Macintosh

4 hours ago, Philmycock said:

Yep he lived at Hazlewood 

If this is Mel Morris, he now has Harry Redknapp as his neighbour, in Sandbanks.

20 hours ago, Rambervalley said:

I bet the likes of Middlesbrough, Bristol City and Notts Forest are consulting their list of players at this very moment, wondering how they can help us out. ?

They haven't got anyone that could help us, possibly only Aleksandar Mitrović in this league would make a difference. So, you go to Manchester United and Everton, Wayne's old clubs for massive help. Maybe with Moyes at WHU being a previous manager, then Newcastle who will have many players surplus soon. We'll get no sympathy from fans and other clubs, but possibly from those four, for Wayne's predicament. Six of the best loans the Championship has ever seen. If it doesn't happen there is no hope.

It's likely now that we will have to catch up 18 points, six wins to get out the bottom three and even Mount, Tomori and Wilson would not be able to do that. Getting a hot-hsot up and coming reserve like Rhian Brewster at that time would be no good, it has to a player than can score 15 goals in the last 21 games, and creative players to feed. Six weeks of begging.

8 minutes ago, PistoldPete said:

The Great Escape ended with most of them getting shot. Not that great an escape then.

Similar with The Magnificent Seven, but everyone remembers them 60 years on.

There must be some empathy from other clubs with the situation Derby are in, the history of our club and how helpless we are with our situation. If there were five or six loans of top players they could help the club, those not getting a first-team chance, some players that fancy making history, then why not? Wayne has such respect in the game, maybe he could beg PL teams to loan players to us, with the likelihood we need to win every game next year to stay up. What about Newcastle letting us borrow Dwight Gayle, West Ham's Andriy Yarmolenko, Leicester's Marc Albrighton, United's Juan Mata and Matic etc. assemble a team that could win every game and the eyes of the football world would be on them.

2 hours ago, Ghost of Clough said:

Where are you getting your figures from? Norwich's wage bill in 18/19 (3rd season in Championship) was £54m. I'd be very surprised if it was as low as you're suggesting, 2 year later and after a season in the PL.

Varying sources, which all vary considerably, however, this one does a regression of wages throughout the seasons. How much any can be relied upon is anyone's guess!

https://www.spotrac.com/epl/norwich-city-fc/payroll/2019/

2 hours ago, jono said:

I’d be interested to see how many none parachute clubs have been promoted in the last 5 years ? Anyone got any names ? Leeds .. who else ? 
 

The race is usually between parachute clubs (recently relegated or still in receipt from past seasons ) and maybe 1 or 2 others .. if you could introduce a financing system that was less loaded then it would be a far healthier competition.. suddenly you might get 6/8 clubs in the race rather than 3/4. And reaching the marker for a cash injection is an incentive to others but not one that would force madness in spending. A worthwhile prize for a finish above top 10 

My argument is that the only way this will ever change is through fan power, media and journalists. That's why the European Super League collapsed. Another gripe is that QPRs punishment of £41m, well that ended up getting paid by Parachute Money, so they suffered absolutely nothing and only the Rams did. And where did that money go, same with the fines to Bournemouth and Leicester? Certainly not distributed to the clubs.

2020/21

Norwich City, Watford

Swansea and Bournemouth in Play-offs

2019/20

West Brom

Fulham, Cardiff and Swansea in Play-offs

2018/19

Norwich City

West Brom and Aston Villa in Play-offs

2017/18

Cardiff

Fulham, Aston Villa, Middlesbrough in Play-offs

2016/17

Newcastle

Reading and Fulham in Play-offs

2015/16

Burnley

Hull City in Play-offs

43 minutes ago, DCFC Kicks said:

But promoted clubs need to spend to compete in the PL. If they got relegated into the Championship in their first PL season and didn't have parachute payments they'd be stuck with a bunch of players on high wages and got out of business.

The source of the problem is the Premier Leagues never ending greed and 'profit above all else nature'. Football died in England in 1992.

I don't think anyone would argue if these teams were given a helping hand, maybe the difference between the highest wages paid by a team in the Championship and what they are going to have to pay. But a team like Norwich, their wage bill was one of the lowest after relegation, smaller than ours, they also sold two players for a lot of dosh. The £42.6m parachute payment totally covered all of Watford's wages and double what Bournemouth required, it was triple Norwich wages cost. It would be fair if Norwich and Bournemouth were given nothing, and Watford around £20m, a sliding scale of what is needed, and paid at the end of the season. The rest of the £365m divided equally to all teams in the Championship, around £15m each, then you have a competitive league at last.

The £34.9m second payment again covers all of Bournemouth's wages for this season with £15m to be added to the £25m they didn't need the previous season.

Callum Wilson sold by Bournemouth to Newcastle for £20m, Aaron Ramsdale to Sheffield United for £18m. Nathan Aké for £40m. Not sure how much for Harry Arter, Josh King and Dan Gosling. Total £78m

Jamal Lewis to Newcastle £15m, Ben Godfrey to Everton £20m. Total £35m

Pervis Estupiñán to Villarreal £15m, Abdoulaye Doucouré to Everton £20m, Luis Suárez to Granada £10m, Gerard Deulofeu for £17m, a few other deals difficult to work out because they were to parent clubs in Spain. Total £62m

Seeing as the EFL, PL etc., are ignoring the fact that the rest of the clubs in the Championship are only there to make up numbers, could supporters' groups from this division take their own action as a fan demonstration. No away support at Fulham, Bournemouth, WBA and Sheffield United? Like many, I was disgusted with the price increase by Sheffield United, but if jointly all away supporters boycotted their grounds and even limited the number of tickets allocated for them when they play away, that may be a start of a message clubs aren't going to stand for this any more?

On 11/11/2021 at 09:24, Oldben said:

 

 

Of most importance is to finish this season as a good, confident and winning team with building blocks in place. Maybe we go down five points adrift, but it sets us up for the climb back. Clubs that struggle to return quickly are the ones rebuilding, especially in confidence. This next six months defines us for the next five seasons.

Quantuma pulled out of a scheduled Radio Derby interview this morning.

No news is good news I'm going for.

1 hour ago, Oldben said:

This article perfectly sums up how I feel ...

https://derbycountyblog.com/the-bigger-picture/

 

I can't agree on filling up the side with loan signings, unless they were try before you buy. Loans signings for a doomed side would basically be paying other teams' player's wages and their development, doing them a favour and achieving nothing for our club. Last term we brought in five players that added over one million to the wage bill, to do again ahead of playing youngsters we hope can break through would be as stupid as selling Pride Park to yourself then finding out it made no difference at all.

13 hours ago, loweman2 said:

Sent the photo to Phil Waller as he loves to see them.

Here's one of Phil he may not have seen, and in a team picture. The legendary Jack Bowers front right, when Brylcreem was a must.

Is that Ian Buxton between Ralph Hann and Alan Durban? Ralph was another who lost his job during the Clough clearout in 1967.

3 hours ago, Brailsford Ram said:

 

 

4 hours ago, Brailsford Ram said:

 

Here's a team of just memories now. 

And a legend.

Here are some 71/72 players, with Gordon Guthrie as a player. A lot of people won't know that Tim started the Ex-Rams charity games after he retired and also the Ex-Rams Old Players Association (together with Breedon Books who used to sponsor the evening). Third from right kneeling is Malcolm Edmondson and next to Kevin Hector is John Bowers Jnr in the tracksuit, both worked at the Telegraph. I think this is Northcliffe United?

Although nothing to do with this season, here are some Tim Ward images no one will have seen, they are his personal images.

20 hours ago, RamsfanJim said:

Overall debt has not been stated, but will be published within the next 2 weeks with Companies House (they had 8 weeks from data of Admin to produce Creditors Report).

Football debts have to be paid in full and HMRC are preferential creditor for most of their debt.

Intention is to pay 25p in the £1 to remaining creditors, they are negotiating with HMRC on how much they would be prepared to accept (when alternative is nothing if club is liquidated).

Overall figures have not been agreed, so not stated - hence why there are no bids on the table yet (as they don't know how much they would be spending, and what they would get)..

Do you know who has to pay the MSD Holding bill, is that Mel and Pride Park Stadium, or part of the overall debt?

2 hours ago, Brailsford Ram said:

What a concise and accurate critique Crewton. I have bought all the books about Derby County and Armed With A Football is one of my favourites. It is serious, sad and in parts sentimental and funny but a great story. Andrew Ward co-authored The Derby County Story with Anton Rippon. He did the same with John Williams in putting together Football Nation - Sixty Years of the Beautiful Game, which is also highly recommended. He should have written more. I wish he had written one on Tim's career as a football manager.

Andrew's not in a good way right now, dementia and cancer.

I've seen £60m and £50m banded about regarding how much debt we are in, but, having several times had companies go bust on me and start up again, how little of the debt actually does get paid, and twice I worked at a company that was resurrected by a Phoenix agreement, do those that are in the know, supporters' groups that have been to meetings, have an actual ballpark figure?

The Dell loan (now £18m?) I presume is Mel's, not Derby's, which was to pay off the previous loan for buying Pride Park the second time around. The HMRC debt of £28m?, they always do a deal, a percentage, and I'd be surprised if they ended up with much more than half. The Bielik debt is in stages, future payments, and similar with Jozwiak, that possibly only adds up to £2-3m combined presently due. Money that has to be paid to the EFL for fines will be deferred against money due from TV rights, Keogh, I might be wrong, but I think there is an appeal due with that in January? and then we have legal bills and administrator's costs, that will be approaching £5m I'd have thought. The government will pay for redundancies, and the smaller debtors, non-football related will, as usual, whistle for what they were owed. Wayne is probably due some and bonuses that never got paid to players. Just the banks left?

Could it be as little as £20m a potential new owner has to find? The supporters' groups were given 30 days to make an offer, they must have figures and give us a hint.

Personally, I'd prefer an Arsenal-style form of ownership, shares, and for many to be involved. each take a portion of the debt and also add towards a war chest. Presently only 60,000 shares have been issued by Arsenal. So, I'd go for Kirchner, Dell, Easdale, Ashby, Appleby and Rooney, and as we become successful, those that invested sell up and an ultimate owner evolves if and when we become a force again. If Morris wanted to convert Pride Park into shares I would not argue against that. Maybe a supporters' group could buy some too.

12 hours ago, IslandExile said:

I'm sure the wrist slashes are out in force tonight but it's been obvious for a while now.... We need a total reset.

First and foremost - let's stay in business. Number one priority - get a new owner and as soon as possible.

Points deductions.... The squad is so poor, we'd struggle to avoid relegation even without a points deduction. That could be offset slightly by Bielik's return and acquisitions of forwards in January but, by then, it may be too late anyway.

So let's accept whatever points deductions the EFL want to throw at us, on condition that they're imposed this season. Then it's over and done with.

Assuming then that we're going down, let's start building for next season in League One.

That means blooding the youngsters that will still be with the club. Not playing each one in every game, not leaving out all the old pros. But giving each young'un experience alongside a mentor. For example Cashin playing with either Davies or Jagielka.

Assuming Bird, Knight and Bielik will go, playing Watson alongside Shinnie and Morrison. That kind of thing.

Rooney has been really dignified throughout these nightmare months but the jury is still out for him tactics wise. After the last couple of games, there are question marks against his motivational ability too. I wonder what Curtis was referring to regards the training sessions.

But anyhow, Rooney is the magnet for investors and deserves "a go" with a clean slate.

So let's put the bad stuff behind us, and start building this club up again. Even if it means losing the current crop of good young players and starting in League One.

One thing for sure, the support is fantastic. The fans deserve a club going forward, not sinking further into the mire. Let's get the crap out of the way. Move on up. COYR ?

All it would take is three wins on the trot, a player finding form and the whole attitude will change, the confidence would return. Birmingham have just done that, Blackpool and Middlesbrough did, and Millwall, Peterborough and Forest have won a few to push themselves right up the table. Right now Hull, Derby, Barnsley, Reading, Bristol City and Cardiff are on dreadful runs. If this team was to give up now, build for next season I can't see an investor arriving or this management sticking around.

US President George Washington once sang "The Derby Ram" to his twin sons (named Hector and Mackay)

A finger in the left ear is recommended.

As I was going to Darby, Sir,

All on a market day,

I met the finest Ram, Sir,

That ever was fed on hay.

Daddle-i-day, daddle-i-day,

Fal-de-ral, fal-de-ral, daddle-i-day.

This Ram was fat behind, Sir,

This Ram was fat before,

This Ram was ten yards high, Sir,

Indeed he was no more.

Daddle-i-day, etc.

The Wool upon his back, Sir,

Reached up unto the sky,

The Eagles made their nests there, Sir,

For I heard the young ones cry.

Daddle-i-day, etc.

Well, the 21 days for the Independent Panel is up on Sunday for them to make their decision, there should be good news either that day or Monday.

I was a fan, but some weren't, I notice Patrick Roberts, on loan at Troye for the last year of his contract has only played once so far, maybe he might be interested in cutting that short in January and making a return? City's highly rated centre-half Philippe Sandler is also on loan there for the season, also not getting games and his contract is also up should the recruitment team read these pages.

Having none presently, the ability to bring in six loans has to be a huge advantage, players not getting game time at their club, those that refuse to sign a new contract and will be leaving in the summer, and those needing first-team experience. That should cover all incomings without the need to pay a fee. Last season we had a pick of what was left, maybe this season we can get the cream?

My my, hey hey
Derby County is here to stay
It's better to burn out than to fade away
My my, hey hey

Out of the blue and into the black
They give you this, but you pay for that
An' once you're gone you can never come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black