Paramedics called. ✔️
Rushed to A&E. ✔️
Transferred to ICU. ✔️
Went into a coma. ✔️
Had the last rites read. ✔️
Switching off life support considered and rejected. ✔️
Miraculous recovery evident. ✔️
Derby County Death Party cancelled. ✔️
Recovery continues to improve at a quite remarkable rate. ✔️
Currently sitting in the despatch lounge, awaiting transport home. ✔️
Bit of delay... should hopefully be home by Saturday... TBC. 🙏
Welcome home party provisionally booked for Saturday evening. All welcome. Bring several bottles. 🍾🍾🍾
For those of a nervous disposition regards Saturday………here’s some chill medicine! 👍😁
Review of the match, pinched from the Carlisle forum.
Derby need a point for promotion and this can do funny things to you mentally. However, some pointers which may settle them down somewhat. There is staggering 69 point gap between the sides. They’re +78 ahead of us on goal difference. Home record for Derby, played 22, won 14, drawn 4, lost 4 – scored 39, conceded 18. Two of those home defeats came in August against Wigan and Oxford. They also lost against Peterborough on New Year’s Day and Charlton at the end of February – but since then have won their last five home games.
Last but not least, we have a Derby legend running our team. He has more appearances for the Rams and scored more goals than for any other club. Is he really going to be trying to win this fixture and potentially deny them promotion? Hmm…
Derby’s a decent away day, so those of you lucky enough to be in attendance - please take a second to take it all in, it may be a very long time before we “enjoy” a Saturday afternoon fixture in the sun at ground and club like this again, so make the most of it.
Looks highly likely that Bolton will batter Peterborough on Saturday if they’ve given up then.
Just emphasises the point that promotion for us is FAR from guaranteed. We need that point. Ideally a comfortable 3 points would be nice
Assuming we resort to 343 or 352, we need to sign Adams and a mobile upgrade on Hourihane. I'd love us to pick up Sheehan from Bolton or Brannigan from Oxford, somebody who can spray the ball around and create but also have to legs to get around the pitch.
Then we just need to conjour a goalscoring, hard working, fitness freak striker and I'm sure there are loads of affordable options around 🙃
I'm optimistic about next season in the Championship. We have the resources in Academy and finance, we have the stadium and training facilities, we will once again have the 'pull' to attract good players. #COYR
Pride Park Stadium
KO - 12.30
Ticket Update: Forgeddaboutit
Match is also live on Sky Sports
What it is to be a Derby fan. After Northampton, even yours truly was feeling a tad deflated. With Blackpool, Pompey and Wycombe next up, my mood was more pensive and hopeful, than upbeat, as many others seemed to feel that we'd blown another golden opportunity. In fairness, that was understandable, if only to a point. Happily though, it appears that Warne and the chaps did not get the memo informing them of their impending capitulation and decided to go on an 5 game unbeaten run instead. That effort not only cemented us in the top 2, as others buckled under pressure, but now sees us teetering right on the edge of promotion glory; agonisingly poised, we have one foot in the sunlit uplands of the Championship (*shudder), the other remaining firmly planted in the nightmarish possibility of yet more play-off induced football terrors. But need we really be worried?
After recent history and the near demise of our great club, I think it's understandable that some Derby fans might adopt a mildly cautious outlook and demeanour. In recent years, whatever may go wrong, typically has done and in so much, it's fair to say that a robust constitution is a mandatory requirement for a group of fans who've had more than their fair share share of emotional kickings over the last decade. Most Rams will confess that in some ways, it's hard not to expect the worst, based on recent history, but then isn't the dream what it's all about? After all, if you strip away the hopes and dreams, what do you really have left? It's been a season to test our nerves, that much is clear, but despite a lot of infighting, we've hung it all together in the end and here we are, fate firmly in our own hands. Remember too, that for some of our young 'uns, Saturday is a potentially momentous day. Automatic promotions don't come around every year and many won't have experienced one in their lives to date and for our elder statesmen and women, this could be an emotional roller coaster too.
Outside the club itself, expectations are sky high. The bookmakers have all but closed the book on our promotion chances and after all, a single point is all we require against a Carlisle side who remain 10 points adrift at the very foot of the table and with seemingly nothing other than professional pride at stake. The oddsmakers are undoubtedly right from a statistical standpoint, but playing devil's advocate for a moment, Carlisle will view this as a free hit and will play without pressure (think Wycombe) and for some, the game provides an ideal opportunity to showcase their talents in a high-profile game with the Sky cameras watching on. Summer moves may beckon, for any player who shines.
Worthy favourites then, IMHO, but doubtless a good few will still be anxiously awaiting Saturday's outcome.
Not me mind. I’ll be drunk from @noon on Wednesday.
The Permutations:
Quite simple now, on paper at least; a win or a draw and we say, 'hasta la visa, baby' and kiss this league goodbye, hopefully forever. A loss, by a single goal would leave Bolton needing to beat Posh 3-0 in order to break the hearts of the Rams faithful, snatching 2nd place by virtue of having scored more goals. Not quite the proverbial slam-dunk then, but we're strong favourites, all the same and rightly so IMO.
Elsewhere, we, along with Bolton, will be hoping Posh slip up midweek; Posh will be hoping they don't and Barnsley and Lincoln will be nervously looking over their shoulders with both Oxford and Blackpool snapping at their heels. I'd dearly love to see Blackpool snatch the last playoff slot!
The key fixtures for the final rounds, with promotion hopefuls underlined, are as below:
Tuesday 23/04-2024
Cheltenham vs Peterborough - 19.45
Saturday 27/04/2024
Barnsley vs Northampton - 12.30
Exeter vs Oxford - 12.30
Lincoln Vs Portsmouth - 12.30
Peterborough vs Bolton - 12.30
Reading Vs Blackpool - 12.30
My guesses are Posh to beat Cheltenham and draw with Bolton. Barnsley to beat Northampton, Oxford to turn over Exeter, Lincoln and Pompey to draw and Blackpool to beat Reading. Make of that what you will!
Our Opponents – A Brief History:
Founded in 1896 as Shaddongate United, Carlisle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Cumbria, who have played their home games at Brunton Park since 1909. The club's traditional kit is blue with white and red detail, whilst the badge takes elements from the city's coat of arms by including two Wyverns. They are nicknamed the "Blues", due to their kit, as well as the "Cumbrians". The club is the northernmost English professional football club seated close to the Anglo-Scottish border. Crowned Lancashire Combination, Division Two champions in 1906–07, they entered the North Eastern League in 1910 and went on to win the league title in 1921–22, before being elected into the Football League in 1928.
Head to Head:
Sadly, Carlisle have a pretty decent record against our beloved Rams. Twenty-three competitive fixtures have seen Derby win 9, draw 6 and lose 8. Our first fixture, in the old Division 3 North back in 1955, saw Derby win 3-0. More recently, the two teams have met three time in the last decade with Derby bookending the decade with 2-0 wins, with a 1-1 between them.
Games Played: 23
Games Won:9
Games Drawn:6
Games Lost:8
Our last Meeting:
The corresponding fixture at Brunton Park was way back in September with a James Collins brace giving the game a rather more comforting veneer than was perhaps warranted. Carlisle looked tidy and Gibson and Moxon in particular, gave Derby plenty to think about. On that performance, you might have been forgiven for thinking Carlisle would do ok this season, but it’s fair to say that things have not gone well for the Cumbrian outfit and their relegation was a formality from some way out.
Carlisle United - Recent Form:
Carlisle's recent form has been distinctly patchy, with their last 5 games comprising a 3-1 home loss to that awful club near Henley, another home loss by the odd goal to Blackpool, a hard-earned away win at Cheltenham, before consecutive losses to Northampton and Lincoln.
Saturday 20th April
Carlisle United 1 Wycombe Wanderers 3
Saturday 13th April
Carlisle United 0 Blackpool 1
Tuesday 9th April
Cheltenham Town 0 Carlisle United 1
Saturday 6th April
Northampton Town 2 Carlisle United 0
Monday 1st April
Carlisle United 1 Lincoln City 3
Carlisle United - Key Players:
Quite a relief that we won’t be facing Owen Moxon, snapped up by Pompey in the January window. Most of what was good about Carlisle seemed to start with him, but in Jordan Gibson, they still retain some meaningful threat. He's tricky with ball at feet, looks to attack and has a shot on him. He tops the scorer’s chart with 7 goals and 3 assists whilst Sam Lavelle with 4 assists is a goal provider to note. Mellish with 5 goals and Butterworth and Garner with 4 a piece, round out the principal Carlisle goal threats. it would be remiss not to mention also that their current manager, is none other than the much respected, Paul Simpson. Nudge, nudge, wink wink, Paul! The other ex-Rams fun fact would be that Luke Plange had a brief and unremarkable spell with the Cumbrians this season, before seeking warmer weather with HJK Helsinki.
Rams Team News:
Some will be itching for change after a stuttering performance at Cambridge. My own thoughts on that game are that Cambridge fought ridiculously hard and we had to try and match that extreme intensity before we could even think about playing our game. The pitch looked both short and narrow to me had clearly been subject to a hosepipe ban and I think all of these factors led to a feisty and extremely combative game, from which we did well to emerge with maximum points. Back on home soil, a larger pitch and a (marginally) better surface, I’d expect us to look rather more fluid.
Sadly, this will be the last time we get to watch young Max Bird play for the club. There’s been some really silly stuff written about our most technically gifted footballer and I have to confess that seeing him leave for Brizzle will be like a kick to the gut. That said, the fee garnered enabled some key signings and it could be argued that in hindsight, this was smart business. Nah, I'm not convinced either, but needs must? Quite possibly. Irrespective, I’d love to see him among the starting 11 for his swansong. I’m sure the Derby faithful will give him the send-off he deserves, in what may be a somewhat bittersweet celebration, for both us as fans and Max himself, lest we forget.
With that in mind, here’s my team selection, which will of course in no way resemble the gaffer’s:
The defence really needs to remain unchanged. A more determined and obdurate back 3 you’d struggle to find. Wildsmith retains the #1 jersey, despite some idiosyncratic ball distribution. To my way of thinking, he makes saves that matter and that outweighs his wayward passing.
I’ve drafted in Bird to replace Korey Smith, who would perhaps be hard done by should Warne follow suit. Max would partner the irrepressible Ebou Adams, a pairing that ought to give us a solid foundation in midfield. Working hard on the flanks, I’d have Wilson and Sibley, two players I absolutely love. The latter especially, has really matured over the course of the season, proving yours truly and others wrong in the process and he has oodles of ability if this progress and work ethic can be maintained.
Thommo is also retained and will hopefully sit a little higher and rat like his life depends on it. He and Collo put in Herculean shifts against Cambridge, doing the work that seldom attracts the plaudits, but is often key to our success. He can also interchange with a front two of Collo and Nate, who should give Carlisle plenty to think about. Barks, Gayle and Smith appear the obvious change-ups, with Hourihane, Vickers and Elder in reserve, but much will depend on who is truly healthy on the day.
And that, ladies and gentlemen is me done for the season. I’m fancying us for a decent performance, with a little style on show after an early goal to settle the nerves. 3-0 is the call with Collo, Nate and Sibs my fancies as the scorers. After some 55 games across the season, this one has definitely felt like something of a marathon, but in spite of the divided fan base, I’ve enjoyed seeing us tough it out. The football has been mildly bipolar, great one week, not so much the next, but I think all sides at this lowly level are inconsistent, only us and Pompey slightly less so than the others. Should we progress, of course we will face different challenges, but we will also have a very different playing roster. Doubts about the style of football will persist, but personally, I don't think Clowes will even contemplate letting Warne go and as such, Warne will retain my support until such time as he doesn't!
Here’s hoping then, for a resounding win, a respectful but joyous celebration of an important and healing day for all connected with the club and one that the majority can safely enjoy. Also, calm and stress-free journeys for any fans travelling significant distances and a bright and shiny, new future for Derby County Football club.
COYR
BE MORE B4
Forget the Reading game, forget what happened to Forest, those were 2 out of form teams trying to grimly hang on to 6th place. This is an in-form team riding high in 2nd with 1 defeat in 10 and only 4 goals conceded. No comparison.
Great result and whilst the performance second half was a bit dire in general the effort and desire of the players was superb. Just check their faces at the final whistle- they were knackered and relieved.
I expect Bolton to beat Posh and as we have seen sometimes this season, when the latter lose they can sometimes lose big. If we take this as job done already then we are fools. Carlisle are bringing a (for them) massive 2,000 to Pride Park and they are going to try and put on one last performance and claim one big scalp in the process. If we relax and they score and Bolton are also winning then that GD-winning thread is suddenly looking very thin and fragile.
We need focus in this game and once again an early goal to settle things down. I say we go at them first half to try and put the game to bed early. I don’t want to see us trying to play out a draw. It’s just too risky.
You can almost taste it- but we need one last push from the team and fans.
COYR 🐏🐏
He's my hero. Saved our club and looks like undoing the bulk of the damage endured under MM in only his second season as owner. Deserves all the plaudits he gets in spades IMO.
🙏🏻 agreed. We are on the verge of being promoted. And another step closer to the prem. We were so close to there not being a DCFC anymore, only for David to save us. He deserves the credit and all the sentiment he gets. We should have a song for him of course. And we should all be eternally grateful for his sacrifice. He deserves this more than anyone
I do wish he’d do two things:
1) stop ducking for headers - power through them.
2) he doesn’t always need to head it as far as he can - with more awareness before the ball reaches him of where team mates are - head it to a player in the same colour shirt!
Hi Duracell, we have a pair of ideal seats for you, we picked the seats because we're close to friends on the opposite side of the aisle.
We're stair 41, row kk, seats 398,399 immediately next to the aisle in the lower east in line with the edge of the centre circle on the south stand side of the half way line. Row kk is about 4 rows down from the entry stairs and the seats are on the right as you walk down to them.
We could meet you at the bottom of stair 41 in the concourse or you can just let me know your seat numbers.
Hi everyone,
My Dad, a life-long Derby fan and season ticket holder, recently suffered from a stroke which left the right side of his body paralysed. Up until it struck, he had made the 200-mile round trip from Aylsebury to Derby
His progress has been remarkable since - he can how walk short distances and has gained a lot of mobility.
I would love to take him to the final game of the season with Carlisle to see out the journey. I would be devastated for him if, having supported us through thick and thin all his life right up until the stroke, he missed out on us winning promotion. This is where some of you could potentially help.
Our season tickets are about as difficult as it could be for someone with mobility issues: East Stand Upper, on the half-way line, half-way between stair wells. I'm just not sure I can safely get him up there with a capacity crowd.
I am only asking having tried to arrange disabled viewing with the club, who cannot help as the game is sold out. Does anyone sit in a lower block, close to a stairwell, who would be willing to swap seats just for this game? I'm only asking as this is a final plea!
I was in Sri Lanka, on business, for the play-off final against West Bromwich Albion. I just couldn't get home and I went to virtually every hotel in Colombo to see if they were broadcasting the game and all they could show was either cricket or tennis!!
Both my daughters were at Wembley and they were texting me every 15 minutes which had me texting and telephoning them back which cost me a fortune.
My consolidation that day was it was one of the coldest and wettest May day in London and I was alongside a bar terrace overlooking the Indian Ocean.
Wherever we are all in the world today lets cheer on the Rams from afar as the team gets us over the line to the Championship.
COYR's
Hector was the best reacted to Mucker1884 in Derby County Football Club
