Old Sawley Popside

So many to think of.
I remember the dark narrow streets around the ground. The packed popside on a fa cup replay in January with stream rising up from the crowd.
Footballing wise wasn't great to start with. My memories started around the time of the 3 - 2 victory v Arsenal. I remember a lot of fans favorites like Charlie George,  Archie Gemmill,  Roy McFarland and The King returning to the Hallowed Turf. They weren't the answer to our slide. Growing up through the years with Derby at the BBG was like a soap opera. With the crowd surrounding the pitch and legging up a Fulham player. Talk of having to replay the match and empty terraces. 
A slide to Division 3 then a climb back to the top flight.
I can remember our first season at Pride Park looking out of the West Stand concourse window and seeing the old BBG floodlights and thinking I miss that place already.

I remember Bob Wilson having to change his shorts as his original pair fell victim to the famous BBG pitch and were soaked and caked in mud,
The late Trevor Hockey a heavily bearded Sheffield United midfielder being snarled at werewolf style every time he touched the ball, Charlie George coming over to the Popside blowing us kisses after he scored for the Arsenal and just about everybody trying to gob on him. Not long after of course, we worshipped him haha.
Two Alan Hinton screamers in a 2 - 0 win over Everton, that night against Benfica...Ian Storey Moore signing for us on the pitch, live on ITV's On The Ball, a big deal in those days, if I had the time there would be loads more of course but I've got to get ready for work.
It's one of the good things about getting on in age, being at the Basie when the League Champions trophy was being paraded. Happy Days.

The BBG wasn't so special when I first started going to games in the 60s with plenty of empty spaces on the terraces, but I still loved going. How different it was standing on the Popside in the 70s on the European nights, they were the highlights for me. Beating Benfica, led by Eusebio, 3-0 was just one of the many magical nights. But it was the players on the pitch and the event -the European Cup - that made it special not the ground.
If we had now the players we had then Pride Park would be just as special. I don't miss having to arrive 45 minutes before kick off to get a good spot on the terrace, the struggle to get to the toilet or the crush on leaving.
When the fans decide to make it happen, as they have done the past 2 home games, the atmosphere generated at pride Park can be electric.

I know...it's probably been done to death but...oh it was special...
How apt: the very final game at the famous old Baseball Ground was against the Arsenal. I am minded of a game some years earlier against the same opposition, for it was an occasion that really brought home to me just how special the place was; a true theatre of football:
The date: 8th September 1979. A sultry sunny September Saturday of an Indian summer. Sweat, cig-smoke and the smell of alcohol-breath fused with hot-dog onions filled the Pop Side air. Arsenal were in town, a side replete with silky, star-studded names that dripped from the tongue like golden syrup: Pat Jennings, Liam Brady, Sammy Nelson-the bum-show-er, O’Leary, Hollins, Rix, Talbot, Stapleton and Alan Sunderland, all perm and moustachioed; the latter two had, in May, ripped the FA Cup from Man Utd in the final of the century. For Derby there was no longer a Gemmill, a Hector, a McFarland or Todd, or even a Charles George. In rapt contra-distinction we had a ring of Irish: Aiden McCafferey, Vic Morland, David Langan, Andy Crawford, and a liquorice-assortment of stalwarts like David Webb, Steve Powell and Steve Buckley, all honest triers but in truth it was thoroughbreds v also-rans, giant oak trees against mere saplings.  We did though have John Duncan, Scottish International all handsome and broad, and neat, and the winger called Gordon Hill, who had killed Rams at Hillsborough in the FA Cup semi just 3 years before. The Baseball Ground was synonymous with trench mud but even that was no more. But there wasn’t a blade of grass either. Instead the surface was 35 tonnes of hard golden sand; had the ref entered the arena carrying a beach-ball nobody would have batted an eye lid. In the pre-match kick-in, wisps of disturbed sand danced on the air. The first half was a foregone conclusion long before 45 mins was up with Arsenal commanding a 2-0 lead.
Then during the break, something strange began to occur. As sun and heat and alcohol combined, the Pop Side found its voice and songs of deep Derby irony began to fill the air...”You need SAND to hold a lit-tul bay-bee, you need SAND to wipe away a tear...” and “Mr SAND-Man,  bring me a dream (bung, bung, bung bung...”). At first, it was a mere ironic acceptance of the Derby team’s fate, but as the 2nd half kicked-off, with Rams attacking the Ossie End, what started to unfurl was a truly remarkable 45 mins. If only we could get one back. Suddenly, Buckley, with lump-hammer left peg, drove the ball at Jennings from 30 yards. The ball, zipped, and dipped, and hit the ground, leather travelling and bouncing on sand, and, smacked the back of the net with Jennings flapping on the floor; 1-2, Pop Side all erupting in Vesuvian delight, a deafening Derbyshire din of high decibel noise. The sound became a continuous stream; the sun, sand and black and white, wall-to-wall volume, a crescendo-ing cacophony of a collective consciousness was stirring the Rams to gargantuan efforts. Arsenal began to cower and fear took hold. I don’t remember Vic Moreland’s equaliser, but I do remember the rocket-propelled roar and the terrace surge as pure pandemonium broke out in the Pop Side. Now, with clock ticking down, 43 minutes had flashed by, we sung to kingdom come. Last minute, Langan...to Carter...Carter in the corner, crosses to Duncan and bullet-header...Jennings’s dustbin-lid sized hand parries...on to the post... and out for a corner....Ohhhhhhh! How we re-coiled....
But wait...Carter’s corner, inch perfect...Duncan again...bullet forehead, ball bulges onion-bag...Goallllllllllllll, the roar again...3-2...mayhem....Final Whistle....Oh fffffff...foot-balll!
As I walked from the ground, outside an Arsenal fan exclaimed, “Liam Brady walks on water, but he can’t run on sand!”. I’d been to the Baseball Ground many times before, but now as a 14 year old, I properly realised how the combination of the architecture – tight, compact stands that trapped the sound, sending it ping-ponging around the entire ground, the proximity of the pitch, and how the fanatical Rams fans, touched by the memory of magic, Real Madrid floodlit nights, - could all combine to fuel an energy that transmitted from the terraces to the men in white just yards away.
Outside, I watched as the Gooners’ team coach drove away...Pat Jennings saw me stare from his front window seat and tipped me a wink. Monday’s Daily Mail match report described how Arsenal bemoaned that Derby had transmitted the sound of the 16,429 fans through the PA system, in amplification. As if... It was just a special place; and I was there.
What's yourn?

I'd rather Mel spent 100% of his efforts in sorting out the mess with the EFL and selling the club, than got sidetracked sacking managers.
What happened to getting behind the players and staff until that happens?

You know I've been on this forum for donkeys, and it never changes, same protagonists (mainly, some new ones ) same sack this, same change that, it's all boll@cks, whatever we say will have no impact, except on each other. Mel is the only one able to change thing's, and to my knowledge he doesn't read this. WR doesn't either, so nowt's gonna change cos we say so, and all this in fighting *yawn* 
This is to me was a fun place, where we used to discuss stuff positively years ago, but now, like the rest of social media it's just getting toxic, and I'm more and more inclined to not post lest I get savaged. So hey ho, I've posted, and it will be taken up, don't expect a response, unless its worthy.
We as a club have been in a mess since MM decided to sell, having invested/gambled a fortune (one would like to think the benefit of the club, and himself.) it failed, and now like a failed gambler he is clutching at straws. It's a sad spectacle, but one we are only able to observe and not influence. Wayne, he's highly paid in this division,  and would be unlikely to earn that elsewhere (as what?) So why would he walk ?
With the EFL seemingly intent on our demise, we are collectively buggered. Enjoy the ride (this season) it's going to be interesting/painful,  and because it's likely to be painful, please stop bitching at each other for the sake of being (technically) on the same side. Let's try to play nicely. 
Motto for this season 'Dont feed Trolls, it serves no good' .

I’m astonished by the title of this thread. I haven’t read the opening post because of editorial reasons ? but to me, to not blame the guardian of this football club is laughable.
I assume he thought we would be in the Premier League by now and out of the EFL’s jurisdiction so sailing close to the wind would have little or no consequences. 
I have no doubt Morris had very good intentions for this club and I’ll hold my hands up, I truly believed his ownership/leadership was a good thing, but then, I was under the impression the club would be run in a responsible manner. How wrong was I ? 
Say what you like about goalposts being shifted by the EFL, but if we’d compiled our accounts like the majority of other clubs instead of being smart arses, discovering loopholes and congratulating ourselves on how clever we’d been, this catastrophe (and that’s what it is) would have been avoided. 
Remember the times Morris couldn’t keep his trap shut ? Appearing at forums, TalkSport, EMT, taking in all the adulation of the supporters ? Now we’re up the creek not a duckin’ peep out of the bloke.
Don’t blame Morris an Pearce ? The sooner they’ve gone the better this club will be, our reputation is shot to pieces and the playing side of things ? Don’t get me started on that and it’s down to two people who, it transpires, aren’t as clever as they think they are.

Maybe its just me but I can't sit here and cry about the EFL after the way we've been operating for the past few years. 
Rolled the dice, failed multiple promotion attempts and have tried loophole after loophole to try and straighten out since. How many non-parachute payment clubs were giving Darren Bent (and the rest) tens of thousands a week in this division? Sold their stadium to themselves? Signed a player through a sponsorship deal? Registered player amortisation different to the required standard? 
I just can't sit here and say we've tried our best to avoid this mess, its been coming. 
If that view makes me less of a Derby fan than the super supporters are, so be it. I'll support the club where ever it ends up but I'm not going to lie about its shady activity post 2014. 
 

If:
1. We beat the Trees twice
2. See Cashin, Williams, Sibley, Bird and others progress and become better footballers
3. Beat Boro and make Gibson cry and mess up his perm
4. Play some good football
5. Score some good goals
6. Win a few matches
7. See some dignity and pride restored
8. Dont get relegated
Then for me it will have been a good season. That'll do me. 

I'll reserve judgement till the end of August I think.
If there are no more signings and this is our squad for the rest of the season then we'll be cut adrift in the bottom 3 by Christmas.
If somehow things can get sorted and we can sign Morrison, Aluko (Not fussed about Baldock) and somehow manage to get Mengi, Delap and Garner in then we'll be absolutely fine and comfortably mid table. Not to mention getting Bielik and Knight back around Oct/Nov.
At the minute though I can't see how on earth that happens. 
But one way or another these accounts have got to be submitted by the 18th. So we'll probably know more then.

And going into Admin , not paying for the stadium and local businesses ( still ) plus cheating FFP to go up. Apart from that ?

…apart from me; and thousands of others. ?

If you’re doubting his attitude over the course of a season then maybe but talent wise, he’s head and shoulders above this lot.
He’s Picasso the others are painting by numbers. So predictable, slow and safe. Limited footballers, no ambition.
If we can sign four, then for me it’s Wisdom (or Mengi if that reopens), Jagielka, Morrison and Carroll.
Stearman looks like a Div 2 centre half, ponderous in possession and slow on the turn.
Baldock is no forward. Aluko past it.
No room for Jagielk and Davies and whilst I love him, Curtis’s injuries rule him out for me. Would love him to stay in some capacity, though.
Let Hutchinson and Forsyth out on loan, sell Lawrence and Buchanan and bring in at least one forward who can run and get in the box.
 

If anyone is going to get booked in the last minute of a pre-season friendly, you just know it's likely to be Sibley.
On a more serious note. A poor performance with a disappointing performance but no need to go into meltdown just yet.

A very decent idea.
Exchange of knowledge and experience between coaching staff, a place to accelerate our young players development by exposing  them to men's football earlier than may normally be possible, and a chance for Tamworth's staff to possibly learn from a professional coaching team from a higher level.
Win win.

Nope, there are, for me, three even worse occasions. Norwich City away (May 1980); Cambridge United away (August 1980) & Shrewsbury Town away (May 1984)…although the latter was a good day out bar the game. Oddly enough, last Sunday's friendly match v. Manchester United left me with a slight feeling of optimism for the forthcoming season.

Nope, there are, for me, three even worse occasions. Norwich City away (May 1980); Cambridge United away (August 1980) & Shrewsbury Town away (May 1984)…although the latter was a good day out bar the game. Oddly enough, last Sunday's friendly match v. Manchester United left me with a slight feeling of optimism for the forthcoming season.

Just watched the MOTD highlights of the 0-0 in the cup at the Green Army in 84. Me and dad behind the goal. Surprisingly can remember very little about the game other than their shot hitting both posts. That period has to be even worse than this. Going so close to going bust, other than Bobby a team of ageing players on one last pay day and not an awful lot of hope that things would change. Then came Arthur and the rest is history….

Loads of bad times but for me this is the one. Our only hope seemed to be to keep the club going on FA Cup gate receipts but we lost at home to lowly Plymouth with a corner going straight in over Steve Cherry's head on a miserable night and it seemed it was the last game Derby County would ever play.
Clough resigning was terrible. Equally terrible was when him and Taylor came back a few years later and were going to take over again, and everything was going to be all right. They turned up at the Baseball Ground to rubber stamp the agreement but the afternoon dragged on and on and the expected announcement never came, and all the hope evaporated. My recollection is that when they spoke about later, no one cold put their finger on why they didn't come home to us.  Eleven points was embarrassing. The Three Amigos were rightly hated. But 1984 was the worst.
This is bad but I'm more detached from it.

Just think we know too much stuff these days. Everyone thinks they're an expert on everything and over- analyses every little nuance of the club. Not particularly fans, but pundits etc - all wanting to promote their take on every situation. There's no wonder the fans follow suit.
When I started following football there were still dodgy dealings, still very limited chances of success, still great times and crap times.
I think @ilkleyram has it spot on above. It's not Derby County in particular that depresses me, it's the state of football today.

Not even close.  Tim Ward's reign when for year after year we showed no signs of progress; sacking Sir Brian after years of progression; the whole post Dave MacKay period and Docherty when average player after average player was sold to us as a world beater replacing genuine world beaters and a succession of owners with no money; 30 minutes from extinction and then saved by Maxwell - saved by a crook who then steadily lost interest and stole the income from our two best players; the long slide into the 3rd division; Brian not coming back and Peter not the manager that Brian was, never mind their falling out; the 3 amigo period; the promise followed by the depression of Lionel's ownership and that's before we get to the 11 point season and three managers in a year and losing at bloody Wembley time after bloody time after bloody time.
Watch the Big Match revisited - that depresses me more but in an addictive way.  Football was fun then, more equal - the pitches (not only the BBG) were awful, the players not as fit, the grounds not as well appointed, the referees not as good (God help us), the FA was in charge (God help us), managers ran clubs with (allegedly) brown envelopes and cash, players were slaves and fans often violent, the BBC actually did proper sport and did it well without 5Live and Robbie and Chris, newspapers covered all clubs not just 6, European cup a knock out competition against Champion sides only heard of not seen before. A lack of familiarity bred interest and passion. Above all there was no social media, no P and S, no EFL, no PL, no Sky/BT, no pleasing fans thousands of miles away. Just better.
What football has become in my lifetime is far, far more depressing than the temporary problems of my beloved club

The most depressing time for me was spring 1984, instead of being able to celebrate our centenary, we faced repeated High Court appearances to have the club wound up. The final straw appeared to have been on the day of the home defeat to Plymouth in the FA Cup quarter final. Our 'final' appeal at the high court had been thrown out earlier that day, no potential new owner seemed likely and the only hope of salvation seemed to be in a possible FA Cup final appearance. The game at home to Plymouth, struggling in div 3, with a Semi final with the next weakest team left in the competition beckoned and gave us hope. We lost to a solitary goal direct from a corner and as we made our way home, I feared that that was the last game I would see as a Derby supporter.
However, salvation, in the form of Robert Maxwell, seemed to appear from nowhere. Although, it didn't end well with Maxwell, I do wonder what would have happened to club, if he hadn't turned up when he did.

No, but it’s clear the club have some bridges to rebuild with the fans.
Despite not achieving promotion we have had some real good atmospheres around the club, whilst some may find it hard to believe, we’ve been lucky. 
Many clubs out there that have gone years without a sniff of any kind of cup or promotion to enjoy.
I don’t want to get into the blame game or the EFL’s role in the position we’re in, but it’s not a great situation.
Reading across social media, seeing so many fans feeling disconnected is not great, and as I say we need to see bridges rebuilt, ideally starting before the first game of the season. 
I’m not one to call for answers from the club, I would rather they spend every hour working on improving the situation as we have too many outstanding issues that need resolving.
Saying that, I do feel like the club need to host a fan forum asap, whilst some see these as nothing more than PR stunts, some good PR is needed to lift the spirits.
I fear the atmosphere for the opening game could be extremely toxic if we go into the start of the season under so many question marks.
As fans though, we need to play our part no matter how hard it is, we have to get behind the players we have and Rooney, dial back the criticisms and as cliche as it sounds, be that 12th man/woman.
If we can’t do that in our hour of need, then why are we even here? 
Toxic atmospheres, attacking the club will not help the situation at all, it just won’t, so the question is, how much do we love this club? Right now is the time to show it and come together and try to focus on the positives and help create some optimism going into what will be a difficult season without a doubt.

The late 70’s until the arrival of King Arthur 

What makes it more depressing is seeing fans moaning about it being depressing.