i-Ram

Great to see those old newspaper articles, just reinforces old memories. I have every copy of the 'Green Un' for 68/69, they are well stored up in the loft!  I must get them out sometime!
As Brailsford says, whilst this thread relates to 71/72 what happened in the 60's in many ways provided the building blocks for what was to follow. After the gradual but pernicious slide into the obscurity of the 3rd Tier that followed the FA Cup win it was evident that the Club needed a strong hand on the tiller to turn it's fortunes around! 
Fortunately, it only took two years for us to get out of the old 3rd Division North and then some stability (both football wise and from a financial point of view) followed. With Harry Storer as Manager and Sam Longson in the Chair they were, in many ways, the ideal characters to achieve this stability but, as the 60's leapt into life, there was a feeling that we were still underachieving and that DCFC had more to offer. When Tim took up the baton from Storer the fans hoped that a more positive future lay ahead. Looking back, Tim did begin to revamp the club but there remained a feeling that he lacked the dynamism needed to really get the ball rolling. There is no doubt that there was pent up frustration amongst the fans that we needed a stronger character than Tim to achieve this even though it's fair to say that he raised the quality on the pitch with imports such as Durban and Hector as well as with the development of home grown players like Webster. When Sam wielded the axe most fans felt that the decision to dispense with Tim was the correct one even though he was well liked and 'one of us'. Who would Longson go for we asked, I don't think Cloughies name was bandied about and it was certainly a surprise appointment. For that decision we have to thank Jimmy Armfield, the former superb England Full Back, who urged Sam to go for BC.
What still amazes me is the excitement that that decision caused amongst Rams fans and, indeed, the wider Derby community! Brian Clough, why Brian Clough we asked?? But as soon as he walked through the door there was a whiff of excitement, as if that pent up frustration was suddenly being released! Talk about going through the club like a dose of salts there seemed to be a new story to read about every day in the DET! What followed over the next few years still seems more like a figment of someone's imagination than reality but history shows that actually it did happen!  
This thread is about the success of 71/72 but it's beyond dispute that the previous decade was the catalyst for that success! A decade that saw unbelievable change in every aspect of life, a decade that begat an unbelievable change in the story of a founder member of the Football League and in the lives of it's supporters and the community that it represented! Unforgettable, unbelievable, but whichever way you look at it bloody wonderful! 

We did take stock a couple of years ago. Morris could see where it was all heading (other than COVID), and was desperate, very desperate, to sell, and to anyone. Hence his dealings with Christopher ‘The Magician’ Samuelson.
COVID actually has been helpful to us in my opinion. It led to what was needed (given the mess we were in) - a pruning of our player staff and other costs to appropriate levels, and the removal of our incompetent executive management team. We could have done without the 12point deduction penalty, but the mess was such that I can’t believe any ‘respectable’ buyer would have purchased the club from Morris. It needed astute, independent third party assessment and action, to clear the decks and give a solid base to whoever came next - both financially and via a reset with the EFL and its member clubs. I think Quantumna are doing what needs to be done to expedite a sale, and to satisfy the demands of the creditors. That is their job. Hopefully though they will also box off the overall position with the EFL, and find us an owner who will run our club like a business not like a train set.

Any pictures of the bush?

I CANT FIND THE EFFING LID FOR MY EFFING BIRO!!?? ?
 
 
Sorry about that chaps, I've got a lot of pen top frustration at the moment.

I make it 7 non-parachute clubs promoted from 15 spots. Huddersfield, Brighton, Wolves, Norwich (1st time around), Sheff Utd, Leeds and Brentford. 
Looking at League One/Championship, the rate of promotion soon after relegation is much higher there. No parachute payments either (at least I don't think so). 
As I've said, parachute payments should make a massive difference, but they don't seem to.

Yes. We weren't playing football.

Pearce would have only part buried the bodies.
Dig a six foot hole you say Mel? How about we dig the hole in stages, let’s just go a few inches deep initially and revisit this annually. You know a few more inches. No, no, don’t nail me down on specifics. After 5 years, perhaps with a 1 year extension, I can get behind the fact that the body is then beyond the useful life of an asset.

There nothing dark about the EFL, as a body they are simply incompetent and unprofessional, being dark, manipulative and cunning requires planning and a clear objective, there is no evidence that the  EFL has any of these skills.
Remember these are the people that used Morecambe's ground as a price reference for Pride Park? 

Spot on iram!
 
Mel has known this was coming a long time now, hence the people he was actually willing to sell the club too!
Although are the ones that are eyeing us up now much better?

We did take stock a couple of years ago. Morris could see where it was all heading (other than COVID), and was desperate, very desperate, to sell, and to anyone. Hence his dealings with Christopher ‘The Magician’ Samuelson.
COVID actually has been helpful to us in my opinion. It led to what was needed (given the mess we were in) - a pruning of our player staff and other costs to appropriate levels, and the removal of our incompetent executive management team. We could have done without the 12point deduction penalty, but the mess was such that I can’t believe any ‘respectable’ buyer would have purchased the club from Morris. It needed astute, independent third party assessment and action, to clear the decks and give a solid base to whoever came next - both financially and via a reset with the EFL and its member clubs. I think Quantumna are doing what needs to be done to expedite a sale, and to satisfy the demands of the creditors. That is their job. Hopefully though they will also box off the overall position with the EFL, and find us an owner who will run our club like a business not like a train set.

We did take stock a couple of years ago. Morris could see where it was all heading (other than COVID), and was desperate, very desperate, to sell, and to anyone. Hence his dealings with Christopher ‘The Magician’ Samuelson.
COVID actually has been helpful to us in my opinion. It led to what was needed (given the mess we were in) - a pruning of our player staff and other costs to appropriate levels, and the removal of our incompetent executive management team. We could have done without the 12point deduction penalty, but the mess was such that I can’t believe any ‘respectable’ buyer would have purchased the club from Morris. It needed astute, independent third party assessment and action, to clear the decks and give a solid base to whoever came next - both financially and via a reset with the EFL and its member clubs. I think Quantumna are doing what needs to be done to expedite a sale, and to satisfy the demands of the creditors. That is their job. Hopefully though they will also box off the overall position with the EFL, and find us an owner who will run our club like a business not like a train set.

That's right... And wasn't there also an incident with Deon Dublin and his chopper, at Villa Park?  
 
 
?

Didn't Robert Maxwell land at the BBG in a Helicopter? or was it a huge crane that lifted his bulk into the ground!

Well yes, It took MM long enough to realise he wasn't playong the "Derby way" ?

Well I hope you are right. At this moment you would have to be very far sighted not to say extremely optimistic to imagine that COVID could end up ever being good for the club even in the long term.
 
A reset after financial excesses is by no means unusual. But Mel's historic overspending, COVID , penalty point deductions, transfer embargos and near certain relegation all seem to be an awful lot to recover from anytime soon.
But I agree, as I have with many other posters that the priority has to be securing a deal with the new owner.
 

We did take stock a couple of years ago. Morris could see where it was all heading (other than COVID), and was desperate, very desperate, to sell, and to anyone. Hence his dealings with Christopher ‘The Magician’ Samuelson.
COVID actually has been helpful to us in my opinion. It led to what was needed (given the mess we were in) - a pruning of our player staff and other costs to appropriate levels, and the removal of our incompetent executive management team. We could have done without the 12point deduction penalty, but the mess was such that I can’t believe any ‘respectable’ buyer would have purchased the club from Morris. It needed astute, independent third party assessment and action, to clear the decks and give a solid base to whoever came next - both financially and via a reset with the EFL and its member clubs. I think Quantumna are doing what needs to be done to expedite a sale, and to satisfy the demands of the creditors. That is their job. Hopefully though they will also box off the overall position with the EFL, and find us an owner who will run our club like a business not like a train set.

We did take stock a couple of years ago. Morris could see where it was all heading (other than COVID), and was desperate, very desperate, to sell, and to anyone. Hence his dealings with Christopher ‘The Magician’ Samuelson.
COVID actually has been helpful to us in my opinion. It led to what was needed (given the mess we were in) - a pruning of our player staff and other costs to appropriate levels, and the removal of our incompetent executive management team. We could have done without the 12point deduction penalty, but the mess was such that I can’t believe any ‘respectable’ buyer would have purchased the club from Morris. It needed astute, independent third party assessment and action, to clear the decks and give a solid base to whoever came next - both financially and via a reset with the EFL and its member clubs. I think Quantumna are doing what needs to be done to expedite a sale, and to satisfy the demands of the creditors. That is their job. Hopefully though they will also box off the overall position with the EFL, and find us an owner who will run our club like a business not like a train set.

I like your posts.  I would only be reading ‘the EFL killed my kitten’ posts otherwise.

We did take stock a couple of years ago. Morris could see where it was all heading (other than COVID), and was desperate, very desperate, to sell, and to anyone. Hence his dealings with Christopher ‘The Magician’ Samuelson.
COVID actually has been helpful to us in my opinion. It led to what was needed (given the mess we were in) - a pruning of our player staff and other costs to appropriate levels, and the removal of our incompetent executive management team. We could have done without the 12point deduction penalty, but the mess was such that I can’t believe any ‘respectable’ buyer would have purchased the club from Morris. It needed astute, independent third party assessment and action, to clear the decks and give a solid base to whoever came next - both financially and via a reset with the EFL and its member clubs. I think Quantumna are doing what needs to be done to expedite a sale, and to satisfy the demands of the creditors. That is their job. Hopefully though they will also box off the overall position with the EFL, and find us an owner who will run our club like a business not like a train set.

We did take stock a couple of years ago. Morris could see where it was all heading (other than COVID), and was desperate, very desperate, to sell, and to anyone. Hence his dealings with Christopher ‘The Magician’ Samuelson.
COVID actually has been helpful to us in my opinion. It led to what was needed (given the mess we were in) - a pruning of our player staff and other costs to appropriate levels, and the removal of our incompetent executive management team. We could have done without the 12point deduction penalty, but the mess was such that I can’t believe any ‘respectable’ buyer would have purchased the club from Morris. It needed astute, independent third party assessment and action, to clear the decks and give a solid base to whoever came next - both financially and via a reset with the EFL and its member clubs. I think Quantumna are doing what needs to be done to expedite a sale, and to satisfy the demands of the creditors. That is their job. Hopefully though they will also box off the overall position with the EFL, and find us an owner who will run our club like a business not like a train set.

We did take stock a couple of years ago. Morris could see where it was all heading (other than COVID), and was desperate, very desperate, to sell, and to anyone. Hence his dealings with Christopher ‘The Magician’ Samuelson.
COVID actually has been helpful to us in my opinion. It led to what was needed (given the mess we were in) - a pruning of our player staff and other costs to appropriate levels, and the removal of our incompetent executive management team. We could have done without the 12point deduction penalty, but the mess was such that I can’t believe any ‘respectable’ buyer would have purchased the club from Morris. It needed astute, independent third party assessment and action, to clear the decks and give a solid base to whoever came next - both financially and via a reset with the EFL and its member clubs. I think Quantumna are doing what needs to be done to expedite a sale, and to satisfy the demands of the creditors. That is their job. Hopefully though they will also box off the overall position with the EFL, and find us an owner who will run our club like a business not like a train set.

We did take stock a couple of years ago. Morris could see where it was all heading (other than COVID), and was desperate, very desperate, to sell, and to anyone. Hence his dealings with Christopher ‘The Magician’ Samuelson.
COVID actually has been helpful to us in my opinion. It led to what was needed (given the mess we were in) - a pruning of our player staff and other costs to appropriate levels, and the removal of our incompetent executive management team. We could have done without the 12point deduction penalty, but the mess was such that I can’t believe any ‘respectable’ buyer would have purchased the club from Morris. It needed astute, independent third party assessment and action, to clear the decks and give a solid base to whoever came next - both financially and via a reset with the EFL and its member clubs. I think Quantumna are doing what needs to be done to expedite a sale, and to satisfy the demands of the creditors. That is their job. Hopefully though they will also box off the overall position with the EFL, and find us an owner who will run our club like a business not like a train set.

Am I allowed to believe both that Mel Morris is ultimately to blame for taking us into administration, that he presumably signed off on our approach to finances and accounting which got us into trouble and if he hadn’t spent big sums of cash at the behest of his managers (ie not supported them) then we wouldn’t be in the mess we are in… AND… that the EFL have acted dishonesty, acted retrospectively against all normal rules of natural justice, have sought to block or stymie every single attempt for us to get out of the mess and place additional barriers in our way, have maliciously not used any discretion in how they have interpreted the rules or punishment and are one gigantic pile of excrement?
I mean, there’s plenty of blame to go around, I don’t think we need to be polarised about it or ‘take sides’.

I feel it sensible to stop fighting at this point, some good decision making from Quantuma. Taking the full punishment now makes sense. We will get some sort of points deduction anyway and with the current team, manager and points haul is too risky to keep on fighting and perhaps to have another points deduction in League One.

If we would have won around 4 games more (which we easily could), the odds against relegation would be very different and then we should keep on fighting. But as the season has gone as it has, I think they are right to clean the slate now and start with the new owner(s) next season. 

Also, I'd add that next summer is perhaps the best possible time to rebuild the team. We are not the only cash strapped club and there'll be abundance of Championship level players free next summer. We should have a decent pulling power so I'm not really worried about that. 

Take the slap and get the new owners in. That's the priority.