eccles the ram

I remember when Jim Smith took over Derby, the fans were not positive then either.
Maybe this season will be a reset. Wage bill down and if the fans stick with us we may find that this time next season we will be on a more sound financial footing.
Who knows, along the way we may even enjoy watching some of our own youngsters progress through the ranks.
By a club of this stature, do you mean one that has been in The Championship for the last 13 years and, as it stands, is still in The Championship and on the same amount of points as every other team in the division?
I remember in the infamous 11 point season how our fans won admiration for being the 12th man, maybe it is time that we stepped up to the plate again rather than sitting here crying like spoilt little babies who cant get what we want.
After 17 months without being a match, I cannot wait to be back in Pride Park on Saturday getting behind whichever players pull on a Rams shirt. Unfortunately, I think there are plenty who have missed an opportunity to vent their anger who are equally excited.

Quick update: I have just left the meeting which is still ongoing otherwise I would miss the last train.
A decision was made not to release minutes for this meeting in the end, but I am free to get a write up out to you all as soon as I can. 
I do not have a laptop with me and would prefer to wait until tomorrow once I’m home and can go through all the notes.
I will aim to have it ready to post on the forum tomorrow.
Please do not bombard me with questions across the forum by mentioning me, PM, DM or text if you have my number.
I don’t want to be putting bits and pieces out there all over the place.

We really are in a perilous state and I’ll be very interested in @David’s write up. Many thanks for going, David, and you don’t deserve any of the abuse you’re apparently getting.
I love this club. I loved it before Mel and I’ll love it once he’s gone. Same with Rooney. As long as there’s still a club to support, I’ll support it. I think the same applies to all reasonable Rams fans. 

Born and bred in Perth Western Australia (1959), and have lived there all my life apart from a 3 year stint in Sydney during the mid 80's.
Started following Derby during the glory years of Brian Clough and was a huge fan of Charlie George and Frannie Lee. Have remained a fan ever since.
Only ever attended one game with my wife and that was against QPR away on a wet cold night with Shaun Barker scoring our equalizer.
We both still speak very fondly of the total football experience of going to and from the game on the train and chatting with so many people on the way to the ground and then to the same people on the way home.
COYR

I was born in Hull in 1970 and lived in Cottingham, just outside Hull and cried on my 13th birthday when the family moved to Aberdeen because of my dad's new job in 1983.
I was brought up watching Hull City at Boothferry Park and watching Hull Kingston Rovers at Craven Park. My dad still cheers on for the Tigers and the Robins and the rest of the family all have a soft spot for both teams. Watching Hull City as a very young boy actually prepared me for being a Derby County fan, because incredibly they were worse than us in the late 70's, and 80's etc when supporting Derby made us stronger for the current times.
I picked Derby County out of the paper with my eyes closed, when my older brother persuaded me not to support Liverpool who I'd just got into, I remember my Grandad Chick had given me a black and white photo of the Liverpool team, and I enjoyed watching them play, when I stayed up late on a Saturday night watching Match of The Day and awaiting my parents to come home from The National pub in Hull, usually with food from the Chinese Take Away for everyone's supper, so yeah I was encouraged by my big brother to avoid supporting the so called big teams being supported by others, at school at the time, mainly Man Utd, Liverpool and a lot of Leeds Utd, around Hull at the time, so around 1976, I blindfolded picked out Derby County, and I've followed probably more downs than ups ever since, unfortunately with the blind fold off!
My older brother is a Chelsea fan and my younger brother is a Wolves fan and we all love our football.
A few Aberdeenshire Rams, well mainly 1 in @2tupspost on here, I think @Ramadonna9 reads now and again, as does @Rampianand @campavanram and @Elgin_Ram is in the Clan, and @CWC1983probably remembers me from the Westhill Inn, when I grew up in Westhill, Abedeenshire. Their are Rams fans up here in Stonehaven, nearby in Montrose, in Fraserborogh, in Elgin etc and we have many others up here in Dundee, Glasgow and Edinburgh etc.
I now stay out in Inverurie and I take my two boys to watch Derby County when I can, well the eldest one has been inside Pride Park, the youngest one only outside Pride Park, but both who at the moment have opted to support Liverpool, and the eldest went to Wembley with me to the Aston Villa game, well I still have plenty of time on my hands, hopefully, for my two boys to see sence!
I hate to read on here when Derby fans are falling out with one another and calling one another names, and I hate to read on here when Derby fans are calling their own players, managers, coaches, staff etc all sorts of names also. Get behind them, not against them.
Hope Not Hate.
D.C.F.C. Love, Life & Unity.
The Day I Die.......I'm still D.C.F.C......forever and beyond.
 
 

Whatever happens before Saturday, signings or no signings, the fans have a big part to play to create a good atmosphere before, during and after the game. 
 
No boooooooooing, get behind whatever team starts and finishes. 
 
Please, please, please just support the team. 

Born in Scunthorpe but lived in Derby for 10 years in the 80/90's, went to my first game on my own at 13 just to see what it was like and was hooked ever since.

Moved back to North Lincolnshire in mid 90's and live between there and Los Angeles, where I work. My brother still lives in Allestree & pre-covid I used to get to about 8-10 home games a year.

Sorry to hear you’ve been unwell ma’am. ?

Hi I’m new first time I’ve been on here I live in the Portsmouth area and have been supporting the rams for about 50 years don’t get to many live games but never miss a live TV game or if they are in the area there ars quite a few ram fans around the area and people who I know always take an interest in the ram . One of my customers knows mason mount and they got me a signed shirt from him .

Born in Derby, lived in a house in Harrington street till the age of six then moved to South Wales. At the age of Nineteen, moved to Cape Town, South Africa. Been here almost 40 years and have always watched out for DCFC. Much better now that I can watch the odd game via RamsTV.
 

Born and raised in South London. No family or other affiliation to Derby at all. First game I was taken to by a Chelsea mad uncle was his lot vs Derby, presumably with the aim of ensuring I became a Stamford Bridge regular. Struck me that the Chelsea fans were properly grim though so I found myself cheering Derby instead. Stuck with them ever since and always will.

Great thread, @kash_a_ram_a_ding_dong! It's been interesting to read the comings and goings of 'The best supporters in the world' as @BodminRam says. A little sad to read how a couple of moves have been due to bereavement or family breakups - sending a hug your way. 
 Born in Burton, brought up in Barton-under-Needwood (5 miles south of Burton). My uncle used to take me to the Derby home games during the week in the early 1970's and he made me a little box to stand on so I could see. On the way out he would keep a tight hold of me but we still got parted and I remember that weird sensation of moving forwards in the tightly packed crowd but my feet were not touching the ground. I can still tell you the name of every player at that time (my favourite was John McGovern because the crowd were not always kind to him.) Left school and went to London Uni for 4 years. Loved London, but wouldn't have wanted to stay there. Got a job teaching in Glossop, North Derbyshire. Great place to live. 5 minutes and you are out in the Peak District whereas 20 minutes in the opposite direction and you are in the centre of Manchester. Best of both worlds. Lived in Glossop for about 20 years. Met the love of my life and moved down to Belper. Left teaching after 31 years as a teacher/ deputy head. Worked near Lichfield for 10 years looking after plants in a garden centre but the family owned business was a victim of lockdown and closed completely. I still live in Belper which I love! Go over to Barton 4 days a week to spend time with my wonderful mum who is now 90. Hoping to get to more home games this season! Finis!!?
 

Oh go on then Uttoxram, here goes.. Now living in Cornwall, i grew up in Ripley, where i spent my schooldays at Benjo`s in the 70s avoiding the Dirty and tree fans at lunchtime however when caught i would always reply when asked who i support  Derby, usually this led to a kicking as they were older, but then out off the mist i would hear the chant ossie enders and i was saved ( good days ) wouldnt happen today, so when i moved to Cornwall i joined the Andrew for 27 years which meant going to matches was hard, now finished in the navy, me and one of my converted sons will support the mighty rams for ever through good and bad times ( normally bad ) for ever
 
Best supporters in the world 

Born in Yeovil to parents who were born and raised in Yeovil as were their parents before them...... 
Father moved us up to Chellaston in 1965 (age 2) through work whereupon my Yeovil born and bred mother was so overcome with the emotion of the place she packed her bags and left for Aus with some random pick up and we haven't heard from her since. 
Father meanwhile met a girl at Rolls Royce whose father was part of the boot room staff at DCFC at the baseball ground. They were married in 1970 and moved us all to Belper. The folks are still there. 
Got a few tours of the dressing room in the early 70s. Stepmothers dad sadly died young in 1973 but our links to dcfc grew out of that relationship. 
I haven't lived there since the mid 1980s and we've been in South Hampshire since 91. But still get to games where I can and drag junior along as well. 
 

Born near Coventry and started supporting Derby in Clough and Taylor era. You can imagine my delight when my dad started to support that other team when Cloughie joined them!
Joined the RAF and been few places and met many Rams on my travels, now live in Norfolk and have three kids, who spookily all support Derby, used to take them all to the games when they were younger….I have now started on the Grandkids….
My only ever team and would support no one else, no matter what…..

Born in Cornwall. Lived within 15 minutes of Land’s End for most of my life except for university plus moving away again for the last couple of years.
My dad decided to support Derby when he was young. Won over by Brian Clough & Alan Hinton’s white boots. My choice of football team was decided long before I was even born.
Where I’m from my choice would’ve been my “local” team, Plymouth Argyle at just under 2 hours away, or do as my mates and pretty much everybody else in my town did and choose between Liverpool or Manchester United.
Countless trips up and down the country to cover the 600 and the rest miles to watch us lose 4-2 at home to the likes of Crewe Alexandra and win tense six-point relegation battles against Gillingham were the low points (or so I thought until recently). Still wouldn’t change it for the world.

Born (1971)Lived on the Isle of Wight and supported Derby all my life. Have always attended as many games as possible for both club and country. COYR! 

Was born in reading … not a million miles away from the old elm park
Born in Matlock Dad was stalwart Derby and it was only a matter or time before he migrated us back up towards the midlands .. unfortunately for me we only stopped back in Derby for a couple of years due to a bad house move so ended up in Nottingham but that didn’t stop me following him around the country watching my now beloved rams 
sadly now it’s a journey I have to carry on alone 
still never forget those early years back in the late eighties standing on a milk crate in the popside then the ritual of waiting no matter the weather for the green paper 
happy days 

Born in County Durham today in 1959, moved to Nottingham in 1961 as my Dad was a miner had a neighbour who originally came from Ilkeston who took me to my first Derby match in 1971 under the great Clough and Taylor team and was hooked straight away, I was lucky to see 2 championship winning teams and European night's in the 70's. Then saw the decline in the 80's whilst Forest won the League and European Cup under Clough and Taylor. But even though I've lived in Nottingham since 1961 I could only ever support Derby. Come On You Rams. 

i was born in Reykjavík, i have never been to Derby, what am i doing here?
Brian Clough

I would like to submit this non football related question, but one that I feel on a human level should be asked.
Mel, how are you and how is your health?

I heard when Rooney tackled Knight it left him with a tender behind!

If Rooney leaves who next - Joey Barton!

Ok, first of all I want to thank those that have respected the mods wishes over the Rooney photos, they have been acting on the forum guidelines which I put in place and what they moderate to.
Now Google ads help towards the funding of this forum, they have their guidelines which I must respect to show their ads on the forum in return for money which helps cover costs to stay online. 
The forum is that large now, we cannot stay online without creating revenue through adverts. No adverts no forum it’s as simple as that.
Over the years we have had several warnings, some of which threatening over nudity and other things, warnings which have been over content which we felt was ok to leave up at the time.
For example we had to remove the photos from Conehead John’s sons operations where stitches were showing as it was classed as sensitive content, go look, you won’t see any of those images and that was particularly tough job explaining to John privately. We’ve had pictures of bikinis that have also had to be removed, nothing more than you would see in a tabloid newspaper that is also funded by Google ads.
The truth is, us “small” websites are under a different set of guidelines than the big sites that generate double figure million clicks a month. 
It’s frustrating and equally frustrating when members do not appreciate that it’s not the moderators being overly aggressive with the moderation, be it remove humour or in this case protect Rooney. 
I can tell you now for a fact as I have just read the discussion in the moderation room before posting this, they have removed the photos due to Google and they acted correctly and have just thanked them.
I have not been in contact with them all day and have only signed into the admin panel to verify new members.
This was a scheduled day off for myself and had no intention of coming online, but here we are in another daily episode of being a Derby County fan.
Now this might sound harsh, but if any member cannot respect that we are under strict Google guidelines and the photos cannot be posted, please just sign out, take a few days to try and understand.
This forum is used by many fans, fans that can respect and understand our position whilst also appreciating the platform we offer, I will not and have instructed the moderators not to let anything jeopardise the future of this forum which I fully intend it to have.
Finally, I have said to the moderators just now, we can allow you to discuss the situation, that is fine, but you must not post the photos. 
Whilst this isn’t to protect Rooney, please also respect our rule regarding profanity towards ANYONE connected to the club, be it the cleaner, kit man or manager. 
?

Christ. whats the worst that can happen?
We get relegated? I'll still go. A few new grounds. Still sing, still moan, still have a good time with my mates.
Administration? Points deduction? Relegation. I'll still go. A few new grounds. Still sing, still moan, still have a good time with my mates.
Club wound up and we start again in the isthmian league. I'll still go. A few new grounds. Still sing, still moan, still have a good time with my mates. etc etc.
We cant control any of it lads and ladies, enjoy your life. Football will still be there to dictate ours saturday evening moods forever.