McRainy Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 Went to Matlock College when I was 19 and stayed in the area ever since. Didn't start watching football until I was 40, and it was THAT year when Derby.. didn't do ever so well. Determined to support anybody but, I went and watched every other team within striking distance, and would probably have settled on Sheffield Wednesday, except for the fact that they were even worse. In the end I started to get the creeping feeling that I ought to support Derby, as Derbyshire has been my adopted home for the majority of my life. Then a lad I worked with, who was always trying to persuade me to support them, tragically died, and that clinched it. I thought they were a man down, so I bought a scarf and a season ticket and that was that. Only been going a short while compared to most of you, but I love it, and being able to go on the train and spend the rest of the day wandering around some of my favourite pubs only confirms that I made the right choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Scarlet Pimpernel Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 Born in Stanley. Moved to Breadsall Village as a nipper. Grandad & Dad took me to the baseball ground. Moved away a long time ago now but once a Ram always a Ram! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TroyDyer Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Peter Shilton. Old man took me to watch him as a kid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CumbrianRam Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Because of my Father, never lived in Derby but just copied my dad after he took me to matches as a kid. Family has Sunderland, Newcastle, Carlisle or Liverpool fans, but choose Derby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssendonRam Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 I'm Australian born and bred and was raised on two sports as a kid. Australian football, where I chose Essendon and soccer (Derby). Essendon I chose for reasons that no-one could work out other than I liked the colours (black with a red sash and my father's team wore white with a red v) and because no one I knew supported them. So, I think I was something of a contrarian as a child. But Derby has (or so I thought) had family links. Derby was my grandfather's team. He died long before I was born and I was always told he was born and raised in Derby (turned out he came from Kent) and moved to Derby to work and adopted the club. Never did quite work out why I was misled but then my father also told me he died heroically saving a man in a burning petrol tanker (he didn't)... But he did heroically stick to Derby! I'm barely old enough to remember the first title (nearly 6) and that, together with the fact every Australian supports Man U or Liverpool (and, later, Leeds because of Harry Kewell), tied me to Derby (contrarian streak again). But my love for the club grew stronger with the adversity we've regularly imposed upon ourselves. I'll never forget how we were in the bankruptcy courts only 3-4 years after we won our second title. Love re-watching The Damned United if for no reason other than seeing the graphic where we rise up the table. And still look toward the day the Rams rise again! And, seriously, I love the history of the club. A foundation club, one of the larger medium sized clubs based in a relatively small town, a pure football town, devotedly supported by a very local support.... I love what Derby County stands for! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ossieram Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Derby born and bred. As a kid we lived on Graham st, Which was between Russel St and Cotton lane and it was only a short walk to the BBG. I also dropped lucky with the timing. I went to my first game as a 5 year old in 1968 and was hooked. Luckily for me, God was turning us into the best team in the country at that time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alph Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Love this thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maydrakin Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 My Dad is a fan. I followed suit - was desperate to go as a kid, but had to content myself playing footy whilst pretending to be Billy Caskey, then Yaka Banovic! Eventually, he took me in '82 and loved it forever after. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cardifframs Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 I was hooked,after my dad first took me. Team with Todd,McFarland,George,Nish,etc etc Why support anybody else? I go mad at kids down in cardiff,if they say they support Man U ,Liverpool etc Support you're local team glory hunters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeyHudson Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Derby born and bred Remember seeing the team training at Moorways not long after Italia 90. Wrighty had his head all bandaged up and I asked him how he was feeling. He shouted "All fine, cheers" and gave me the thumbs up. I was completely awestruck that I'd spoken to him. Peter Shilton, Dean Saunders, Mark Wright, Ted McMinn, Mick Forsyth, Arthur Cox. Names from my childhood that still make my heart glow when I think of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuespachRam Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 The normal route of following in your fathers footsteps doesn't apply-my dad wouldn't know David Beckham if he saw him in Sainsburys, he has no interest in football at all, no one from my family has any either which is doubly sad because they are all from Manchester so I could have realistically grown up supporting United and had a lifetime of happiness instead of a roller coaster of misery watching the super rams. I have no idea how I got hooked. I just remember pestering dad to take me to the baseball ground, he wouldn't....but eventually he got his workmates to take me along. They were all 20-30 year olds, in the 1970's and would take me to the grange for a bottle of come and give me a load of change and let me be in charge of the juke box...and every so often there would be a shout go up and they would all dissapear, coming back 20 minutes later with a few cuts and bruises, as a shy 7 year old I didn't really have a clue what was going on....but loved everything about it. Looking back on it I can't believe that my parents thought it was a good idea to let me go with a bunch of hooligans as a 7 year old-they even paid for me to sit with them in the C Stand because they thought that the seats "were safer"..! When it came for me to pass on the Derby County bug it felt great..! My son was born in the same Derby City hospital as I was. (I had to insist that he wasn't going to go to Mansfield hospital even though it was closer to our home at the time-no way was a child of mine being born in Nottingham) I dragged him along every week as soon as he was old enough, but in him bottles of coke and leaving him in charge of the juke box. He has a season ticket of course now and is just getting to the stage where he is throwing the idea around about going to games with his mates rather than his parents....Although this makes me sad as he is growing up so quickly, I also can't wait for it to happen because I know that those days will be the happiest of his life..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
admira Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Mine is a terrible reason. When I was young (I'm late 40's), there was a TV programme caled 'Hector's House' and i loved it. I found out that Derby had a player called Kevin Hector and also how good they were at football. I stopped going to watch Ipswich with my Dad and have been a true Ram since. Kevin Hector has always been my idol and my Mum even invited him to my 40th party! (He didn't come but did send me a card) Good ol' Postman Kev. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky1884 Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 I was born and live and will be dead in DERBY that's why I'm a RAMS. However Paris is nice in the spring..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loweman2 Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Family tradition, i was bought up in a world where I was guided by my parents and given choices and trusted to make the right decision, what football team I followed was not a decision that was left in my hands, at the age of seven was taken to my first game at the BBG and became hooked. I will always remember walking up the steps in the Ley Stand and "popping out" into a magical world of noise, the smell of stale beer and fags and the feel of excitement in the air and the atmosphere that it all created, my dad had bought me a derby shirt which I still have to this day and is the umbro shirt with diamonds down the sleeves, still my all time fave shirt, maybe because it is part of this wonderful time in my life, I will be eternally thank full to my dad for pushing me down the path of Derby County, I paid the gift forwards at the weekend, my dad and I took my boy who is four to his first match, he has had a season ticket since he was one but this was his first real match and he saw the rams win 3-0, the look on his face when I told him he was going on Saturday morning until when we got home at 5 o'clock was one massive smile, once again he will grow up being guided by me and his mum but what football team he follows was decided by my dad's dad and that's the way it is in our family, there will be good times, there will be bad times and there will be great times but there will always be DCFC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfb Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 In 1966 my dad who wasn't a footy fan particularly got given 2 ticket to see Derby v Man U, FA cup, so he took me, i was 13 and it was my first game at a professional football ground.... I think it was more to see the famous Man U, it was David v Goliath... they went 3-0 up.... but we came back.. 3-1...then 3-2 the atmosphere was AWESOME,TOTALLY ELECTRIC... for half an hour or so, could we get 3 ?? and they then killed the game with 2 quick goals at the end, but i was so intoxicated by the atmosphere, that myself and a few of my mate started going, on the Popside, and we loved every minute, my dad never went again, but he always asked how we did every week till the day he died...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Scarlet Pimpernel Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 In 1966 my dad who wasn't a footy fan particularly got given 2 ticket to see Derby v Man U, FA cup, so he took me, i was 13 and it was my first game at a professional football ground.... I think it was more to see the famous Man U, it was David v Goliath... they went 3-0 up.... but we came back.. 3-1...then 3-2 the atmosphere was AWESOME,TOTALLY ELECTRIC... for half an hour or so, could we get 3 ?? and they then killed the game with 2 quick goals at the end, but i was so intoxicated by the atmosphere, that myself and a few of my mate started going, on the Popside, and we loved every minute, my dad never went again, but he always asked how we did every week till the day he died...... I was 9 then and for some reason didn't go but my older brother went (he would have been 12) That game well & truly hooked him as well. He still brings it up now & again all these years later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archram Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 My dad was born in Shardlow. When he was 7 the family moved to Leics. His 3 older brothers switched to supporting Leicester. He refused and stayed a Ram. I'm eternally grateful for that but very surprised as he was such an easy-going man and never confrontational. He started taking me in 1951 when I was 10. We didn't go often as he couldn't afford both tickets and travel. Through the years of moving about and my own family have never been able to go regularly but have always 'followed' us by whatever means available. Now I live in Bournemouth but get to 5 or 6 home games and any south of Watford away games, and the internet and you lot keep me well in the picture! I'm now accompanied by my younger son and 3 of his daughters, who all play football for teams on Sundays ( number 4 daughter will soon be old enough!). Up until this season I had to find the money for all the tickets and McDonalds! Now he's doing well and pays for me! It's one of the great delights of my life to sit in the ground and look along the row of us! My dad would have been so pleased and proud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mills_DCFC Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 My Grandpa moved to Derby when he was younger and came back down south in his late teens. I was brought up a United fan by my Dad but after my Grandpa passed away I decided to change to the Rams and havent looked back since! Even though my first proper season was the 07/08 campaign!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsRam Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 What a lovely read - sniff. Born in Derby, so Derby County was always there - never any thought about another team. I started going when I was about 17-18 with one of my mates. Football was for lads back then but my older brother used to go, so we tagged on with him and his mates, just for something to do, oh and just to have a look at the 'talent' - park at the Vulcan, spend ages trying to get to the bar, then upstairs to the pool table. Walk to the ground, nip in the corner shop for a bag of Everton mints, queue to get in the Popside, jump over the river or urine flowing from the gents - jostle for a decent view, (haha). My mate eventually stopped going, the 'talent', was usually in it's rawest state on a Saturday afternoon, you know the feeling you got when the lights went on at Romeo and Juliets? Well, that was how it was on the terracing, to quote some bloke 'it is what it is' I had the bug though, and never stopped going, luckily I got on well with my brother and his mates and they put up with me tagging along home and away. Good times. My daughters have the bug now and my 6 year old niece so like family, it carries on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uttoxram75 Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 What a lovely read - sniff. Born in Derby, so Derby County was always there - never any thought about another team. I started going when I was about 17-18 with one of my mates. Football was for lads back then but my older brother used to go, so we tagged on with him and his mates, just for something to do, oh and just to have a look at the 'talent' - park at the Vulcan, spend ages trying to get to the bar, then upstairs to the pool table. Walk to the ground, nip in the corner shop for a bag of Everton mints, queue to get in the Popside, jump over the river or urine flowing from the gents - jostle for a decent view, (haha). My mate eventually stopped going, the 'talent', was usually in it's rawest state on a Saturday afternoon, you know the feeling you got when the lights went on at Romeo and Juliets? Well, that was how it was on the terracing, to quote some bloke 'it is what it is' I had the bug though, and never stopped going, luckily I got on well with my brother and his mates and they put up with me tagging along home and away. Good times. My daughters have the bug now and my 6 year old niece so like family, it carries on... My mate eventually stopped going, the 'talent', was usually in it's rawest state on a Saturday afternoon, you know the feeling you got when the lights went on at Romeo and Juliets? How dare you?!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.