Indyram

For me the division we play in is secondary to still having a club and a stadium to play in.

Who knows who will be around when we reach the prem again or win a cup. These last few years have shown that you have to appreciate these possible moments.

For those of a nervous disposition regards Saturday………here’s some chill medicine! 👍😁
Review of the match, pinched from the Carlisle forum.
Derby need a point for promotion and this can do funny things to you mentally. However, some pointers which may settle them down somewhat. There is staggering 69 point gap between the sides. They’re +78 ahead of us on goal difference. Home record for Derby, played 22, won 14, drawn 4, lost 4 – scored 39, conceded 18. Two of those home defeats came in August against Wigan and Oxford. They also lost against Peterborough on New Year’s Day and Charlton at the end of February – but since then have won their last five home games.
Last but not least, we have a Derby legend running our team. He has more appearances for the Rams and scored more goals than for any other club. Is he really going to be trying to win this fixture and potentially deny them promotion? Hmm…
Derby’s a decent away day, so those of you lucky enough to be in attendance - please take a second to take it all in, it may be a very long time before we “enjoy” a Saturday afternoon fixture in the sun at ground and club like this again, so make the most of it.

…………..all seems fair comment to me. 👍

After 45 games it all comes down to this. Us or Bolton? The Rams the red hot favourites, with the best defence in the division playing the team bottom and long-since relegated. And needing only a draw. You can see why the bookies have us 1000/1 on but as a Derby fan I'm still nervous and feel it's going to be a long week.
Thrilled to be there. Will be thinking of Daniel who I never met, but who I exchanged posts with on this forum, and whose calls to arms I always loved. Will be remembering being at the BBG 49 years earlier to see the Rams lift the First Division title against Carlisle. Am with some of the same friends who came to the Derby Crystal Palace game with me, and we recreated Robbie van der Laan's header with on the pitch afterwards. Will be remembering the time Stephen Pearson scored his goal to send us into delirium at Wembley.
Will be thanking David Clowes for saving our club when all seemed lost. Darkest before the dawn. He deserves a fantastic day in which, yet again, and for only the third time in our history, Derby lift themselves out of the third tier after a two-season stint. But we have to do it first. Let's hope the players keep their eyes on the prize, backed all the way by long-suffering fans who do deserve some joy after the last few years.
Come on you Rams!
 

I can't speak for other people (I leave that to people like you who have a crystal ball or some deeper insight that I'm just not wise enough or clever enough to possess) - but I get behind the club from top to bottom.
My philosophy with respect to the manager of Derby County is that I will support them until the day that they no longer hold that position. I started watching The Rams regularly 58 years ago when we moved back into the area (the love affair was, by and large, from afar before then). Tim Ward was manager at the time, so he had my support. I didn't call for his head when we finished 17th in the old Second Division, and neither did I call for Brian Clough's head the following year when we finished 18th. I just carried on supporting the club.
You would have been yelling for Clough's head though - because Clough was a Fourth Division manager, and you would have not deemed him good enough for a Second Division side. Now before you start some sort of mindless prattle about comparing Warne with Brian Clough (or even Nigel), I'm not. I'm just saying that, sometimes, a particular manager in a particular club at a certain time can be a good fit - or a bad one.
Coming back to the point I highlighted, it seems to me that people are either on board with Paul Warne or they're not, and it doesn't matter what he achieves this season or in any subsequent time that he may be at the club - the doubters/haters will still be doubters/haters, and the reason for that is simple - some people do not have the capability to ever admit in public that they were wrong, no matter how much evidence mounts up one way or the other.

U15s made it to the floodlit cup final today beating Southampton today  5   1 they play Chelsea 

Spot on Nige, brilliant response

The decision should only be overturned if it is ' a clear and obvious mistake'. The ref in front of the screen only has to take a look and decide that is too close to call so the goal stands. 

To make a somewhat semi serious point though, the stupidity of all this is that on Sunday and yesterday Coventry deserved all the plaudits for the game they made of it at Wembley. Also Leeds vs Boro was another very good game of football last night and deserves credit (with a bit of damnation over both sides defending as well)!
But what are the top of football discussions at the minute? Antony celebrations, VAR decisions, pep moaning of fixture congestion’s and Forest losing the plot. If you want to know what is wrong with the premier league, it’s that they all live in a microcosm where they think we should all care about all these little things that shouldn’t matter over actual games of football.

While his distribution could be better, and a few head loss moments have caused us some trouble, he's been solid.
I'd be more than happy to have him stay whichever league we're in.

Made my eyes water a bit that did!

Not a new video, but the club tweeted it out today. Great watch.
 

He was a lovely lad and would have been so proud of the team.  
Hope the team can get promotion for the club and fans .
 

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
 

I really hope that we get promoted on Saturday but I’m not sure that I want to ever go back to the premier league. Never being able to properly celebrate a goal until all checks are complete is not what football is about (for me, anyway). 

Good old Nigel! 
 

I absolutely loath the Premier League and in particular the so called ‘big 6’. I would love for them to all just f*** off to a Euro Super League where they play each other 6 times a season for their target audience in Asia and leave the rest of us to enjoy English football as it once was. For a start, all money would be distributed fairly, there would be no ‘Premier League’; just Division’s 1 to 4, the FA Cup become the showpiece event played on the Saturday after the season finishes at 3pm at Wembley (no semi finals at Wembley) with replays. If the ‘big 6’ decided they wanted back in they would all have to start at the bottom of the pyramid and have restrictions on how much they could spend on players/wages. If they didn’t like it they could all f*** off again and play each other a 6 team mini league or something. I couldn’t care less about them or their fans. They have robbed football of its competitiveness and it’s money for too many years. 
As for the latest disgrace around the FA Cup replays I really hope that EFL clubs boycott next seasons competition en masse. A concerted boycott would ruin the FA’s finances and they’d back down in the face of it. Whether clubs have the balls to go for it is a different matter. 
 

I've no idea, saw the ones waving flags yesterday and didn't recognise any of them. Believe they are all South Standers, though, and hang out in The White Horse with Joey Greener pre-match. 
They are fairly organised, have a website and all. 
I think they're doing a great job so far.
https://www.popsiderams.com/menu/events

He's my hero. Saved our club and looks like undoing the bulk of the damage endured under MM in only his second season as owner. Deserves all the plaudits he gets in spades IMO.

And the central defenders never kick clearances into the air or head backwards? We've all seen it and not too long ago. To be fair Cashin is so good he often puts right the mistakes he makes. Sibley will be useful next season if he stays.

Pinched from elsewhere.
This decision is based on the club failing to meet the 10-year security of tenure at their stadium, required for new teams applying to enter the EFL which was required by 1 March 2024.
The club requested a 10-year security of tenure from Gateshead Council. This was refused. The National League wrote to the council in support of the application by the club highlighting the impact on the club, its supporters, and the local community if the security was not given.
Unfortunately, the response received was not supportive of the club’s requirements and placed the club at risk of a refusal of membership to the EFL and therefore forfeiture of any right to participate in the play-offs.
Being a member of Gateshead Council could well be a rather precarious pastime at the moment!

That is a great point and something the more tedious Warne critics often seem to forget: there is another team playing too!
I suppose if you go into the season thinking "we are the famous Derby County, we'll just brush these insignificant little minnows away" then you are probably going to disappointed when you don't win every game 6-0 looking like Brazil in the 70s.
At the same time though, teams have often come to Pride Park and looked to keep it very tight. They did the same once we became good under Steve Mac 1, which is why we never looked quite as amazing under him as when he first joined. As teams set up to frustrate us, our passing style suffered and we really could have done with options to get it wide and crossed into the box in the air.
We became a better team this season away from home, where our style was more suited to teams coming onto us more. We've rarely ever/never been so good away from home, but less people see these games live. We've struggled a bit more away recently, as even the home teams have set up to frustrate us too. The Stevenage nadir was probably because it was Stevenage, maybe the worst team for us to play away to for the way we setup.
Even on Saturday, we raced into a 2 goal lead, never looked in any trouble at all, yet people are genuinely concerned we didn't score from open play! Should we have thrown men recklessly forward, risking a counter attack, but hoping one of those extra players could have converted at least on of the many crosses flashed across the goal? I guess Saturday doesn't really count though, as it was "only" Leighton Orient, "the sort of team we should be beating". Even though they have taken points off our promotion rivals when we've beaten them twice.
As other posters have said, it's a shame that some posters seem to have taken so little joy from what could be our first promotion in nearly 20 years. I don't know where this purity in football took hold. After what we've been thru, you'd think people would be even more thankful for potential success.
I don't remember any of it when we went up with Billy. It's like West Ham fans who want Moyes gone...these are glory years for West Ham. They won a European Trophy last year and have barely got close to winning anything in decades.
Anyway, big thanks to Warne and his team for getting us this close.
 

Hopefully we can make promotion. If so, we will all be “blind-faithers” for next season, both the optimistic and the pessimistic. Until we know what our squad will be how can anyone predict how we will do. 
 
I’m an optimist!
I think the management team have shown enough flexibility over the last few months for me to be optimistic they will adapt to the Championship. Paul Warne has shown at times he can be ruthless and I expect several departures this summer. I also commend him recruiting the right “type” (much to many people’s dismay), who are good team players, rather than pot hunters, wage chasers (we’ve had too many of those over the years!). I think our dressing room has been strong due to the characters he has recruited.
I will be very pleasantly surprised if we do an Ipswich, but who knows till we get there. One thing I do know is Warne and co will work tirelessly to try to achieve success.

He strikes me as being a volatile character, capable of astonishing lapses in concentration but also brilliant saves.
His unpredictability is probably the thing which has held him back.
Some of his kicking today was unfathomable but his one-handed save was instinctive and impressive.