Dordogne-Ram

I'd think us oldies ought to appreciate it even more, we don't know how many more chances to celebrate life we've got! 
And not all the naysayers are old - that there @Millenniumram is a kid, but he's a right miserable bugger! 😉
Anyway, just wanted to say I'm loving it and know plenty more who know how to live in the moment and enjoy it.
COYR! 

As I woke up tired and hungover this morning, I had a thought. While it's always great hearing stories about the glory days of the 70s, the iconic 80s and the fun 90s, there's a whole generation of Derby fans who have only ever known disappointment. I myself had my first season ticket in the 2006/07 Billy Davies season, but I was too young to properly appreciate it.
Since then, it's been a mix of hope, heartbreak and 'nearly' moments. Our generation of supporters have witnessed other clubs' fans celebrating siuccess (sometimes at our expense), but we find it difficult to fathom what it would actually feel like for Derby to ever get over the line.
Yesterday, as I walked back back to the bus with my arm round my mate's shoulder, belting Derby songs at the top of our voices, I had the first taste of what it might feel like to experience success as a Derby fan. This morning, I started making preparations for post-game jaegerbombs and cigars next weekend. And thinking about how I'll be raising a glass to the lad that we all miss. 
We're not over the line yet. But I'm well into dreaming territory. And for us fans who aren't old enough to know glory, it's going to be oh so sweet.
Up the Rams.

Pride Park Stadium
KO - 12.30
Ticket Update: Forgeddaboutit
Match is  also live on Sky Sports
What it is to be a Derby fan. After Northampton, even yours truly was feeling a tad deflated. With Blackpool, Pompey and Wycombe next up, my mood was more pensive and hopeful, than upbeat, as many others seemed to feel that we'd blown another golden opportunity. In fairness, that was understandable, if only to a point. Happily though, it appears that Warne and the chaps did not get the memo informing them of their impending capitulation and decided to go on an 5 game unbeaten run instead. That effort not only cemented us in the top 2, as others buckled under pressure, but now sees us teetering right on the edge of promotion glory; agonisingly poised, we have one foot in the sunlit uplands of the Championship (*shudder), the other remaining firmly planted in the nightmarish possibility of yet more play-off induced football terrors. But need we really be worried? 
After recent history and the near demise of our great club, I think it's understandable that some Derby fans might adopt a mildly cautious outlook and demeanour. In recent years, whatever may go wrong, typically has done and in so much, it's fair to say that a robust constitution is a mandatory requirement for a group of fans who've had more than their fair share share of emotional kickings over the last decade. Most Rams will confess that in some ways, it's hard not to expect the worst, based on recent history, but then isn't the dream what it's all about? After all, if you strip away the hopes and dreams, what do you really have left? It's been a season to test our nerves, that much is clear, but despite a lot of infighting, we've hung it all together in the end and here we are, fate firmly in our own hands. Remember too, that for some of our young 'uns, Saturday is a potentially momentous day. Automatic promotions don't come around every year and many won't have experienced one in their lives to date and for our elder statesmen and women, this could be an emotional roller coaster too. 
Outside the club itself, expectations are sky high. The bookmakers have all but closed the book on our promotion chances and after all, a single point is all we require against a Carlisle side who remain 10 points adrift at the very foot of the table and with seemingly nothing other than professional pride at stake. The oddsmakers are undoubtedly right from a statistical standpoint, but playing devil's advocate for a moment, Carlisle will view this as a free hit and will play without pressure (think Wycombe) and for some, the game provides an ideal opportunity to showcase their talents in a high-profile game with the Sky cameras watching on. Summer moves may beckon, for any player who shines.
Worthy favourites then, IMHO, but doubtless a good few will still be anxiously awaiting Saturday's outcome.
Not me mind. I’ll be drunk from @noon on Wednesday.
The Permutations:
Quite simple now, on paper at least; a win or a draw and we say, 'hasta la visa, baby' and kiss this league goodbye, hopefully forever. A loss, by a single goal would leave Bolton needing to beat Posh 3-0 in order to break the hearts of the Rams faithful, snatching 2nd place by virtue of having scored more goals. Not quite the proverbial slam-dunk then, but we're strong favourites, all the same and rightly so IMO.
Elsewhere, we, along with Bolton, will be hoping Posh slip up midweek; Posh will be hoping they don't and Barnsley and Lincoln will be nervously looking over their shoulders with both Oxford and Blackpool snapping at their heels. I'd dearly love to see Blackpool snatch the last playoff slot! 
 


The key fixtures for the final rounds, with promotion hopefuls underlined, are as below:
Tuesday 23/04-2024
Cheltenham vs Peterborough - 19.45
Saturday 27/04/2024
Barnsley vs Northampton - 12.30
Exeter vs Oxford - 12.30
Lincoln Vs Portsmouth - 12.30
Peterborough vs Bolton - 12.30
Reading Vs Blackpool - 12.30
My guesses are Posh to beat Cheltenham and draw with Bolton. Barnsley to beat Northampton, Oxford to turn over Exeter, Lincoln and Pompey to draw and Blackpool to beat Reading. Make of that what you will! 
Our Opponents – A Brief History:
Founded in 1896 as Shaddongate United, Carlisle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Cumbria, who have played their home games at Brunton Park since 1909. The club's traditional kit is blue with white and red detail, whilst the badge takes elements from the city's coat of arms by including two Wyverns. They are nicknamed the "Blues", due to their kit, as well as the "Cumbrians". The club is the northernmost English professional football club seated close to the Anglo-Scottish border. Crowned Lancashire Combination, Division Two champions in 1906–07, they entered the North Eastern League in 1910 and went on to win the league title in 1921–22, before being elected into the Football League in 1928. 
Head to Head:
Sadly, Carlisle have a pretty decent record against our beloved Rams. Twenty-three competitive fixtures have seen Derby win 9, draw 6 and lose 8. Our first fixture, in the old Division 3 North back in 1955, saw Derby win 3-0. More recently, the two teams have met three time in the last decade with Derby bookending the decade with 2-0 wins, with a 1-1 between them.
Games Played: 23
Games Won:9
Games Drawn:6
Games Lost:8
Our last Meeting:
The corresponding fixture at Brunton Park was way back in September with a James Collins brace giving the game a rather more comforting veneer than was perhaps warranted. Carlisle looked tidy and Gibson and Moxon in particular, gave Derby plenty to think about. On that performance, you might have been forgiven for thinking Carlisle would do ok this season, but it’s fair to say that things have not gone well for the Cumbrian outfit and their relegation was a formality from some way out.
Carlisle United - Recent Form:
Carlisle's recent form has been distinctly patchy, with their last 5 games comprising a 3-1 home loss to that awful club near Henley, another home loss by the odd goal to Blackpool, a hard-earned away win at Cheltenham, before consecutive losses to Northampton and Lincoln. 
Saturday 20th April
Carlisle United 1 Wycombe Wanderers 3
Saturday 13th April
Carlisle United 0 Blackpool 1
Tuesday 9th April
Cheltenham Town 0 Carlisle United 1
Saturday 6th April
Northampton Town 2 Carlisle United 0
Monday 1st April
Carlisle United 1 Lincoln City 3
Carlisle United - Key Players:
Quite a relief that we won’t be facing Owen Moxon, snapped up by Pompey in the January window. Most of what was good about Carlisle seemed to start with him, but in Jordan Gibson, they still retain some meaningful threat. He's tricky with ball at feet, looks to attack and has a shot on him. He tops the scorer’s chart with 7 goals and 3 assists whilst Sam Lavelle with 4 assists is a goal provider to note. Mellish with 5 goals and Butterworth and Garner with 4 a piece, round out the principal Carlisle goal threats. it would be remiss not to mention also that their current manager, is none other than the much respected, Paul Simpson. Nudge, nudge, wink wink, Paul! The other ex-Rams fun fact would be that Luke Plange had a brief and unremarkable spell with the Cumbrians this season, before seeking warmer weather with HJK Helsinki.
Rams Team News:
Some will be itching for change after a stuttering performance at Cambridge. My own thoughts on that game are that Cambridge fought ridiculously hard and we had to try and match that extreme intensity before we could even think about playing our game. The pitch looked both short and narrow to me had clearly been subject to a hosepipe ban and I think all of these factors led to a feisty and extremely combative game, from which we did well to emerge with maximum points. Back on home soil, a larger pitch and a (marginally) better surface, I’d expect us to look rather more fluid.
Sadly, this will be the last time we get to watch young Max Bird play for the club. There’s been some really silly stuff written about our most technically gifted footballer and I have to confess that seeing him leave for Brizzle will be like a kick to the gut. That said, the fee garnered enabled some key signings and it could be argued that in hindsight, this was smart business. Nah, I'm not convinced either, but needs must? Quite possibly. Irrespective, I’d love to see him among the starting 11 for his swansong. I’m sure the Derby faithful will give him the send-off he deserves, in what may be a somewhat bittersweet celebration, for both us as fans and Max himself, lest we forget.
With that in mind, here’s my team selection, which will of course in no way resemble the gaffer’s:
 

 

The defence really needs to remain unchanged. A more determined and obdurate back 3 you’d struggle to find. Wildsmith retains the #1 jersey, despite some idiosyncratic ball distribution. To my way of thinking, he makes saves that matter and that outweighs his wayward passing.
I’ve drafted in Bird to replace Korey Smith, who would perhaps be hard done by should Warne follow suit. Max would partner the irrepressible Ebou Adams, a pairing that ought to give us a solid foundation in midfield. Working hard on the flanks, I’d have Wilson and Sibley, two players I absolutely love. The latter especially, has really matured over the course of the season, proving yours truly and others wrong in the process and he has oodles of ability if this progress and work ethic can be maintained.
Thommo is also retained and will hopefully sit a little higher and rat like his life depends on it. He and Collo put in Herculean shifts against Cambridge, doing the work that seldom attracts the plaudits, but is often key to our success. He can also interchange with a front two of Collo and Nate, who should give Carlisle plenty to think about. Barks, Gayle and Smith appear the obvious change-ups, with Hourihane, Vickers and Elder in reserve, but much will depend on who is truly healthy on the day.
And that, ladies and gentlemen is me done for the season. I’m fancying us for a decent performance, with a little style on show after an early goal to settle the nerves. 3-0 is the call with Collo, Nate and Sibs my fancies as the scorers. After some 55 games across the season, this one has definitely felt like something of a marathon, but in spite of the divided fan base, I’ve enjoyed seeing us tough it out. The football has been mildly bipolar, great one week, not so much the next, but I think all sides at this lowly level are inconsistent, only us and Pompey slightly less so than the others. Should we progress, of course we will face different challenges, but we will also have a very different playing roster. Doubts about the style of football will persist, but personally, I don't think Clowes will even contemplate letting Warne go and as such, Warne will retain my support until such time as he doesn't! 
Here’s hoping then,  for a resounding win, a respectful but joyous celebration of an important and healing day for all connected with the club and one that the majority can safely enjoy. Also, calm and stress-free journeys for any fans travelling significant distances and a bright and shiny, new future for Derby County Football club.
COYR
BE MORE B4
 

The big clubs have enough players to put out a reserve team if they want - their 25th best player would likely be paid more than the whole of a lower league’s first team.  So IMO it’s not fixture congestion, it’s just that they don’t make enough money playing against little teams.  Selfish, selfish, selfish.

This is another example of why my love for the game becomes a little more tarnished.
I’m proud of the fact that I have become an old-fashioned bitter football fan and I have no idea of what is happening in the first division, nor do I have any idea on who is still in Europe.  I don’t even know what the format of the European competitions are nowadays, and I really don’t care.  It’s all predicated on greed for the biggest clubs and every rule appears to be geared towards maintaining an “elite”.
I looked at the England squad not so long ago, and it had a number of players who I had never heard of.
I love Derby County and not much more, to be honest.
I love the fact that in the lower divisions, there are probably 16 or so teams at the start of the season who think that, if things go well, this could be their year.  However, that gap is becoming wider and wider each year due to the top echelons being governed by greed.
The fact that so many teams are going so close to the wire and getting points deductions is down to fear of slipping off the gravy train therefore eye watering amounts of money creates eye watering amounts of greed.
For me, a top level footballer should earn a maximum of what a CEO or a doctor would earn.  Why should they be earning that sort of money a week?  And why shouldn’t they get another job after they have retired?
Anyway, the FA Cup used to be a flagship event that everyone used to watch.  Everyone who is around my age will have seen Coventry Vs Tottenham and can probably list a good number of players from each side that day - they were very special occasions.  Now, the competition is dying a death of a thousand cuts, where it’s now just an irritant to the big teams, who will inevitably win it.  I don’t even know who is the current holder, but I think it is monopolised by of a tiny handful of teams.
Anyway, apologies for my rant.

Rams TV in Tampere. Lovely springtime in Finland, woke this morning to this:
 

Stykkishólmur reporting in

So my 5 year old grandson  cant enjoy watching his heros di a lap of honour then, so everyone cant enjoy it like you say. Seems in todays world people just think of themselves.

For me, if your behaviour has a negative impact on others, that's where I have a problem.
If you want to stick a few lines of coke cut down with aerial non bio up your nose, risk a stadium ban, arrest and all the consequences that come with that, go for it, just don't be a knob to others whilst your ego has been artificially inflated for a brief period of time.
If you want to go punch someone after the game because they are from a different city and wear a different shirt, go for it, just find likeminded individuals and do it away from others where women and young fans are innocently just trying to get home after the football match.
Install big cages, load it with weapons and have fans sign waivers before entering, no use of medical services allowed and the coroner will come collect any bodies in the morning.
It's when that behaviour impacts others, reading situations from fans on this forum, especially older fans that have had dealings with other fans at away games really annoys me. 
Be it alcohol or drugs, if you can't control yourself then you should be in therapy, not a football stadium.

So you’re not bothered about the majority of fans who choose not to (or aren’t able to) go on the pitch being able to show their appreciation one last time from the stands? You’re not bothered about the players showing their appreciation to the fans by parading around the pitch with their families? 
 
I don’t have a problem seeing other Derby fans celebrating but I’d quite like the opportunity to applaud the players, and receive their applause in return (yes, I’m convinced they’re aimed specifically at me 😀) one last time before I put my scarf away for the summer. Nothing sad about that. I fact I think it’s a bit sad that some folk don’t care about the majority of their fellow fans or what the players might want. 
 

You give your game away, its just self-indulgent nonsense. As a supporter since since 1960 and having seen the best and worst of times  I have never felt the need or desire to go on the pitch. As has been said, allowing the players a lap of honour allows all fans to show their appreciation

Give Bris a minute…..

The referee, Mr B. Olton, from Lancashire.

I hope we blow automatics and mess up in the playoffs. Or else it's going be a long season hiding behind the sofa, scared of the mighty Hull and this incredible Watford side.

We’re all busy watching Derby away at Cambridge, worry about next season and the summer another day fella, go on, just this once. 

Seems ok. You can get a trip to Wembley and a trophy for finishing 18 points behind second in sixth place.

They'll need to add more than 2 points after the brazen way forest persist with broccoli worship and promotion of offensive slogans such as "you reds" and desecration of the already terrible "mull of kintyre" surely bringing the game into disrepute.

Total corporate bull5hit, but to be honest, thats all we get as citizens nowadays, nevermind football fans.
Why are there too many games? Becuse there are too many crappy European leagues/cups now, which coincidentally just happens to benefit those right at the top of the Prem.
Barstards.
Grumpy by name....

It is disgusting, there's so many alternatives to how they could fix this. Ultimately the only clubs this really hurts are the ones who need it in lower leagues and non-league. The worst thing about it, only the Premier League were consulted. Boycott it and the League Cup.
Remove u21 sides from FLT, play them in the FA Cup if you're so scared of fatigue?
Why are the replays removed in rounds way before the bigger teams enter the competition?
Keep replays in rounds 3/4 and then stop them. Also, remove semis from Wembley.
Stop going on pre-season and post-season tours abroad.
 
 
I'm slowly starting to think football actually could be better if that Super League happened.

The only football my wife really likes to watch on TV nowadays is the F.A. cup early rounds.
Watching a lower league club win or draw against a team from a higher league is all part of the romance of the FA Cup. 
Hopefully a backlash against this ridiculous decision will make them change their minds but not holding my breath.
They will simply pander to every whim of the teams that keep threatening to leave to a European super league and it will only get worse was my statement when the Premier league was formed and nothing has changed my mind ever since.
 
 
 
 

I had a chat with Sibs. He hasn't given up hope of playing further forward but says he's enjoying wingback and wants to play in the Championship for us. 
I'd say of all the players I spoke to, he's the one who wants to win promotion because he's a Ram through and through. 🐏 
David Clowes possibly an even bigger Ram, though. Spoke with real passion about competing at the top of the Championship. He has real ambition for the Club (as you've heard from elsewhere.)

Everyone should sit on both hands with a finger on their lips.

At the risk of coming across as a party pooper...
Away fans invading the pitch at Cambridge, particularly "in numbers", will almost certainly lead to sanctions against DCFC.  It will most likely lead to fisticuffs on the pitch between rival fans, and... this is my favourite bit... potentially lead to individuals and/or groups being left with a criminal record and/or some form of ban on attending future matches.
Home fans invading the pitch after the Carlisle game would likely follow the above, plus piss off those who, due to being a little more considerate and polite, choose to remain in the stands to applaud our heroes, and will likely... as has happened in the past... lead to the abandonment of any planned "Lap of Honour" by the players/staff, which of course, should happen for the enjoyment of us all.
 
There... I'm officially a party pooper... now stay off the fuckin' pitch, nob 'eads!  🍻 🐏

From Carlisles forum
Hope you have a great weekend bluebry, enjoying the Derby promotion party !

I don`t think I`d mind any team going up, by beating us, if it didn`t affect our own league ambitions.

Except Leeds, of course. I`ll forever enjoy seeing them fail.

Totally agree with your second paragraph. However, whilst it would be more exciting to finalise promotion at home on the last day, for the sake of my heart, I’d be quite happy if we confirmed promotion at Cambridge. 😀