Fla Ram

Great way to end our away season with that monkey off our back now for next year. Great support today but no different to the excellent support we've had all season and hope we continue that form in the stands in League One next year. Also credit to Blackpool fans, one of the few clubs in the league that has not gloated at our potential liquidation and demise and shown some support. A class showing and wish them all the best in the Championship next year, hope they can get promoted again to the Prem.

Richard Keogh started the bounce at the Derby County end and applauded the fans. He will always be a big part of the rams heritage and he gave all when he played for us.

We will not finish bottom of the table. Amazing given our circumstances. Thanks to the staff, players, fans and DCFC staff.? XX

Texaco Cup Final – Wednesday 26th April 1972 & the return leg against Airdrie at the BBG
The first leg finished 0-0 up in Scotland in January & this second leg had been re-arranged from the original date of March 8th because of an unplayable pitch. Airdrie were towards the bottom of the then Scottish Division One (SPL in new money) but the Anglo-Scottish element meant this was likely to be a testy affair

 
Although not a major tournament, just over 25k turned up at the Baseball Ground that evening & Brian Clough ahead of the title showdown with Liverpool, picked 7 first team regulars in the starting XI. He was rewarded with a 2-1 win & the first silverware of 1971/72 for the Rams, courtesy of goals from Alan Hinton (pen) and Roger Davies. Match report below;

 

 
Original matchday final programme;

 
And here’s Alan Durban (captain for the night) receiving the Texaco Cup from Len Shipman, chairman of the Football League – pic courtesy of Andy Ellis via @Brailsford Ram;

 
 
Small footnote on this night – back in the League, Crystal Palace got a crucial 2-0 win at home to Stoke which meant Notts Forest & Huddersfield were relegated to Division Two. Forest had been beaten the night before by Wolves in front of 16,889 at the City Ground;

Here they are. I wasn't going to post, but there are photos all over Twitter.
L to R: McGovern, Powell, Davies, Todd, Gemmill, O'Hare, Macfarland, Dawes, Gibson.

Quad sounds a fantastic night. And what an interview with Rams fan Gary Newbon and Cloughie before the Man City game. Great find, @LeedsCityRam.

Can you imagine the furore on here after those results? ?
Story of the night last night from Steve Powell, telling how Brian Clough popped into his school, to ask for him to be released as he needed him to play for Derby.
He had one start that season, in the next match, against Liverpool. Age sixteen.

Matchday 41 – Saturday 22nd April 1972 & the clash of the top two – Manchester City v Derby County
Man City’s defeat at Ipswich 4 days earlier meant they now needed a miracle to win the title but they still presented significant nuisance value to a Derby side desperate for the points to stay ahead of Liverpool & Leeds.
Here were Brian Clough’s pre-match thoughts;
https://www.macearchive.org/films/atv-today-21041972-brian-clough-interview-championship-hopes
 
So onto the action at Maine Road;
 
Sadly for the Rams, City signed off their 71/72 season with a convincing 2-0 home win – Rodney Marsh playing a crucial role despite the oft-repeated claim he was a liability to Man City in the run in;

 

 
Programme of the day from Manchester;

 
City’s win in their final fixture meant they regained top spot from Derby but it was a most bittersweet accolade. Liverpool’s 2-0 win at home to Ipswich meant City now had no chance of winning the title (because of the upcoming Derby v Liverpool fixture) & hence had to watch as others passed them. Derby slipped to 3rd behind Liverpool on goal average whilst Leeds moved to within a point of the Rams with a 0-1 win away at West Brom;

First off, acknowledgements and apologies in equal measure, to @loweman2, for the inexcusable interruption of his otherwise mighty fine thread, here...
 
In short, the end of this season marks the 50th anniversary of arguably the greatest day in DCFC's history... Champions of England, for the first time.
The management team of the day have rightfully earned themselves a damn fine statue outside our very own Theatre of Flashbacks.
The players of the day have... to a man... rightfully earned themselves the status of "True club legends".
You'll note within the afore-linked thread that those very players were sunning themselves in Majorca when we were crowned Champions, and were pictured throughout the nationwide papier-press sat celebrating by the pool... in the sunshine... wearing... wait for it... SOMBREROS!  ("Ah!"  They cry!  "Finally, I see where this is leading"!
... So some highly intelligent and wise poster went on to suggest we may all consider similar headgear, for the last game of the season, in honour of those very same true club legends, and in tribute to their very own celebrations, 50 years ago. 
Now, if you read that afore-linked thread from cover to cover, you'll note that I have now ordered and received my sombrero... (3 actually, so I'll be more than happy to donate a couple).  I've even included a couple of links to aid the commencement of any shopping trips you may wish to pursue, but of course, alternative sombreros are available from all good sombrero retailers.
You'll also note my pleas for you all... all 30,000+ of you... to join me in this rather spiffing, well-meaning, fun-loving, and possibly romantic crusade... if only to ensure I don't turn up looking like some weird loner in a rather splendid hat!
Remember... this is a nod to 50 years ago, and the greatest achievement in the club's history.  It has no bearing on today's shenanigans.  It is not in any way related to whether we avoid relegation or not.  It is neither reference to the fight, or the end!  And it is most certainly the very opposite of a protest!
 
Word is, a fair few of those Heroes of 71/72 will be parading on the pitch for the Cardiff games.  Let's make them smile.  Let's remind them of their wonderful memories, and their unique celebrations.  Let's maybe even embarrass them into again wearing sombreros themselves, rather than them feeling left out, this time around.
Do it for a laugh by all means.  But do it for Derby.  Do it for those legends.  Do it for History. 
 
 
Oh... and these pages are the limit of my DCFC related interwebbery, so if anyone has the desire and/or capability to spread the word, please do so, and please accept my advanced gratitude.
Snakes at Stoke became a thing, so let's make Sombrero Day a day to remember... for the fans, the press, and most of all, those wonderful, heroic, legendary heroes of this mighty fine massive club of ours!
 
UTR
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Wednesday 19th April 1972 – with their FA Cup Final spot confirmed, Leeds resumed their chase of league leaders Derby with a game in hand away at Newcastle
Newcastle of course had beaten Derby on Easter Monday & they caused another shock here with a 1-0 win, courtesy of a late winner from Malcolm McDonald;
 

 
Leeds’ defeat kept them 4th & three points behind Derby but with only one game in hand now over the leaders. The result meant Derby’s title destiny was in their own hands again – beat Man City & Liverpool and they would be Champions of England for the first time;

Tuesday 18th April 1972 – ahead of their weekend showdown with Derby, Man City travelled to mid-table Ipswich to seek the 2 points they needed to go back top of the table & take charge of the title race
It was a disastrous night for City though, losing 2-1 at Portman Road & realistically destroying their title challenge;

 
Man City’s defeat kept them second but they now only had one game left to play (v Derby 4 days later) whilst all their title rivals had games in hand. Although their title challenge wasn’t officially over, the highly unlikely sequence of results they needed meant bookies were now offering odds of 100-1 for them to win the title. All eyes now turned to the North East for the Newcastle v Leeds clash the following day;

Great to get updates and he’s also driving this forward as per the milestones he set. I like him so far

There's merit in the underlying principle but the title of the thread is probably going to get some folks' back up.
Given what he has to had to put up with this season, Rooney deserves the opportunity to bring his own players into the club in a stable environment. Lets not forget the club has been hollowed out & so there is a massive job on to rebuild the first team & under 23 squad...Rooney's connections and draw will be crucial to entice players here so we can hit the ground running in League One. This is absolutely not the time to put restrictions on him other than a budget.
Going forward, yes it would be wise to have a Director of Football who recruits players on a manager's behalf but that appointment should only be made with Rooney's full buy in as a faciltator, not a restriction. The key point though is hiring a manager (when Rooney goes) who plays a very similar style of football to Rooney...it is the idiotic idea that you can bring in a manager with a totally different playing style that wastes money & necessitates squad rebuilds/wasted players.

You’re going to be gutted this morning, and rightly so.
But it ain’t all bad.
When we dropped out of the old 2nd division into the 3rd in 1984 things were in many ways, worse.
We didn’t (quite) have the financial issues, but we had a horrible team and the entire season was utterly depressing and devoid of hope in a way this season hasn’t been.
My personal highlight of an utterly depressing season was meeting Dave Watson in a Little Chef on the A1 after we spanked Cambridge away 3-0 in the FA Cup. That was pretty much it for ducks sake.
AND we had not just relegation, but the ignominy of losing to Plymouth in the FA Cup quarter-final to contend with after we had dragged them back to the BBG.
We all thought that we’d bounce right back when we did get relegated and the arrival of Arthur Cox just emboldened that belief.
An opening day away loss to Bournemouth, when Bournemouth then were more like the equivalent of Exeter now, didn’t dissuade us.
Of course, we didn’t bounce back and ended up outside the top 6.
But we had some BRILLIANT away days that season, Hull, Lincoln, and the last game of the season at Newport spring to mind.
It was a whole lot more fun than the previous season because we were, for the most part, competing and you could see what Arthur was trying to do.
There’s something fun about going to smaller clubs and taking the place over. Those of you who travel to away games know that the camaraderie is special.
In fact, the adversity that we have faced this season has developed that camaraderie, only it’s done it at home.
I work online and use social media a lot and the admiration for Derby’s support, especially those of you who travel away is a delight to read. I’ve even read genuine Forest and Leeds fans say they’re impressed.
And what’s not to be impressed about?
Forget the trolls who are loving this, the REAL football supporters appreciate and understand what Rooney has dragged the club through and the guy is universally respected, exponentially more so than when he was merely an excellent player.
He’s now an excellent ex-player and an excellent human being. Time will tell if he can become an excellent manager, but the signs are promising.
The second year under Arthur we did come up and that season was even better for road trips..
I’ve seen Derby beat Benfica, Real Madrid, every top English club multiple times and Forest many times. But if I were to list the best 5 games I’ve ever attended, Derby at home to Rotherham in the old 3rd Division on a Friday night would be up there.
That game with that penalty that took us back up to what would now be the Championship was a raucous, intense and then delirious atmosphere ending in an effing celebration comparable with any I have witnessed - although to be fair, my memory is a tad blurry because we did hit the pub hard.
I doubt there was a Liverpool fan that got anything like the joy from beating Man City in the cup semi or will get more if they win the thing, than we Derby fans got from squeaking past Rotherham that night.
The fact is, winning is just fun, no matter what division you are in. And beating adversity is fun too. So much more satisfying and enjoyable than just delivering on what’s expected.
Somebody posted that they hope we're not that team that thinks they will bounce back up.
I don't really care if fans think that. It's totally irrelevant.
What is relevant is what WR thinks and what he allows his staff and players to think.
And I have no doubt whatsoever that he'll not allow that entitled type of mindset to creep in.
The good news is we have renewed hope for a stable club, a very promising manager in place, an Academy that is flourishing even if it is being pillaged and some wins to look forward to.
We are where we are, so we may as well embrace it and have fun. And you will have some fun, I promise.

There are going to be a lot of clubs in trouble next season, the same fans that are jumping for joy at our predicament will be the same ones throwing a hissy fit toward  other fans laughing at their club when it happens to them. 
Birmingham is a prime example, Bristol are in big trouble, as are Boro 
chickens are coming home to roost ladies and gents, I hope you had a good laugh at our expense because it’s coming for you to
 
 

All the very best for the coming season and beyond.I hope Rooney sticks by you with a decent owner on board he has a good a chance as anybody to get you back up.Your fans have been superb through this crap period.Things can change very quick in football and sometimes for the better, look at us in the so called best league in the world the Premier league for another season.Although my opinion of  the PL ( I’ve missed 2 games this season )is it’s the fatal attraction of clubs who risk everything to get to the tv cash when for us fans it’s a bland predictable bore fest unless you are a top 4 club the rest just make up the numbers.I won’t shed a tear when we eventually get back to the championship a far better and more competitive league to play in.Hope to be playing you at Pride Park again soon.

Superb idea @Mucker1884; perhaps we can gift a few sombreroes to the championship winning players? 
I've ordered mine and will be wearing it with Pride ...Let's all get behind this. 50 years ago Derby County were the best team in the land by a country mile (not just a point!) - remind a few people what English football might lose (ie the Club) if financial changes are not sorted.    

Sad not to have led an unbeaten miracle of match threads through to the end of the season, and a final day miracle. Great to see the solidarity between players and fans, and on this board. We're far from out of the woods and the most important thing now is that we still have a club next season, able to take its place in League One.
Amazing to see Rooney currently committing himself to staying with us. He remains an idol for many footballers and could be the single biggest influence in persuading players to sign on again if the EFL ever allows that to happen. Clearly we have a lot of young talent at the club and it's important to keep hold of as much of it as we can. We've only been in the third tier twice before, and both times just for two years. Let's hope we can survive, stabilize the club and come back stronger.
Derby til I die!

Just arrived home after an absolutely fantastic day out. I’m sat on the sofa with a glass of whisky, so forgive me for being overly sentimental.
This season has been an absolute ducking blast. From Jack Stretton belting it in the top corner for our first away goal with fans in the ground for nearly two years, to the lads clapping us off after going down this afternoon, it’s been an absolute joy following the club this season. Every single man wearing that badge has given absolutely everything every time they’ve stepped on that pitch.
Wayne Rooney is an absolute bloody hero. Every week he’s been asked about how good the fans’ support has been. Every week he could have given a crap clichéd answer, but instead he’s managed to say something that’s shows he genuinely loves the club every single week. No manager has made me as proud to be a Ram as Wayne Rooney has.
The fans have been absolutely sensational too. Home and away, we’ve been the best in the league by an absolute country mile. The love the players show us is a testament to how good we’ve been.
On a personal note, it’s been brilliant to get to know the likes of @angieram, @B4ev6is, @Curtains and more a lot better at various games this season. Fans like those are the absolute lifeblood of the football club.
We go on to the last three games, knowing that we can enjoy them no matter what now. And let’s give the class of ‘72 a huge, huge reception on the final day. Their spirit lives on in this fantastic bunch of lads.
We are Derby, in the past, today and forever ducking more.
Up the bloody rams x

Have been philosophical about today...suspected we would get beat so had mentally prepared myself for the inevitable disappointment. There was also part of me relieved we could draw a line under it all.
The Moor Farm scenes have got to me though. An unexpected silver lining to the day & just so proud to see such a bond between fans & the team/staff....a 'club' in the truest sense of the word. A lot of goodwill both sides of the fence that we'll need next year.
Well done to everyone who went down there to welcome them home ?