gazram80 Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 1969, I was a little too young to appreciate the promotion charge but I knew it was happening. Winning the league in 72 for the first time and the European games will probably never be topped in mine, or any other Derby fan's lifetime. Despair again when Cloughie left. The way Dave Mackay added to Cloughies squad and won the league again, Charlie was mesmerising. Then a real low of going down to Division 3 and years in the wilderness watching Clough do it all again with Forest, while we were minutes away from folding. A brief high with Arthur, back to back promotions and some great players in Shilts, ooh Mark, Tin Man, Goddard and Saunders, but in the back of our minds we knew Maxwell would implode, which he did in typical spectacular style. We nearly got back in the early 90s when Pickering threw a lot of money at it, but the squad didn't quite gel and we failed to get over the line in the play off final which was tough to take. We finally did it late 90s in Jim Smiths first season and the following two years watching Stimac, Erianio, Bianno, Wanchope were the last time it was great for me. I fell out a bit with football watching the overpaid rubbish that followed, didn't really connect with Burleys team TBH, and Billy's team left me cold, apart from the obvious enjoyment of winning at Wembley, the football we played under him was mostly dire. The least that can be said about the following season, and the Paul Jewell era the better. So to sum up, in my 40 years of watching us I've seen probably 10 years when it has been excellent, and the other 30 years alternating between mediocre, drab and suicidal. The way football is set up now means a club like Derby will never get to the very top again, the best we can hope for (and we're still a long way from) is feeding off the scraps of the big clubs. So last years football, and until/if we go up, this will be the best it gets for us, so my advice to you young uns is to enjoy it while it lasts, get behind the players and enjoy the feeling of winning and watching genuinely great players like Hughsey, it doesn't happen very often, and when it does it doesn't last very long. This is a superb piece and a great reality check for the younger generation I often speak with my wife about the possibility that neither of us may see Derby win a single thing in our lifetime (Im talking premier league or facup and league cup) Not play offs etc (im 35 she is 30). Quite sad but true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dabber Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Since we signed Teale and Fagan in the corresponding window 8 years ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sexydadbod Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Remember the jim Smith era briefly as well. Was a youngster then but probably this is the most satisfied I have felt since Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 This is a superb piece and a great reality check for the younger generation I often speak with my wife about the possibility that neither of us may see Derby win a single thing in our lifetime (Im talking premier league or facup and league cup) Not play offs etc (im 35 she is 30). Quite sad but true. Not going anywhere soon are you? Promotion and cup double this year ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MACKWORTHRAM Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Ive not been this happy with a Derby squad since I can remember. When fit. We could play 2 very good sides at this level. Grant, Christie, Keogh, Buxton, Forsyth, Thorne, Hughes, Hendrick, Ince, Lingard, Martin. Roos, Shotton, Albentosa, Whitbread, Warnock, Eustace, Mascarell, Bryson, Russell, Ward, Bent. Theres still Dawkins and Bennett to fit in somewhere. One thing is for certain and that is we are gonna havr 3 or 4 very good players that wont even get on the bench. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ram a lamb a ding dong Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 The last time i felt this good was when: Winning the play off semi on pens in 2007 VDL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I am Ram Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Since Jim Smith's time , we had some good player's then too . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayweb95 Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 I remember when I was younger 10 odd years ago when people got buzzing if we'd win 3 in a row.. Then we went up and I remember it in America clearly because Fox sports had a 2 minute segment about us and breaking club transfer records and what not and that really suprised me.. Well a few months ago before I moved home Derby were on BeIN sport nearly every weekend. Just goes to show how far we've grown.. Or how far entertainment deals have grown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Canitbé Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 1969, I was a little too young to appreciate the promotion charge but I knew it was happening. Winning the league in 72 for the first time and the European games will probably never be topped in mine, or any other Derby fan's lifetime. Despair again when Cloughie left. The way Dave Mackay added to Cloughies squad and won the league again, Charlie was mesmerising. Then a real low of going down to Division 3 and years in the wilderness watching Clough do it all again with Forest, while we were minutes away from folding. A brief high with Arthur, back to back promotions and some great players in Shilts, ooh Mark, Tin Man, Goddard and Saunders, but in the back of our minds we knew Maxwell would implode, which he did in typical spectacular style. We nearly got back in the early 90s when Pickering threw a lot of money at it, but the squad didn't quite gel and we failed to get over the line in the play off final which was tough to take. We finally did it late 90s in Jim Smiths first season and the following two years watching Stimac, Erianio, Bianno, Wanchope were the last time it was great for me. I fell out a bit with football watching the overpaid rubbish that followed, didn't really connect with Burleys team TBH, and Billy's team left me cold, apart from the obvious enjoyment of winning at Wembley, the football we played under him was mostly dire. The least that can be said about the following season, and the Paul Jewell era the better. So to sum up, in my 40 years of watching us I've seen probably 10 years when it has been excellent, and the other 30 years alternating between mediocre, drab and suicidal. The way football is set up now means a club like Derby will never get to the very top again, the best we can hope for (and we're still a long way from) is feeding off the scraps of the big clubs. So last years football, and until/if we go up, this will be the best it gets for us, so my advice to you young uns is to enjoy it while it lasts, get behind the players and enjoy the feeling of winning and watching genuinely great players like Hughsey, it doesn't happen very often, and when it does it doesn't last very long. I dunno, look at Southampton and West Ham this season! Obviously West Ham are a huge club, but I'd say we could potentially do what Southampton have done. Good academy, CEO with his head screwed on and a bit of ambition, and shrewdness in the transfer market could take us a long long way. Being only 22, this is easily the best I've ever felt about my club as a whole. Individually, moments which stand out for me were beating Southampton on penalties in the play-off semis, beating a United team with the likes of Evra, Rooney and RONALDO in it in 2008, and last season the 4-1 win against Brighton. Never experienced an atmosphere like it in Pride Park, absolutely sensational day and after that performance I was convinced we'd go on to win at Wembley and be rubbing shoulders with the big boys in the Prem this year. Everything happens for a reason though, they say. That experience will do our team a lot of good, and we'll be better off for it if we manage to clinch promotion this year. Would love to see us win the league. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curb Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 What have Southampton and West Ham won again? They're feeding off the scraps of the rich clubs, which is the best they, and we, can hope for. They're still a million miles away from winning anything meaningful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazram80 Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Not going anywhere soon are you? Promotion and cup double this year ;-) That's why I added on to the end that I don't really count play offs etc, yes I include promotion in that as well. Yes there is a chance of the facup. I hope im wrong and we are future cup / premiership winners but that possibility grows more unlikely by each passing season, the top teams are getting bigger and bigger something the likes of derby county are never going to keep up with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Canitbé Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 What have Southampton and West Ham won again? They're feeding off the scraps of the rich clubs, which is the best they, and we, can hope for. They're still a million miles away from winning anything meaningful. Nothing yet, but they're more than capable of winning a cup, they have a good enough team. If Brum could do it and Wigan could do it, West Ham and Southampton are more than capable. West Ham still have a very real chance in the FA Cup this year. Also, places in European competitions aren't totally out of the question for either club this year either. Not bad for clubs which were both in the Championship within the last 5 years. Define 'feeding off scraps' for me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curb Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 An odd FA Cup win, a fourth place finish then dropping again, a League cup. I was referring to clubs like us, Forest, West Ham, Villa, Ipswich consistently challenging, and being in with a chance of winning the league, cups, over a period of time (ours was 6 seasons or so), Brum, Wigans, Portsmouths cup runs were complete one offs, more because of the rich clubs not taking them seriously than a sustained challenge for honours. How many clubs have sneaked into the top four besides the 7 or 8 usual ones in the last 10 years? (Serious question as I couldn't even tell you who won the league, such is my interest in the Prem) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilkleyram Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Agree with everything that Curb has written Only once in 50 years have we ever pushed on to better things - IMO Mackay's team was better than Cloughie's. But all the other good teams - Arthur's, Jim's, Burley's (maybe) - have fallen away and we have ended up in financial problems and internal strife and infighting. For all I dislike them you can only admire those teams that have consistently stayed at the top for years and years. Good team management plus investment is key. And nowadays that means keeping or finding the best CEO, who will move MacLaren on when it's the right time to do so and/or find a better replacement, who will come up with the new structures to replace the current one, find a better Chris Evans and a more valuable series of partners. And will persuade owners to invest. It would be fantastic to think that in three years time we will be even happier than we are now, with a squad full of internationals, at least four or five academy graduates featuring, near the top of the top division, challenging in the cups, pushing for Europe, happy on the pitch, and off. It happened briefly once before, and for the first time since I genuinely think it could happen again. That history is against us is one of the reasons I love our club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddie Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 What have Southampton and West Ham won again? They're feeding off the scraps of the rich clubs, which is the best they, and we, can hope for. They're still a million miles away from winning anything meaningful. So is there any point in striving for promotion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curb Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 So is there any point in striving for promotion? Yes of course there is, you want to see your club playing at the highest level possible, it's just that level won't be winning the league or qualifying for the Champions League. Even of our billionaire owners decide to go for it, the Premier League's FFP is now set up to not allow another club to do a Man City, they've locked the door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curb Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Yes of course there is, you want to see your club playing at the highest level possible, it's just that level won't be winning the league or qualifying for the Champions League. Even if our billionaire owners decide to go for it, the Premier League's FFP is now set up to not allow another club to do a Man City, they've locked the door. Edit We've got to get there first mind you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curb Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 I didn't intend to turn this into a negative discussion, but for the record this is the very short list of clubs that hat have finished in the top four in the last 10 seasons; Arsenal 10 Man U 9 Chelsea 9 Liverpool 5 Man City 4 (last 4 seasons) Spurs 2 (Both 4th place) Everton 1 (4th) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PistoldPete2 Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Agree with everything that Curb has written Only once in 50 years have we ever pushed on to better things - IMO Mackay's team was better than Cloughie's. But all the other good teams - Arthur's, Jim's, Burley's (maybe) - have fallen away and we have ended up in financial problems and internal strife and infighting. For all I dislike them you can only admire those teams that have consistently stayed at the top for years and years. Good team management plus investment is key. And nowadays that means keeping or finding the best CEO, who will move MacLaren on when it's the right time to do so and/or find a better replacement, who will come up with the new structures to replace the current one, find a better Chris Evans and a more valuable series of partners. And will persuade owners to invest. It would be fantastic to think that in three years time we will be even happier than we are now, with a squad full of internationals, at least four or five academy graduates featuring, near the top of the top division, challenging in the cups, pushing for Europe, happy on the pitch, and off. It happened briefly once before, and for the first time since I genuinely think it could happen again. That history is against us is one of the reasons I love our club. Tbf there are no teams that have stayed at the top for years and years apart from maybe Liverpool in the late 70s and 80s, except the likes of Man U, Chelsea and citeh, all funded by huge bankrolls and global merchandising. I don't admire that at all, and the fact we have won 2 league titles in my lifetime is a source of unending pride. Even our top 5 finish in 1989 and our top 10 finish in 1999 are massive achievements for a side without the huge cash injections that other teams get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilkleyram Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Tbf there are no teams that have stayed at the top for years and years apart from maybe Liverpool in the late 70s and 80s, except the likes of Man U, Chelsea and citeh, all funded by huge bankrolls and global merchandising. I don't admire that at all, and the fact we have won 2 league titles in my lifetime is a source of unending pride. Even our top 5 finish in 1989 and our top 10 finish in 1999 are massive achievements for a side without the huge cash injections that other teams get. You and I completely agree about our achievements Pete, but over the last 50 years or so most teams have had blips - Man U went down for a season; Citeh had longer out of the top division; Chelsea have had their problems; the likes of Spurs and Everton have stayed in and around the top for much of that time, but again with poor seasons amongst them; Liverpool have survived at the top longer than most but with poorer times too. But my point, clumsily put for which apologies, was that we and Blackburn, for example, failed to build on the huge successes we had, often for reasons off the pitch. If Lionel had moved Jim on when perhaps he should have, if Arthur hadn't had Maxwell collapsing financially, if the board hadn't panicked about Dave Mackay's alleged partying, if Sir Brian and Longson hadn't fallen out, would we have had a generation of success like some of those other teams rather than two or three seasons, good though they were? I don't disagree with your general sentiment about the current importance of money but as Man U and others have shown it's also important to get decisions about managers and CEOs right, if you want success. Something we have done very well for the last 14 months. Can we carry on doing so? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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