EtoileSportiveDeDerby

Photos look a bit grainy but they look clearer in person 

I’ve been practising with the pastels. Starting to get better 🎨 

My recreation of my granddaughters chilling in the infinity pool, looking out to sea.

On here, most are probably still drawing a willy on the newspaper front page and colouring in their teeth.
Wouldn’t expect much at all.

I know what you mean in terms of perhaps feeling we don’t have the right to say we miss him because we never met him in person but I’ve come to the conclusion that places like this forum really do become communities and you do get to know people if you stay around long enough and post on a wider range of topics ,
I too miss the lad and he will be a massive part of what I remember about this season , a season I am really enjoying for many reasons , here’s to Dan , proper derby fan , one of our own 🐏

I guess the Brexit voters don't want to sit here...

**Our xG said we didn't deserve it.

Few exciting options off bench compared to what they had so happy with that. Too emotionally invested but someone at work just messaged to say how much they enjoyed it especially compared to top of EPL this weekend!

Excellent away performance at top of the league team, they didn't create anything 2nd half, unlucky to be on the end of a worldie, but yes a point I would have settled for beforehand.
Need to back it up at stupid Wycombe 

A mention for two players one was brilliant in Korey Smith and one was immense in Ebou Adams just gets nicks on the ball when players think he’s not around and is a warrior please please sign him up 

I don’t care if we go up ?
OR 
I don’t care, if we go up ?
(Commas save lives - let’s eat, Grandma)
 

I wasn’t sure if I could possibly say anything comforting here. But also couldn’t just leave it with a like on your post. I’ve been thinking about you over Easter, and have everything crossed for your second scan.
Whatever the outcome though, it sounds like there’s some hard decisions to come.
Life absolutely sucks sometimes. But at some point in the future, could be a year, could be 5 years, could be ten years, you’ll be happy, and you’ll look back and wonder how the hell you got through this. But you did. And whatever has happened, all the good, and the bad, has got you to that point of being happy, whatever that looks like. it might seem like a long way off, but it’s there waiting for you. 
always remember “this too shall pass.”

@David wishing you and Leanne the very best as you ride your emotional rollercoaster 👍🐑
My situation is nothing in comparison, but it has been a difficult 12 months for both of my kids (29 and 31) with messy relationship breakups (fortunately no kids themselves), and we also lost our dog late in February. We, the wife and I, are still coming to terms with that loss. I post this not for any reason other than to say I agree there is much more to life than football. I had fallen out of love with football many years ago, and I think after the emotion of the club being saved I personally found last season an anti-climax. This season has bizarrely been unexciting for me, even though we have been riding high in the league. This is perhaps down to my age, the finding of other interests, and spending a lot more time offering love and support to my kids as they ‘rebuild’. Whilst I wish they hadn’t had the difficulties they have experienced, selfishly (perhaps) I am pleased to have been able to spend more quality time with them, making it more evident than ever to me that family and friendships are more important than overpaid young men kicking a back of wind about 😉
I still keep an eye on the games via this forum, and online viewing, and if we go up I suspect I will be thrilled and celebrate as hard as most on here. However, where I suspect I differ to many now is if we do fail at the final hurdle I won’t be down or too disappointed. It’s only football after all.
 
 

38 is not too old to sit balanced on a fat wallet. Is that the "it"?

38 is not too old to sit balanced on a fat wallet. Is that the "it"?

It might not change the situation but I hope sharing your story might have brought a small amount of relief. They will always be someone to listen on this forum. Sometimes families come together in unexpected ways. I wish you, Leanne and the boys all the best x 

Hi David, extremely brave of you to tell your story.
I'm not quite so open publicly but I am going through the same thing. Our background stories are different but I can understand, at least to some degree, of how you are feeling.
Therefore I wish you all the best. Hopefully by one method or another we can both get some more Rams in the world :)

First off, go back to line 4, and ditch the word "Fault".  Ain't no place for that sort of talk in here!  
Secondly, big up to you for opening up on a public web page.  It ain't easy, but it is healthy!
I did the same (different forum) back in 2016 when it became apparent that our granddaughter was highly unlikely to survive to a live birth, due to a rare but full on ("Edwards") Syndrome.  (As it happened, given the odds we were given at the start, we took much solace from her making it through, and sharing a whole hour with us all, before taking her leave and heading for the stars.)
To this day, I have absolutely no regrets about going "public", and took great comfort from the best wishes (and subsequent condolences) from my "on-line friends".  Never bottle it up, and never be afraid of opening up, whether that be to professionals, close family, or even complete strangers on the internet.  
From this point, all we can do is offer our own best wishes to you both, and keep our fingers crossed for you.  Even the minutest of percentages have been known to be overcome. 🤞
It appears you pair are together as one.  Keep it that way, and you'll conquer anything and everything, regardless of how severe things may appear at any given moment.  Stay strong FOR each other... and WITH each other!
All the best to you both.
xxx

I have no words.
All I am left thinking is that you and Leanne sound exactly the type of people to be bringing up children, whether that’s your great nephews, your own or both.
 I found your story very moving and I really hope this story has a happy ending for you. 
Thank you for sharing it with us. 
 

Pull up a chair, this will be a long one.
Me and my wife Leanne have been together 8 years and 5 months, we have been trying for a baby for around 6/7 years. Nothing happened. Leanne has been desperate for our own little baby and seeing friends around us start families has been hard for her.
It’s been hard for myself as I later found out it was probably my fault following a sperm test.
Just before Covid we went to explore IVF options where I was given a sperm test, the results were basically I have swimmers, just not enough to put me in the “normal” range. Not impossible I could get Leanne pregnant, just harder than it would be for others.
Covid landed, lockdown, all non essential treatment and hospital appointments were cancelled, so our doctors asked us to come back once life returned to normal.
Fast forward to August 2023, we returned to the doctors knowing the clock was ticking, Leanne turns 40 this year and would already be classified as a “geriatric”, whilst myself a slightly younger Des O’Connor.
Anyway, they started testing Leanne, she was all clear, I was given another tube to fill and arrange an appointment with the hospital. Contacting them I was told there is such a backlog, we would be waiting until the new year, side note, we’re almost April and I’m still yet to receive a call back.
As I have mentioned elsewhere, October 27th our great nephews moved in with us under an emergency kinship fostering placement, since then we have been undergoing various assessments and training.
We go to the fostering panel to be confirmed foster parents on April 11th.
We was also willing to go down the SGO (Special guardianship order) route which would see them stay with us until they were 18.
Now, this is an important bit. We live in a small 2 bedroom house, me and Leanne looked at it and said maybe this is our calling, maybe we just weren’t meant to have our own and threw ourselves into the boys creating a special bond.
Monday 12th February, 2024, Leanne woke me up in tears saying we need to talk. My eyes had barely adjusted to the daylight before a positive pregnancy test was thrust into my face.
What. The. f***.
We quickly went to Morrison’s to buy another one, just to double check, this time a digital one. Both ClearBlue so super accurate.
The pregnancy was confirmed, 2-3 weeks it said.
We hadn’t bothered to be “careful” as we figured it was never going to happen naturally, but it had so now we was left with a huge dilemma. The boys were meant to be our future now. But it’s a 2 bedroom house.
It completely took the shine off what should have been the happiest time of our lives, Leanne’s family were also not fully invested into the joy with concern over what would happen to the boys.
After a few emotional discussions into the early mornings, exploring all possibilities, we ultimately decided to let social services know that we cannot be considered as long term placement if needed.
At this point and to this day, their mum is still waiting on her assessment to see if they can ever be returned.
We could not abort, we could not move as we have a small amount of debt that would prevent us getting a new mortgage for a much larger house.
March 9th, we visited the midwife who dated the pregnancy from Leanne’s last recorded period December 18th. A 12 week scan was booked for 21st March however she was told that she would be 13 weeks by then.
Sickness, tender breasts, the lot, this was all very real.
The wait for the 21st March seemed like forever.
The weekend prior, Leanne had very very light spotting and discharge which freaked us both out, quick call to the midwife and told not to worry, just come in if it’s heavy bleeding and she’s in pain.
On the 20th, I had a tattoo appointment, super excited and determined to bring some positivity to a stressed out wife, I get “Daddy” inked on my neck, at the neckline of a t shirt.  I was uncontrollably excited by this point.
Next morning we go in, soon called into the Ultrasound room, I bounce in rubbing my hands joking just the one please.
Monitor boots up, Leanne laid back with the biggest smile on her face unable to see the monitor.
I look up and the gestation sac is empty.
All life inside me just melted.
The midwife asked when we last took a pregnancy test, to which Leanne responded and was then asked if she would be happy to have an internal scan.
Whilst the midwife left the room I was in a daze, taking pictures of the screens.
Internal scan complete, we was simply told to get ourselves ready and we will be shown to the counselling room.
Both in tears, we was led away and left to sit in this room for half hour or so before another midwife appeared giving us 3 options.
Let it come out naturally.
Take medication to force it out which can be super painful.
Or surgery, which is a vacuum basically which sucks it out.
Period of silence followed and we was shown out the side door, absolutely devastated.
We sat in the car park at a complete loss. I had the announcement board ready to go, bought the little lamb rattle, we had it all planned and it was over.
After an hour we went home, packed our bags and basically ran away for the weekend leaving the boys with their Nan. We couldn’t face being “parents” surrounded by toys at this time.
Work were great, signed us both off with paid leave.
The weekend was spent crying, drinking, walking, crying.
We returned Monday, still an emotional mess but able to function at least.
The hospital rang asking if we had made a decision, on Tuesday Leanne booked the surgery for the Wednesday. That Tuesday night went to visit a friend who was questioning the dates, could they be wrong, is it earlier than we think, ask for a second scan to confirm.
On looking at the scan, the gestation sac was 1D 25mm, 2D 29mm and 3D 29mm. I’m googling sac sizes at 1am and see that is 8 weeks. 5 weeks earlier than what we was told.
Leanne’s now questioning if she forgot to record a period I said look, we’ll ask for a confirmation scan to be sure.
That morning, we go into SDEC (Same day emergency care), nurse calls us in, Leanne breaks down so I take over asking for a confirmation scan. They were great and said of course, booking us in for April 2nd.
I would have declined the 1st for obvious reasons.
We’re sat here now 99% believing we’ve lost the baby, however we need that 1% of doubt clearing away with this confirmation scan on Tuesday. Even a scan at an earlier date should have shown more than just the gestation sac and yolk sac.
I’m back to work on Monday, needing some normality back in my life, although Tuesday after the scan won’t be much fun.
This week that’s just gone, Wednesday 27th, the Boys mum had her assessment heard at panel, we’re now just waiting to hear from the social services to see how that went and would they be returned or not.
We have some difficult decisions ahead if she doesn’t, as now Leanne’s “oven has been warmed”, we’re desperate more than ever for our own little baby, yet fully aware Leanne turns 40 in a couple of months and I’m 42 myself.
It really needs to happen now, or not at all. Seeing Cameron Diaz having her second at 51 years old the other week, not sure how I feel as the old you get the more our bodies begin to tire and develop issues where running after children becomes more difficult.
All family options for the boys have been exhausted, so it’s either us, their mum or adoption. Being 2 and 3 they are the prime age to be adopted yet we would never see them again and that would f’in hurt, especially if me and Leanne are not successful in having our own.
I'm sharing this as men don't like to talk and when 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage, many men will have been in similar situations and struggle in silence. Whilst the woman will ultimately bare the most pain and need the most support, it still f'in hurts....a lot.
So yeah, coming on here reading how Paul Warne is a terrible football manager, being 2nd is pure luck and all the rest of the negative hyperbole just hasn’t been at the top of the list to absorb. 
More to life than football has never been more true.
You know the old saying though, behind every successful forum owner, behind him is a team of amazing moderators. Big thanks to them for carrying the load whilst I spend time supporting the wife.

For obvious tactical reasons, wouldn't surprise me if Thompson comes in for CBT for this one

Match Thread: vs Portsmouth (a)
Tuesday, April 2nd, Kick-Off – 8.00pm
Head to Head:
Two grand old clubs who first met way back in 1902 in the FA Cup, a game that resulted in a rather unsatisfactory 0-0 bore draw. The replay at saw us winning the replay 6-3 which doubtless gave the early Rams faithful a little more to cheer. Since then, there’s not been a deal between the two sides, with Derby edging the charts with 42 wins to Pompey’s 35.
Games won: 42
Games drawn: 23
Games lost: 35
The Status Quo:
Well, it’s looking good right now my fellow rams. Likewise for Pompey, who do look near to uncatchable now, though there doubtless remain some happy clappers like yours truly who will still be hoping Portsmouth slip up and what better place for them to begin their demise than in front of their own fans on Tuesday evening? That said, Portsmouth have arguably been THE most consistent side in the division, steadily accumulating wins after a minor, mid-season wobble. It’s fair to say that while they’ve continued their good form, our post-Xmas wobble saw us fall back a little, though if we look at the last half dozen games, we’ve actually outpointed them, indeed only Lincoln, who seem to lay waste to every team they meet right now, can claim to be in better form than our own beloved Rams.

The Key Threats:
There’s little doubt that Cody Bishop is their main striking threat with 16 goals and 2 assists to his name this season, but Pompey can boast other threats, none less than Paddy Lane who has netted 11 times this season, also weighing in with 6 assists. Abu Kamara and Marlon pack have 8 assists a piece, so it’s fair to say that Pompey have multiple attacking threats and they promise to provide us with our toughest game of the season and one in which Nelson and Cashin will need to be absolutely on their A-game if we are to leave with Fratton Park with anything to show for the game.
Team News:
Like most, I was delighted to see Collo return to the fold so swiftly and he looked pretty damn sharp to be honest. Perhaps the ‘rest’ has actually done him well! This is critical as for me, Wash and Waggy look some way off their peak and I suppose, given their lack of games this year, that’s easy to understand.
I was also delighted to see Korey Smith start and for me, he has to stay in the starting 11. He’s not entirely dissimilar to Hourihane, but his mobility gives us more stability, though that said, we did again leave gaps between the press and our back line against Blackpool and if we do so again against Pompey, we might find ourselves in some bother.
With a considerable injury list still hampering his efforts, Warne will again need to marshal his troops carefully and I’d expect a cagey performance from both sides where moments of quality will likely settle the game, rather than one side establishing outright dominance. I’ll drop another update on injuries etc, on this thread nearer the game, but I’d be looking at something similar to what we saw yesterday, with a couple of tweaks:
Firstly, I’ve assumed Elder is once more broken and that we’ll therefore need to use Sibbo in the LB role again. I’d have preferred him starting higher up the pitch, but we have so many missing that it’s a case of needs must. In so much, the back 4 pick themselves.
I’ve kept the same midfield as last week, with Smith again taking the starting role and Conor set to figure later in the game. Adams remains on fire and simply has to start every match now. The only other tweak I’d use would be to play Wash in behind Collo, assuming Jimmy is able to manage 60 minutes at this point in his return. That gives us something like the line-up below, but I do expect this to change, as I very seldom guess Warne’s selection correctly and I’m also hopeful we’ll have one or two more to pick from. CBT, now with some minutes under his belt, appears to be finding some good form and despite our injury situation, we'll have some interesting bench options all the same and perhaps he might even earn a start?


The Game:
I don’t think there’s any doubt that both sides have sufficient quality to punish any errors made and I think this will simply come down to which side best executes their game plan and who is most clinical with the chances they fashion. I’m going for a 1-1 draw with Nate to re-find his scoring touch and secure us another vital point. I think with both clubs and sets of fans riding high, it ought to be a great atmosphere though at present, there is some rain forecast. For anyone making a mini-break of it, please see some 'Things To Do' suggestions and links to some decent eateries below, as suggested by TripAdvisor:
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractions-g186298-Activities-Portsmouth_Hampshire_England.html
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurants-g186298-Portsmouth_Hampshire_England.html
Enjoy the game my fellow Rams fans and safe journey to and fro.
COYR
BE MORE B4

Man City and Arsenal are so methodological, that when they play each other it turns into a standstill.
The game at the Emirates was crap and only settled by a last-minute deflection, this game is worse.
Liverpool are a much better watch in the big games as they are more chaotic.