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Never been more proud


TibshelfRam

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So, the time is nearly upon us. And I can honestly say that I've never been more proud (and even, forgive me, slightly emotional) to be a Rams fan.

In all the years I have supported Derby, I struggle to think of a time that I have seen the club, the players, the staff and the fans so united, so together and so passionate. What a time it is to be a Ram - what a season it has been and, win or lose, what a journey we have been on.

Having spent most of my week procrastinating at work as a result of being unable to concentrate ahead of Monday, I've taken to browsing social media and these pages more than ever. And, whilst I've seen a fair amount of petty squabbling and anger/frustration about the controversial ticketing system, I just wanted to highlight why all of this, strangely, makes me even more proud to be a Derby fan at the moment. Forgive me for rambling but I wanted to just share a story...

My Dad was born and brought up in the East end of London. He was a mad Crystal Palace fan. He moved up to Derbyshire with my Mum who is (along with the rest of her family) a F*rest fan. My Dad spent my entire childhood attempting to get me to support 'The Palace'. But, thing is, I didn't much fancy supporting a team where I could only watch them once or twice a year. Being from Wirksworth, I could only really support the Rams. So for years I had a season ticket and went every week.

However, I went to uni in Kent. Every Saturday at 3pm I missed the buzz of the match. So I started to go to a few games at Selhurst Park with my uncle to make up for it and, due to family loyalty, I have always had a soft spot for Palace. Back in 2013, I was still at uni and still down south. Palace got to the play off final and my uncle, as a season ticket holder, was going to go and my Dad was mad keen on coming down for it.

In the end, my uncle managed to secure tickets for 8 of us to go. He was the only season ticket holder. Tickets took days to sell out. In the end, he and my Dad were the only two 'true' palace fans of the 8 of us - the rest were, like me, people who had a semi allegiance to the club. I would've felt bad for preventing a 'real fan' from going, but the demand just wasn't there.

Palace are not a big club. They don't get days out to Wembley very often, in fact they were probably less frequent visitors at the time than ourselves. And yet, constantly, we hear pundits, commentators and reporters telling us that they have 'the best fans in the country'. They took days to sell out a 35,000 Wembley allocation and were allowing ST holders to buy so many tickets at a time.

There will be thousands of Derby fans who have their gripes with the ticketing process. There will be thousands who are devastated not to be there. But, amid all of the anger and frustration, I take away one thing - we are not a huge club, we do not come from a massive city, we do not have an enormous global fan base. We are a proud, historic, proper football club with a passionate and dedicated following. And we have sold tickets for Monday on a scale that most clubs would be envious of. The frustration and anger comes second to the messages of joy and happiness that I have seen. We are Derby, and we are going to turn Wembley black and white.

If what has happened over the past 10 days doesn't make you proud and, dare I say it, even emotional, then noting will.

Just one last point: last night I watched clips from the 2007 final - what stood out to me was this... every time we won the ball back ,every time we broke, even from deep, the noise, the anticipation that something could happen, was deafening. Even in positions where the likelihood was that it would come to nothing. The support we gave the team was unreal and, I truly believe, that it got us over the line.

Wembley will be packed with Rams - a sea of black and white. But for every single one of us that is there on Monday, there could have been another person in our place such was the demand for tickets. So think about that - remember how lucky we all are to be there.

And when push comes to shove, make sure that you shout twice as loud, cheer twice as passionately, chant twice as exuberantly and bounce twice as high. Do it for the fan who could have been there in your place. 38,000 of us will be there, but it could have been 68,000 - let's make sure that the atmosphere suggests that that is the case.

See you all there.

COME ON YOU RAMSSSSSSSS!

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Great post.

I've been pretty emotional since that game against QPR. Pure drama all day and it hasn't stopped since.

We took an American with us and he was blown away by our fans. He sent pictures last week of his whole family wearing Derby shirts. He put his Derby shirt on at half time in that QPR game. I'm not particularly superstitious but that seemed to be a big turning point!

 

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I'm glad I'm not the only one who has been procrastinating all week.

I hope that those who are season ticket holders and those who have been to cup games and away games got tickets to go. I know some people talk about "plastic fans" or "fair weather fans" but we could have easily sold the entire stadium out of Derby fans who want to witness the match on Monday.

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Made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up reading that. 

And I can say, I will be shouting very loudly on Monday from start to finish. I'll be wearing black and white, I've got balloons, scarves, flags and a young son who for the first time will witness what it truely feels like to not just be a Derby supporter but a football supporter in general.

Come on Derby.

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Here’s as good a place as any to post this. 

I feel life i’ve won a competition. I would never expect to get a ticket, so as soon as Marriott scores, I’m thinking about what pub to watch the final in. 

Then out of the blue the other day, a guy calls me. He’s another dad from school. 4 years ago I had two less kids and a lot more time, and we’d occasionally do the pub quiz in the pub next door, and chat about Derby at the school gates. He came round to mine to watch the play off final. 

Since then we’ve barely had time to say two words to each other besides a quick ‘how are you?’ at the school gates. 

But he calls me out of the blue, and asks if I’m going to the match. I’m expecting him to want to talk about arranging a pub to meet up in, which would be nice. But instead he asks ‘would you like to go?’

he’s got a spare ticket, and transport sorted. 

I’m expecting it to be hundreds of pounds, and I’m willing to pay it. But £60 including transport! I’m absolutely over the moon!

i can’t believe I’m actually going, and feel kind of bad that many others can’t go, (but not so bad that I’m going to give my ticket away). 

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3 hours ago, Smyth_18 said:

Great post.

I've been pretty emotional since that game against QPR. Pure drama all day and it hasn't stopped since.

We took an American with us and he was blown away by our fans. He sent pictures last week of his whole family wearing Derby shirts. He put his Derby shirt on at half time in that QPR game. I'm not particularly superstitious but that seemed to be a big turning point!

 

Have you told him to wear it on Monday???

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Great post. I'm in a similar position in that I'm originally from South East London and grew up a Millwall fan till the age of 11. Then we moved to Leicestershire and I started to go to the BBG with a Derby supporting mate. Before long I was hooked and have been a Ram for the last 38 years. I've seen some great games and wonderful teams, but there was something extra special about that win at Leeds. The feeling of pride, the togetherness of the squad and fans at the final whistle; it feels like a turning point and I have never been more proud of the club. I cannot wait to get to Wembley on Monday and see if we can cap it with promotion. COYR!

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I'm always proud to be a Derby fan.

I'm happy for us to be unfashionable outside the area, fir most of our fanbase to he connected to the city and county. Not being big in the eyes of the media isn't tge same as it being big. OK, not massive like the glamour clubs, but as the OP said, a proper club, connected to itself. And we've got a likeable team and manager, a good owner and a feelgood factor.

Sod what anyone else thinks, we are Derby.

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7 hours ago, TibshelfRam said:

So, the time is nearly upon us. And I can honestly say that I've never been more proud (and even, forgive me, slightly emotional) to be a Rams fan.

In all the years I have supported Derby, I struggle to think of a time that I have seen the club, the players, the staff and the fans so united, so together and so passionate. What a time it is to be a Ram - what a season it has been and, win or lose, what a journey we have been on.

Having spent most of my week procrastinating at work as a result of being unable to concentrate ahead of Monday, I've taken to browsing social media and these pages more than ever. And, whilst I've seen a fair amount of petty squabbling and anger/frustration about the controversial ticketing system, I just wanted to highlight why all of this, strangely, makes me even more proud to be a Derby fan at the moment. Forgive me for rambling but I wanted to just share a story...

My Dad was born and brought up in the East end of London. He was a mad Crystal Palace fan. He moved up to Derbyshire with my Mum who is (along with the rest of her family) a F*rest fan. My Dad spent my entire childhood attempting to get me to support 'The Palace'. But, thing is, I didn't much fancy supporting a team where I could only watch them once or twice a year. Being from Wirksworth, I could only really support the Rams. So for years I had a season ticket and went every week.

However, I went to uni in Kent. Every Saturday at 3pm I missed the buzz of the match. So I started to go to a few games at Selhurst Park with my uncle to make up for it and, due to family loyalty, I have always had a soft spot for Palace. Back in 2013, I was still at uni and still down south. Palace got to the play off final and my uncle, as a season ticket holder, was going to go and my Dad was mad keen on coming down for it.

In the end, my uncle managed to secure tickets for 8 of us to go. He was the only season ticket holder. Tickets took days to sell out. In the end, he and my Dad were the only two 'true' palace fans of the 8 of us - the rest were, like me, people who had a semi allegiance to the club. I would've felt bad for preventing a 'real fan' from going, but the demand just wasn't there.

Palace are not a big club. They don't get days out to Wembley very often, in fact they were probably less frequent visitors at the time than ourselves. And yet, constantly, we hear pundits, commentators and reporters telling us that they have 'the best fans in the country'. They took days to sell out a 35,000 Wembley allocation and were allowing ST holders to buy so many tickets at a time.

There will be thousands of Derby fans who have their gripes with the ticketing process. There will be thousands who are devastated not to be there. But, amid all of the anger and frustration, I take away one thing - we are not a huge club, we do not come from a massive city, we do not have an enormous global fan base. We are a proud, historic, proper football club with a passionate and dedicated following. And we have sold tickets for Monday on a scale that most clubs would be envious of. The frustration and anger comes second to the messages of joy and happiness that I have seen. We are Derby, and we are going to turn Wembley black and white.

If what has happened over the past 10 days doesn't make you proud and, dare I say it, even emotional, then noting will.

Just one last point: last night I watched clips from the 2007 final - what stood out to me was this... every time we won the ball back ,every time we broke, even from deep, the noise, the anticipation that something could happen, was deafening. Even in positions where the likelihood was that it would come to nothing. The support we gave the team was unreal and, I truly believe, that it got us over the line.

Wembley will be packed with Rams - a sea of black and white. But for every single one of us that is there on Monday, there could have been another person in our place such was the demand for tickets. So think about that - remember how lucky we all are to be there.

And when push comes to shove, make sure that you shout twice as loud, cheer twice as passionately, chant twice as exuberantly and bounce twice as high. Do it for the fan who could have been there in your place. 38,000 of us will be there, but it could have been 68,000 - let's make sure that the atmosphere suggests that that is the case.

See you all there.

COME ON YOU RAMSSSSSSSS!

How long did you live in Wussa for?

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Regular reader and occasional contributor but really looking forward to B4’s rallying cry after reading the original post.

Luckily secured tickets in Wednesday’s sale and praying the Footballing gods are with us. Had tears when we beat WBA those years ago as I never thought I’d see my side win at Wembley in my lifetime.

Thoughts will be with any ticketless lads out there and will be giving that bit extra for them. We’re all Derby aren't we !

Together

Gangway D from the terrace

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3 hours ago, RadioactiveWaste said:

I'm always proud to be a Derby fan.

I'm happy for us to be unfashionable outside the area, fir most of our fanbase to he connected to the city and county. Not being big in the eyes of the media isn't tge same as it being big. OK, not massive like the glamour clubs, but as the OP said, a proper club, connected to itself. And we've got a likeable team and manager, a good owner and a feelgood factor.

Sod what anyone else thinks, we are Derby.

Too right, but it's often about perception. Derby County is a founder member club, FA cup winners, 2 x League champions, Charity Shield winners, Several successful European campaigns. Many clubs who are 'so called' fashionable will never have such a rich heritage as DCFC. 

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On 24/05/2019 at 17:05, Gritters said:

How long did you live in Wussa for?

Sorry for the late reply, Gritters. 18 years initially and a couple of odd years since - born and raised there. Mum still lives there so am back regularly. Is it your neck of the woods?

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6 hours ago, TibshelfRam said:

Sorry for the late reply, Gritters. 18 years initially and a couple of odd years since - born and raised there. Mum still lives there so am back regularly. Is it your neck of the woods?

Yeah my family go back to when records began. I have moved away now. I sometimes miss it and it will always be the place where I grew up. I still have family there and in the surrounding area. It’s a strange place because someone could have lived there for the past 20 years and will be still classed as an outsider where as I could go there after moving away for 20 years and be classed as a local.

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