of you. Rest peacefully.

Daniel's dad reads the Forum and will see your messages of support.
 
 

Just come on to catch up on the afternoon's "Great day at the office", and was immediately hit with this thunderbolt!
Utterly gutted!  😢
Yes, he's wound me up in the past, on occasion.  Sometimes I've had a nibble at him.  Sometimes I've bit my tongue and said nowt.
But oh so much more than that, his total and utter positivity was never disregarded, and his loyalty to, and passion for, DCFC was never... ever... doubted.
I'm not ashamed to say, He's been... and will remain for eternity... more of a Ram than I'll ever be.  🐏
 
Such devastating news does indeed put everything into perspective. 
Today's game comes a distant second behind this... even to the point that I'm really not in the mood any more, for a catch up on the matchday thread... but do you know what... today was precisely the sort of performance and result that would have delighted him... and just what he would normally have predicted with his blind, unwavering faith.  Despite my mood, I'm gonna read the lot... and read every single word in his memory... with a raised glass in hand! 🍻
I hope you were watching from above, B4, (Of course you were... silly me!) and I hope it put a massive grin on your face... and a spring in your step, now you are finally free at last, from your physical pains.
Feel free to bellow through the clouds "I told you so"!   😁
I'm sure many of us will mark your gut-wrenching passing in any number of ways in the coming matches... be that privately and/or publicly, and it is no less than you deserve.
I won't hesitate to twirl my scraver in your honour at future games, and my DCFC flange will forever be at half mast.  
Sleep well, dear Buddy.  Up The Rams.  See you at the promotion party.
xxx
😢🍻🐏

We need to have a whip round for a big flange. Just a thought.

First and foremost, my thoughts are with Daniel's friends and family, I cannot imagine what they are going through right now.
I heard the news last night and it came as a huge shock, B4 as we knew him so fondly by will be a huge loss to the forum.
He was Mr Positivity, Derby County's biggest cheerleader, even during the bad times his positivity would shine through.
I know his Dad was at the game today with a scarf on his seat, whilst we haven't closed the gap on Portsmouth in Daniel's final rallying call on this forum, I'm sure he will be over the moon with the 3 goals and 3 points today.
DCFC Fans will be honouring Daniel in time to ensure he remains in our memories, we will also be contacting the club in due course to see what can be done during a game.
Suggestions are welcomed as we all come to terms with the loss.
Rest in peace Daniel. ❤️🐏

I have some very sad news this evening.  Daniel (B4) died earlier this week. He was just 38.
As you know, he has been battling numerous health conditions for a long time, but always remained cheerful  and was the most loyal supporter of his beloved Rams, home and away.
He was at the match at Crewe and gave his full support as always. 
Daniel leaves behind a grieving dad, mum and sister. Our thoughts go out to them and we only hope they get a little comfort from knowing how well loved Daniel is by all who know him. 
Here are a couple of photos that his dad agreed could be shared. I'm sure many of you have others, as Daniel loved a selfie at the game.
David is hoping to arrange a more fitting tribute in time, but for now please raise a glass in his memory and a good Derby win today. I am sure that's what Daniel would have been doing tonight.
 

Well he did spill it and it did end 2-2 so every other stat is irrelevant, as it has been in football since the game began.

Moan away. The rest of us, including the person that matters most will carry on supporting him.

Can't believe what robots our players are. Can't they think for themselves? Warne told them precisely what to do vs Northampton, they follow his instructions to the letter, and we win easily and play good stuff.
Then for sone reason today, he tells them to play totally differently and we are 2-0 down to Crewe reserves. Thank god Warne woke up in the final 5 mins and told them how to score 2 goals. But, you have to ask, why did Warne tell them the players to keep scuffing their shots for 85 mins plus?
Anyway, the future is bright, our squad is worth a fortune. No group of footballers has ever been able to follow out precise instructions so perfectly. We can sell them each for millions.

Agreed. Pathetic. Assume we didnt claw the 2 goals back?
Probably needed your tactical nouse...
Oh wait...

Exactly.
We had 32 shots but according to some on here all we did was put crosses in that didn't find a target. Only 8 on goal but there were a fair number of good blocks from their defenders. 
I thought particularly in the second half we tried really hard to play with variety through the middle into the box. The ref was also very lenient with some of Crewe's "marking" and they did seem to have the rub of the green with loose balls, ricochets etc.
Pompey, as you say are out to a non-league club. 
We kept going. Luckily the players panicked less than some on here and we have a replay against a team doing well in League Two, and with much younger players than us. 
But for some very poor defending for their first goal, I thought we did okay. 

https://clowes.co.uk/2022/07/01/breaking-news-clowes-developments-takeover-derby-county-football-club/
July last year, it was announced that David Clowes had bought Derby County. Saving the club from disappearing into the ever-growing abyss of crushed football clubs.
I cried that day. I didn't think it was bothering me that much. As an adult in his mid-40s, I found myself resenting the amount of money I've "squandered" following Derby County around the country. I can probably count all the enjoyable moments as an adult on my fingers and toes, but there are plenty of bleak and miserable memories, from watching Jim Smith's magic-touch fade, Colin Todd's reputation dwindle, John Gregory's over-confidence implode, Phil Brown trying to reinvent the wheel, Paul Jewell signing everyone he could, to Nigel Clough being too negative to try and win. That's before Uncle Mel came along with his mad rollercoaster.
A few years ago I decided to squander my money on playing Golf badly instead of football, beer, gambling and a curry every Saturday, that made me think I was detached from it all, that I'd cut the ties that only a few years earlier had me desperately scrambling for away tickets for 0-0 draws at places like Preston on a Boxing Day!
I'd consider myself an armchair radio/TV fan nowadays, and my stress level and general health has been much better. 
I no longer live in Derby/Derbyshire, which has left me further detached from the club and fellow Rams fans. But from this forum over the last few days, I'm feeling some real rage towards Warne, and maybe even Clowes. It's worse that any time on this forum. Even Pearson had more support! 
Am I the only one who, whilst disenchanted with performances, and perhaps football in general, doesn't really feel Warne needs sacking?
Or am I still just glad we have a club to talk about?
I think some of the people so enraged by Warne could do with taking a step back and a deep breath.
AS for Clowes, he jumped into Shark-infested waters to drag us back onto the muddy bank, shame on anyone critical of a man who had no ambition to own DCFC, only duty.
Disgruntled fans could do with finding a way to contribute to the growth of the club, not the demise.

It's only down to Warne when we lose.

I get hope that we might win, a day out with my family and generally a day away from my actual problems.
We are not playing terrible football every match - it’s just not as good as you feel you’re entitled to watch
 
 

Some football fans are just mental aren't they?
Here's your daily reminder that the last time we had a manager who was "good enough" for us to actually win something was 16 years ago, and since then we have had 17 more managers who were not "good enough" for us to win something
So if you genuinely want to throw your own hard-earned money at this situation in order to roll the dice one more time, then you need to give your head a wobble
 

fans who treat managers like this bring deserved bad luck onto the club and the fans who don't deserve it.
Behave with class. 
It's one thing asking for better from the club, but to behave like entitled and unrealistic whingers is another.

If anyone thinks this drum is loud then they clearly didn't go to see Motorhead at Rock City. My ears are still ringing and it was about 15 years ago 😂

I think Aldous Huxley was nearer to the mark than Orwell, sadly
Orwell envisioned the masses subject to forceful suppression with those who tried to question it being crushed by the state. Not many rebels about and when they do show up, they are dismissed as idiots.
Huxley, on the other hand, described a society where the masses were mostly docile. Soothed by modern pleasures, mollified and amenable to control. He said that the pacification of the masses would be gradual with people blissfully unaware of their own complicity. Seduced by technology’s shiny baubles. 
What do you reckon?

How i see it.
The world's media is one component of the machinery, the news programs are not there to inform us, rather to shape our thinking and reactions.  International and local institution are also under the heel.  Big corporations have merged with this power structure, in what Mussolini termed fascism.  We the people herded like sheep and kept in perpetual fear, as our long fought for rights get whittled away by increasingly authoritative regimes and their militarized police force.  Lies are truth, up is down, wrong is right, or else. 
Orwell didn't write a novel, it was a field guide to the future. 
The megalomaniacs at the top (for now) like to multitask, each input designed for more than one connected outcome.  The Covid lockdowns and restrictions were part of tightening the consolidation of power.

Spoke to club this morning. Positive dialogue as always.
Drum has not been banned from Pride Park despite some miscommunication from fans yesterday.
Liaising with club for a solution / consultation whereby its back up in the stands.
Drum will be back in lower South on Saturday for the meantime.

My personal opinion is not to criticise clowes.
Hes the reason we have a club. Hes running it sustainably so we dont have this threat again.
Sure the decisions hes made may not pay off but thats normal in life and business.
 

Bloody hell, Nick, it's like groundhog day. All these years and your stilI up against it 😂 Fair play for persevering.
I remember the amount of effort than went into securing the South Stand by yourself and others. All done for no personal benefit, just a collective desire to improve the atmosphere. Numerous meetings, numerous setbacks and a few false starts before things got sorted. It was always about creating a dedicated singing stand and it was advertised as such. The drum was always part of the arrangement and was there from the beginning. It was not something that was sprung on unsuspecting supporters without warning. I feel that a lot of fans originally went into the South Stand because of the cheap tickets and that's perfectly fine, but it was with the knowledge that it was a singing stand. It's like buying a cheap house that is next to a noisy factory and then complaining about the noisy factory. It was cheap for a reason. Other area's are available. 
My general take on atmosphere - keep the songs simple, keep them going (other supporters will cut in and out depending on the action), bin the swearing, it's not needed, use the drum sparingly to start a song or keep a rhythm if needed, and most of all use the atmosphere to lift the players when they need it most e.g. just after conceding etc. Even if just a small group persist with the singing then other people will join in in due course.
On a lighter note, believe it or not, I am considering attending a game - Shrewsbury away as it is the nearest ground to where I now reside so would be great to catch up.
P.S - Send my regards to Adam, he deserves a medal.
 
 
 

Surely those who don't like the atmosphere should move seats? Seems ridiculous to ban the drummer who had been there for many years