Our day with Mel Morris

[RLACML]

Haha if they are already "dropping hints"  aren't they already breaching trust?

Have they dropped hints? I must have missed that

[Shaftesbury Street]

Have they dropped hints? I must have missed that

yep

[RLACML]

yep

Are you referring to the 'a player that no one has mentioned, better than our best player'?

Hardly the same as a 'RB from the premier league' or a 'top class CB' is it?

[AlabamaRam]

Hi Everyone,

I have been reading many of the posts recently about the "Derby Way" and wanted to share a little story about what that means to me......I will do my best to keep it brief.

I am English but coach football (the proper kind) in America. I recently lost my beautiful daughter when she was just 1 day old. Her name was Darbi after our wonderful club. I am fortunate to get to return home twice per year to recruit players to play in America and the trip after I lost Darbi, I wrote to the club and told them my story. I also explained that I coached for a living and asked if the staff would mind me attending a training session as I was a big fan of the attractive soccer we have played over the last few years. The lovely ladies at the training ground spoke to SM and PS and then invited me up. I was so nervous not sure whether to take notes of ask for autographs (despite being older than all the players these days). It was amazing and I have since been back a couple of times where once again the coaches were amazing with their hospitality.

While this was all happening, I had no idea that my wife had also written to the club explaining about Darbi. She apparently asked that if she bought another baby kit would the team sign it for me as that would mean the world. She did not want to mail the one I had already purchased in case it was lost in the mail. She did not hear anything...... Or so she thought....... Right before Christmas that year I received some mail from the Derby in Alabama. Whe I opened it I found a full baby kit signed by the squad. As you can imagine it brought me to tears. 

I know everyone has an opinion about staff and about players. The club though is bigger. I want to thank SM and wish him the very best of luck in the future at Newcastle. i hope he wins the league for them (until we get up there). I also want to thank PS and ES for taking the time to talk to me  and have a cuppa after training. It was truly amazing to speak to other coaches who are in positions I could only dream about. Most of all though I want to to thank the club for being there for me. We could lose every game next year and despite each match hurting, I will always have the memory that Derby County Football Club were there for me and my family. 

We are going to get promotion this year. There is no doubt in my mind and I will be buzzing with the rest of you Rams.

I did though want to share what the "Derby Way" means for me and I hope that I have not bored too many of you with this post. Derby County FC is more than just a Football Club

All the best and hope I get to meet some of you when next over.

Graham (Alabama Ram).

 

[Shaftesbury Street]

Really sorry for your loss AlabamaRam and thanks for sharing your wonderful story.

[Ovis aries]

Isn't it for you two to back up your assertions? You seem to have your own agenda and/or to have made your minds up, so why don't you put your heads together and come up with a collective justification of your statements and implied innuendo that Clement is a puppet to do the triumvirate's bidding?

If you maintain that there is a god, then it's not a valid argument to demand that doubters prove that there isn't, then try to use the absence of proof as justification of your original argument.

Surely Bent and Ince and maybe even Pearce where targets before Clement came anywhere near Derby , so one would assume  its a fair assessment he must have done . 

[DEL]

Does anyone know what MM email address?

[Pearl Ram]

Dear Mel, 

I am cock-a-hoop with what's going on at our club this week, cock-a-flippin'-hoop.

That is all, 

I thank you,

EHR. 

[sage]

Having a catchment area is a different thing to scouting your recruits from far and wide. But it is less congested clubs-wise in the South. When I first moved to Southampton, the locals proudly informed me they were then "the biggest club South of London"

To your questions.

The local clubs are East - Portsmouth 20 miles, not big now but have been bigger in the recent past. West - Bournemouth 25 miles. Not traditionally big but now a premiership outfit with ambitions. North, Reading- 45 miles. Similar to Portsmouth.

Which club has the highest catchment area? If you mean in terms of population that would naturally affiliate with said club then I'd guess one of the London clubs. If you mean inn terms of geographical area in which no other league club is competing then maybe something like Plymouth?

I think you're stats are highly illuminating as they show how it is possible for clubs to recruit from outside what people would naturally regard as a "catchment area". Why were Cardiff not picking up Bale etc..... All of which probably suggests there is no such thing as a "catchment area" anymore - all the clubs scout everywhere and players sign for either the one with the best pitch to them or the biggest dollop of dosh.

The club with the largest catchment area is Crystal Palace.

 

[sage]

Off the top of my head I would guess that Newcastle Utd probably have the largest catchment in terms of population?

Next door to Sunderland

[Kernow]

Lovely story mate @AlabamaRam and so sorry to hear about your little girl.

Very touching gesture from the club, to offer even the smallest of consolations. Feel good factor hasn't taken long to return, let's hope even better days are just around the corner!

[eddie]

I'm not ashamed to say that your heartbreaking - yet uplifting - story reduced me to tears too, @AlabamaRam

 

[I Am Sheep]

I think our catchment area is pretty decent. We stretch into East Staffs with Uttoxeter being 50/50 Derby/Stoke and Burton also having a fair few Derby fans among the Brewers and Brummies. Ashbourne is black and white and so is most of Matlock. I imagine there's some support in Buxton too but probably more leaning towards Manchester. North East Derbyshire is a mix of DCFC, Spireites and Sheffield. I wouldn't be surprised if we had a decent amount of supporters towards Donnington and Kegworth in Leicestershire. The only region our reach doesn't extend very far is to the east. Once you reach Erewash you start finding the turncoats who switched allegiances to follow Clough Snr.

Remember we're only a small city. Political boundaries say that our population isn't that small in comparison to N********m or Leicester but the reality is they're much bigger than Derby. You only have to compare our size as a city to the phenomenal support we give our team. Naturally successes will always breed higher attendances but our base attendance has always been superb. Mel will know as much as any older Derby fan that this is a real football town.

Onto Mel Morris then. I'm glad he accepts the frustration of wanting to have a say in the day to day running but decides to bite his lip and let Rush and co do their job. It's the mark of a responsible owner. All he's pushing is this "Derby way" which is fair enough because if you want to achieve anything you need a goal and a philosophy. As someone who might well become a self-made billionaire in his lifetime, he certainly knows a thing or two about building success.

Thanks to GSE and Clough Jnr. for keeping the club's head above water. Thanks to GSE for further investment and Sam Rush for bringing in Steve Mac and injecting some real excitement. Thanks to Mel for his own personal investment in the club and the academy.

These are genuinely exciting times to be a Ram!

[rammieib]

Question to those who attended:

Did anyone ask the question to confirm that not one single played would be bought or sold into the first team squad unless it's signed off by Paul Clement? That is VERY important to me.

I'm encouraged by the comments on the feedback, Revildevil (I think) and Alpha (The sites best poster IMO) have both stated that they believe the areas MM gets involved with day to day are not impacting upon SR, SE or PC in any way shape or form except to help. I have own opinion that the accounts would suggest Sam Rush is on a package of £400k (if he is the only paid director) and for someone to be earning that much, he should pretty much have full say over the day to day dealings within the club. I would hate it if anything he was involved with required sign off by the Chairman (I.e season ticket pricing, sponsorship deals etc)

I love the positivity of this thread. I like the range of people who attended and their views back and the discussion it has provoked. Well done.

[Rev]

Question to those who attended:

Did anyone ask the question to confirm that not one single played would be bought or sold into the first team squad unless it's signed off by Paul Clement? That is VERY important to me.

I'm encouraged by the comments on the feedback, Revildevil (I think) and Alpha (The sites best poster IMO) have both stated that they believe the areas MM gets involved with day to day are not impacting upon SR, SE or PC in any way shape or form except to help. I have own opinion that the accounts would suggest Sam Rush is on a package of £400k (if he is the only paid director) and for someone to be earning that much, he should pretty much have full say over the day to day dealings within the club. I would hate it if anything he was involved with required sign off by the Chairman (I.e season ticket pricing, sponsorship deals etc)

I love the positivity of this thread. I like the range of people who attended and their views back and the discussion it has provoked. Well done.

Very clear, Chris Evans and team are constantly scouting all positions, when the manager needs a position filling Evans will present him with a list, the manager then picks the one he wants, Evans and Sam Rush go to work on the deal. 

Outgoings, they won't stand in a players way if an offer comes in from an obviously bigger club, but no pressure to sell to rivals, or those who shortly might become so, ie mid to lower PL.

To be honest, we all went with a list of questions, most were answered by MM without us needing to ask anyway, the questions we did ask were answered without any fudge, even if they were delicate.

Apart from next seasons away kit colour, that he wouldn't be drawn on.

[eddie]

Question to those who attended:

Did anyone ask the question to confirm that not one single played would be bought or sold into the first team squad unless it's signed off by Paul Clement? That is VERY important to me.

I'm encouraged by the comments on the feedback, Revildevil (I think) and Alpha (The sites best poster IMO) have both stated that they believe the areas MM gets involved with day to day are not impacting upon SR, SE or PC in any way shape or form except to help. I have own opinion that the accounts would suggest Sam Rush is on a package of £400k (if he is the only paid director) and for someone to be earning that much, he should pretty much have full say over the day to day dealings within the club. I would hate it if anything he was involved with required sign off by the Chairman (I.e season ticket pricing, sponsorship deals etc)

I love the positivity of this thread. I like the range of people who attended and their views back and the discussion it has provoked. Well done.

I think I agree with just about every word - even if you did miss 'second' out before 'best poster'.

[inter politics]

Beautifully written Alabama Ram - proud to support the same great football club

[eustonstation]

 

Interesting - draw a circle with a 50m radius around both Southampton and Swansea and what is the first thing you notice about their catchment areas?

Assuming we don't want to sign sealife - we should absolutely be able to compete

 

This is screaming out for a bad pun. 

Getting Tom Ince would seal promotion for us. 

I'm not very good at this.

[sage]

Very clear, Chris Evans and team are constantly scouting all positions, when the manager needs a position filling Evans will present him with a list, the manager then picks the one he wants, Evans and Sam Rush go to work on the deal. 

Outgoings, they won't stand in a players way if an offer comes in from an obviously bigger club, but no pressure to sell to rivals, or those who shortly might become so, ie mid to lower PL.

To be honest, we all went with a list of questions, most were answered by MM without us needing to ask anyway, the questions we did ask were answered without any fudge, even if they were delicate.

Apart from next seasons away kit colour, that he wouldn't be drawn on.

I would add that MM said that PC agreed to the signings of Bent, Pearce etc, though you could argue that this was a fait accompli. The input of PC in transfer dealings can only be realistically analysed in future transfer windows.   

[sage]

This is screaming out for a bad pun. 

Getting Tom Ince would seal promotion for us. 

I'm not very good at this.

Stop fishing for compliments.