Fla Ram

Matchday 13 – Saturday 16th October 1971 & a visit to Old Trafford to take on league leaders Man Utd
Unfortunately, the last unbeaten record in the division was to go as Derby fell to a 1-0 defeat here in front of 53,400 – Utd’s winner coming courtesy of George Best just after half time.
Here’s Alan Hinton taking on two Utd defenders from the game..

 


 
Programme of the day from Old Trafford..

 
Derby stayed in 4th place despite the defeat but now lay 4 points behind Man Utd. A good day for the leaders as Sheffield Utd lost again & Man City were beaten at Leeds;

Matchday 12 – Saturday 9th October 1971 & Spurs were the visitors to the BBG
The TV cameras returned to catch this top end of the table clash…
 
Goals from Todd & McFarland only enough to secure a 2-2 draw - curiously, this was the 3rd time the cameras had featured Derby this season & all three were 2-2 home draws. This draw was also our 7th after only 12 games – (spoiler alert) we would only have 3 more draws in the remaining 30 league games of the season…
 


 
Pre-match Cloughie in typically robust mood about recent signings Roger Davies & Graham Moseley, as well as cup outings at Dundee & Leeds…

 
Derby’s draw saw them slip into 4th behind Man City on goal average. Elsewhere, Sheffield Utd’s second consecutive defeat saw them replaced at the top by Man Utd, who won at Huddersfield;

Hi EFL, whats that?
You want us to play in our away kit? Of course, glad to help, only...well, you see it's not so easy as the strip needs washing. And we're low on Persil and Lenor.
 But tell you what, we'll get it sorted if you can do us a favour and cut the points penalty to say 6 points?
That OK?
Cheers for that. 

Bloody hell! Those games, that league table! I wonder if we'll ever get close to that again.
Thanks for a great thread @LeedsCityRam

Being a young gun on the popside in the sixties I loved the songs and camaraderie from that time especially when old Bighead started to get us going. I still sing them, to myself of course, even now.
We were in Division Two then,  of course, and one song particularly suited that time. It was sung to Nat King Cole's 'Daisy Bell',  I am sure many from that era remember it well.
'Daisy,  Daisy,  give us your answer do, 
We're half crazy oh for the love of you, 
It won't be a stylish marriage, we can't afford a carriage, 
But we'll look sweet upon the seat at the top of Division Two, Four, Six, Eight,
Who do we appreciate, 
D, E, R, B, Y,
Derby
followed by incessant clapping. 
God,  I must be getting old!
 
 

I will probably get absolutely shot down for this but the the club, fans and players have been all though so much I think it’s time to let bygones be bygones.  For a large number of reasons the club hasn’t covered it’s self in glory and we would all cry foul if the wider football world were to condemn us to eternity for our misdemeanours. It’s a personal choice and the world isn’t a very forgiving place these days but I’m glad that Keogh accepts time is a healer and still has a place for Derby in his heart.

Fair play to Allsop tonight, had a great game, came up big when we needed him ??

Something weird happening here.
Wednesday night home match v Reading. The Rams on minus 2 points, in administration, without an owner and massive uncertainty over the future, against a poor team with a tiny away support and yet we had an atmosphere at times that was as electric as anything i've felt in my 50 years as a Ram.
Hairs stood up time as stood in the middle of the South Stand and heard the roar build up from the East and West stands, never felt that raw passion and support since the Baseball Ground years. No play off or promotion glory to get excited over, just survival, backs to the wall Derby support.
Proud af to be a Ram tonight.
 

Thought Allsop had a good night. Like many, I wasn’t happy to see his name on the team sheet but he saved everything (mostly routine bar one or two) and even caught a couple of things too. 
Stearman worries me a little. Although not sure if he improved second half or I wasn’t as nervous about him because he was further away from me in the South Stand. Seems slow to move his feet and looked a liability. 
Don’t think it was a coincidence the goal came from the first time Forsyth used his acre of space to actually dribble forward rather than come back. He needed to do that more often to keep the defence honest. 
Midfield did a decent job of rotating deep to fetch the ball from the defence which was good. Trying to play out from the back with our personnel is not fun but they made the best of it by helping out - we did still manage one huge calamity after half time. 
Stretton looked decent but needs a big stint in the weight room. Reading do have some quick defenders which didn’t help though.
I am not one for conspiracy theories but after the red card and injury time penalty last game and now we have an unbelievably bad referee and linesman this game it doesn’t half make you wonder. The linesman missed some shockers, especially the ball being miles out first half under his nose. The referee didn’t give a blatant foul on Ravel on the edge of the box, a blatant penalty for handball, seemed to not bother booking them for the same thing Stearman got booked for, then booked Buchanan for his first foul. Just a baffling display of biased ineptitude. 

The linos were just as bad, particularly the dolt running the East Stand line. Three times in the first half it was as though he'd dozed off, suddenly remembered his role by which time he was at least 5 yards behind play. Yet 3 times he gave the decision to Reading.

I loved hearing him say in his interview after the game that he intends to bring those made redundant back to the club when the new owners are here. 

Great character being shown by each of the players. All I ask from any Derby player is 100% commitment. The current crop are going above and beyond this. 
 
Last season we would have definitely lost the West Brom game and not beaten Stoke or won the game tonight. 
 
My only hope this season was a siege mentality and Rooney seems to have got this. We will lose games but I’m enjoying being a Rams fan again. 
 
UTR

Wayne ducking Rooney and all the players, take a bow lads. It's times like this when boys become men and men stand up and are counted. Against all odds, we're showing huge pride in the shirt and a steely will to win and doing it with a certain amount of style and panache too. 
So ducking proud of them all tonight, each and every one.
COYR

Really well deserved win today. Should have perhaps done more with our chances but also limited them to not a deal. Forsyth and Knight standouts tonight. 
Other aside observation, I think we look better with Stretton up top.

Great credit due to Stearman and Allsop.
Well played ?

Stearman deserves great credit..fitted straight in..no nonsense quality defending..

Awful awful officials. They have to get those decisions right. But we stood strong despite that and should have scored more anyway. But we are so solid. We have the second best defence in the division, having conceded one more than Bournemouth.
Brilliant from Allsop coming in who did everything asked of him.
Brilliant from Stearman ditto, especially having been booked really early on.
We are already on plus points despite a 12 point deduction. That was so important. We'd be 11th without the deduction. 
Come on you Rams!

You know how dreadful the ref has been when he gets booed off even when we won. 
I normally am quite fair and believe that things even out but that was beyond inept. 

? Minus 12 who gives a f*#%, we're Derby County and we're staying up! ?
 ???

Linesman had a clear view too, anyone would think the forces at be have some sort of vendetta against us…

Come on Derby lets have another one against Reading and their officials

From all Derby fans that we are sorry what was sung to you yesterday unfortunately some people drank to much and lost all scences but does not excuse it what so ever. And if that has upset your family it is same here or sheffield untied support please do not judge all Derby fans with same brush.

Love that they obviously cam here and "shut up shop" against us - just what we did at their place this season. Some things never change in the ebb and flow of football!

Got to take positives out of that. The recent news clearly hasn’t knocked the belief or fight out of the players so this certainly won’t.
That’s a run of “hard” games out of the way now. Three home games out of our next four coming up. Reading, Swansea & Luton, and Preston away. Keep that same attitude and we will pick up points.
Ignoring any further points deductions, we’re still 9 away from 21st, 37 games left.
Let’s keep fighting ??