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It's in your DNA, youth


EnzaRam

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6 hours ago, David said:

Used to listen to games in my room on the radio, watch the goals fly in on Teletext so kinda developed my love for the game on my own and supporting Derby was never a question, although I admit to stealing my sisters boyfriend at the time Liverpool shorts. Michael Owen was a wonderkid on Championship manager who I signed on every game and was breaking through, developed a bit of a boy crush on him and looked out for Liverpool’s results.

Christmas dinner must have been a frosty occasion.

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I am a Derbyshire girl and me and my mum loved to watch football on tv. My dad though was strictly against it so we had to do it when he was out at work (luckily he worked shifts.) First real football I remember was the 1966 world cup on tv - I  was hooked.

As a teenager I regularly snuck off with a girlfriend to watch Alfreton Town but still enjoyed tv matches with my mum -  Franny Lee was her favourite but at that time I was all Liverpool. 

I met my husband and he started to take me to Derby matches home and away. We won the league again in my first season at the Baseball Ground playing great football. It sort of sealed the deal for both my Club and my partner and we are still together 44 years later - Derby's and life's and downs notwithstanding! 

I was so proud to see the great Franny Lee live on the pitch at last but couldn't tell mum as by then she'd died. 

I am not surprised to read stories of life, love and loss in this thread. Football is like family; it is part of you and you share the joys and sorrows with your football family just as you do those of life. 

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It was all an accident, and all down to a Leeds fan.  At 6 years old living in Burton I had absolutely no interest in football. However my older brother had supported the dirties since he was my age. He’d never been to a game, my dad promised to take him, I was supposed to stay at home with mum, she  ended up working so I was dragged along and I had my first experience of the Baseball ground. My brother expected if anything I’d come away supporting Leeds, especially as they beat us, instead I pinned my colours to the black and white. I don’t remember much about it to be fair, but my brother always says he’s never forgiven me for not following Leeds ?

For a few years I would follow Derby on telly or Radio, only going to the odd game, then when I hit double figures it was regular either with dad or mates. 

Dad and I didn’t have a great relationship for years, he was a big drinker, I don’t really drink, he was “a bit handy” after he’d had a lot to drink so we never talked much for years, the ice breaker and our connection was “did you see the match...”. The last 3 years of his life we finally got really close, I stopped being a twit and started looking at things through his eyes and saw he’d had a tough life. Even though I live just outside London we resumed going to matches together, I bought us both season tickets, and it’d be time just for us to enjoy the game, each other’s company and to talk rubbish about how the game should have played out. 2012 he was diagnosed with cancer, lost him on the 4th August. I went to the first game of the season, Steve Bloomer came on, and out of all of the places I could have chosen to have my melt down, I burst in tears and couldn’t stop, my dad wasn’t next to me. The poor bloke next to me obviously thought “what the actual duck is going on...” when he realised he put is arm around me and adopted me for that match. Rest of that season I didn’t go much. Ever since I’ve not had a season ticket due to work, moved to Belgium for 2 years, but managed to get across for a fair few games. Now back outside London, house is on the market and looking to move up country, the better half thinks it’s to be closer to my 82 year old mum...he doesn’t realise I’m planning on restarting my season ticket ?. I guess I’m still a young supporter, only been going 41 years. 

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I know I’ve told the story on here before, so a quick re cap...

my dad and family are from Redditch, he was a Villa season ticket holder once.

my mum and family are from Staffordshire.

though technically i was born in Burton, I have lived my whole life somewhere in Derbyshire, I grew up living in Mickleover.

as a kid I always loved football, but I never really settled on a team that I said I supported until I was taken to a game at the baseball ground with the football team I played for. It was the first premier league season, a night game which we lost 1-0 to Everton. We also had a tour of the ground where we met Igor Stimac. From that day I was hooked.

Move forward 20 odd years, and the whole family are Rams fans, even my dad is converted ? and now mine and my brother kids, we watched the play off final together which was cool and for me, what supporting a club like Derby is all about.

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10 hours ago, EnzaRam said:

 So if you were just born into the club or it became your club, I wouldn't mind hearing why?

Born in Derby out moved away when I was a youngster because my Dad (who played for Derbyshire CCC at the time) moved to play for Somerset CCC.

Would go to the games as often as I could, always with my Grampa. We would take the supporters bus from their place in Swanwick with some of his friends.

Sadly he passed away after a long battle with Alzheimer's. I don't get to go to many home games now, as I don't have really anyone to go with, but if I do I take my fiance. Always try to get to the away games too if I can.

This forum has been arguably the main way I've interacted with my football club since he passed away and, although I don't see eye to eye with some people, I do appreciate the role they've played in making me feel closer to my family club.

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10 hours ago, EnzaRam said:

In the middle of the Frank storm, I could do with a break.

DCFC wasn't in my DNA, but it's in my heart. I was born in Warrington to a dad that was a rugby league 'pro', and arrived in Derby aged 5.

I grew up in Ripley, got interested in football and ended up with a step dad that started taking me to the baseball ground at age 9.  And the deal was sealed. I've only had 12 season tickets in my 47 years because work and family stuff dictate.

I still follow the Wire, but DCFC became my life from late teens onwards, and I'm nearly 50 FFS. 

I met my better half on a train back from London in 97 after Chelsea bummed us in the midday kick off the day before. She's a Sheffield Wednesday fan and her and my eldest have season tickets up there.

Daughter 2 followed me down the right path, and she's my Pride Park company. Daughter 3 the youngest, ride's horses scarily well and we had a lad who got cancer at 7 and we lost him when he was 10, it was awful.

Football at Derby and Wednesday has been a glue that has held us together as a family and still does. I think my girls think I'm one of the most over protective dad's there could be, and I can't tell them why.

So if you were just born into the club or it became your club, I wouldn't mind hearing why?

What a great great post. Well done fella

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Born (1963), bred and life-long liver-in-Derby, as were my immediate ancestors, but I don't recall a single one of them being remotely interested in football, let alone DCFC.

I went through infants/Juniors using a selection of Spurs and/or Everton sports bags, for reasons that I cannot recall!

Then one late Spring day, my next door neighbour announced he'd got tickets for the match, and invited me along.  I was 12.  The match itself was boring.  No goals.  Informal accusations that the players were quite possibly inebriated, and before I knew it, the game was over.  But then the fun started... All I recall was the brightest sunshine, the greenest grass, and the whitest of Daz-White tracksuit tops... and the biggest, shiniest, silverest trophy I have ever seen, being carried around the pitch for all to see, for all to worship, for all to drool over.  It was 1975, and despite the game I had just witnessed, we were officially the best team in the land!

That was the day I became the glory-hunter I am today! 

Pocket money (and subsequent apprenticeship wages) was then spent entirely on DCFC, and from the last year at school, I'd started going regularly to both home and away matches.  I went through the last 3 seasons of our Div. 1 career without missing a game, home or away.  I was up in the rafters at Norwich, in my yellow "We'll be back in '81" T-Shirt, when they sent the dogs in nearly an hour after the final whistle to clear us out! 

*These were the best days ever, for footy fans.  The best era... but DCFC had been in decline since my debut!

My passion/attendances wavered throughout the '80's, as family/relationships/budgets took over, and before I knew it, occasions such as "That Friday night v Rotherham" had totally passed me by unnoticed.  Unregistered! 

A trickle of games throughout the '90's got me back on track, and have been a ST holder at PPS for maybe 15 years now (I don't recall exactly?).
From personally starting the "Idiakez" chant after his skied peno in the Play-off semi, (I nearly burst a lung, was determined to push on, until it reverberated around the ground!  LOL!) I have since moved from the SE corner to NE corner, in an attempt to avoid the industrial language, and get my grandson involved.  After 5 years of freebie u12's ST's, I'm ashamed to admit I failed!  He's not into us (or football generally) at all, and as he's now 13, his tickets and attendances have ceased.  It breaks my heart to admit that!

 

 

*This era also included my "first ever world cup"... Argentina '78... No England unfortunately, but mum and dad were away, I was 15 and allowed to stay home for the first time.  All late night kick-offs, and I stayed up and watched every game in complete awe.  The atmosphere, the cascading ticker-tape (Bog-Rolls!), and of course, Archie's "Best Goal Ever"!  Not only was I a Rams fan, but I was a fan of being a football fan, and this tournament simply blew my mind!

A great time to be a fan, despite my club getting worse by the game!  LOL!

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I was born in Derby and lived there until I was 22 and moved to Dirty Leeds where my missus is from.

I remember going in the boys pen every other Saturday (never had mid week matches then), watching the likes of Bill Curry, Geoff Barrowcliffe et al.

My lad had a hard time growing up a Ram in Leeds but it only reinforced his faith and now his four year old lad has just got his first Derby strip.

COYR

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Born and raised in Burton, but been a Ram since the age of 6. My parents weren’t that interested in football so it fell on my Uncle, a lifelong Derby fan who makes @Millenniumram look like a happy clapper, to make sure my older brother was a Derby fan. This then passed onto me after discovering football in the 2006 World Cup. My first game was as a 6 year-old at the Pirelli Stadium, watching us beat Burton Albion 3-1 (Giles Barnes hat-trick, Gary Rowett consolation) in the home end. 

My mum got me a season ticket that year (first game a home loss to Sunderland), so I witnessed the Billy Davies promotion season, Wembley and all. Since then, it’s been pretty much all disappointment?

My passion really started to grow when I started attending away games regularly in the 16-17 season. That’s where I met the people who I travel up and down the country with and, on the 28th July, will be heading up to Glasgow with for the weekend. This forum has only added to that passion, especially since meeting one or two offline.

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17 minutes ago, DarkFruitsRam7 said:

This forum has only added to that passion,

1 hour ago, Nuwtfly said:

This forum has been arguably the main way I've interacted with my football club since he passed away

I must admit I long lurked this forum before joining, I was always a bit put off by the 'proper' fan debate's and in truth, I was probably a bit old fashioned. But I got over myself, and I love this place, it provides a real connection with the club and a variety of good folk.

In fact, when I get on a bit of a footie rant my youngest just says 'tell it to the forum dad!'.

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Born in Derby in a household that didn't follow football at all. Started kicking a ball at primary school in the playground and fell in love with the game 'who do you support' the kids asked and as they all wore Derby shirts I said Derby. Pestered my Dad who hated football over and over again and eventually he took me to the Baseball ground in 1993 and we both loved it! We had a season ticket together for next 8 seasons and then sadly my Dad passed away having become a big Derby fan. Had a hard time going to Pride Park after that but started going again and have followed home and away as much as possible and been a fan for 26 years, cut me open and I would bleed Black & White. 

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1 hour ago, DarkFruitsRam7 said:

Born and raised in Burton, but been a Ram since the age of 6. My parents weren’t that interested in football so it fell on my Uncle, a lifelong Derby fan who makes @Millenniumram look like a happy clapper, to make sure my older brother was a Derby fan. This then passed onto me after discovering football in the 2006 World Cup. My first game was as a 6 year-old at the Pirelli Stadium, watching us beat Burton Albion 3-1 (Giles Barnes hat-trick, Gary Rowett consolation) in the home end. 

My mum got me a season ticket that year (first game a home loss to Sunderland), so I witnessed the Billy Davies promotion season, Wembley and all. Since then, it’s been pretty much all disappointment?

My passion really started to grow when I started attending away games regularly in the 16-17 season. That’s where I met the people who I travel up and down the country with and, on the 28th July, will be heading up to Glasgow with for the weekend. This forum has only added to that passion, especially since meeting one or two offline.

How do you know I’m not your uncle? ? 

Would be impressive going by my 17 year old sister mind but hey

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Born in Burton, (but escaped quickly to South Derbyshire). My Dad was a Rams season ticket holder, my Grandad was, my Uncles were, my Dads uncles were, my cousins still are and pretty much like I had any choice, my kids are too.

Not going to go on but it pretty much is in our family DNA. Two generations have passed, 2 generations are still going and a third is being inducted.

Keeping it simple but some things in life you have no choice and amongst our kin, supporting Derby is pretty much one of them. 

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I’m a southern lad. Mum and dad split when I was a toddler. I was a Liverpool fan - but step mother asked me to reconsider so me and my dad has something in common. Did just that aged 10. Dad got me a mascot gig in 1986 - and the rest was history.

Dad passed away 7 years ago. Buried in Mapperley Village cemetery. I always tell him how the seasons have gone - probably not cheering him up too much - but maybe next season?!

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16 hours ago, EnzaRam said:

In the middle of the Frank storm, I could do with a break.

DCFC wasn't in my DNA, but it's in my heart. I was born in Warrington to a dad that was a rugby league 'pro', and arrived in Derby aged 5.

I grew up in Ripley, got interested in football and ended up with a step dad that started taking me to the baseball ground at age 9.  And the deal was sealed. I've only had 12 season tickets in my 47 years because work and family stuff dictate.

I still follow the Wire, but DCFC became my life from late teens onwards, and I'm nearly 50 FFS. 

I met my better half on a train back from London in 97 after Chelsea bummed us in the midday kick off the day before. She's a Sheffield Wednesday fan and her and my eldest have season tickets up there.

Daughter 2 followed me down the right path, and she's my Pride Park company. Daughter 3 the youngest, ride's horses scarily well and we had a lad who got cancer at 7 and we lost him when he was 10, it was awful.

Football at Derby and Wednesday has been a glue that has held us together as a family and still does. I think my girls think I'm one of the most over protective dad's there could be, and I can't tell them why.

So if you were just born into the club or it became your club, I wouldn't mind hearing why?

The Wire?......the Wire?........One of my earliest memories as a kid was watching a Wire fan outside the ground after a game I'd watched with my family cheering on our beloved Hull Kingston Rovers, start a big mass brawl. The Wire fan whacked a HKR fan in the head with his crash helmet and then all the blokes waded in. Watches flying all over the shop. Mums, girlfriends and kids left crying to witness the horrible scenes.

Anyway up the Rams and Hull Kingston Rovers.

Sing up.........

 

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16 hours ago, EnzaRam said:

In the middle of the Frank storm, I could do with a break.

DCFC wasn't in my DNA, but it's in my heart. I was born in Warrington to a dad that was a rugby league 'pro', and arrived in Derby aged 5.

I grew up in Ripley, got interested in football and ended up with a step dad that started taking me to the baseball ground at age 9.  And the deal was sealed. I've only had 12 season tickets in my 47 years because work and family stuff dictate.

I still follow the Wire, but DCFC became my life from late teens onwards, and I'm nearly 50 FFS. 

I met my better half on a train back from London in 97 after Chelsea bummed us in the midday kick off the day before. She's a Sheffield Wednesday fan and her and my eldest have season tickets up there.

Daughter 2 followed me down the right path, and she's my Pride Park company. Daughter 3 the youngest, ride's horses scarily well and we had a lad who got cancer at 7 and we lost him when he was 10, it was awful.

Football at Derby and Wednesday has been a glue that has held us together as a family and still does. I think my girls think I'm one of the most over protective dad's there could be, and I can't tell them why.

So if you were just born into the club or it became your club, I wouldn't mind hearing why?

Born in Derby,lived 32 years in Sheffield.

Wendies are my nemesis but I want them to go up.(but not beat us).

All my lads are born in Sheffield,but wouldn’t entertain a team except Derby.

Nothing I can say about losing your lad,well done for keeping going.

Going to watch Derby has kept us going too.

All the best mate.

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I'm born and bred in the shadow of Birmingham Airport and my parents showed no interest in football when I was a youngster. My elder cousin, who we saw most days, was a Spurs fan and so my brother and I became Spurs fans. This continued until I was 10 years old when a kid from London moved up to Brum and soon became the 'gang leader'. Everyone in our class became Spurs fans and our class football kit was the Spurs colours of white shirts and navy shorts. I decided to rebel and turned away from Spurs and the logical choice was Derby because the kit was same in 1970 and the legendary Dave Mackay had gone there also. It was easy to stay a Derby fan in those days with all that success and I got my first season ticket in the 73/74 season which meant I had to work on away Saturdays to pay for my train tickets for the home Saturdays.

Fast forward to the first season a PP and I also bought 1 ST between my 3 young sons, each one taking it in turn every 3 games. It soon became clear that my eldest had no interest in watching football (ie at 3.05pm, he wanted to go down and wait for the concourse shop to open for some chocolate at half time). The twins became hooked and I soon purchased another ST, so they could both go. They kept their tickets through university and the early years of work, but because of living and working in London and Ipswich, have now admitted defeat and only go to a few games over the last couple of years.

At 60 years old, I'm still friends with that "gang leader' and I sometimes wonder if I would have still been following Spurs if he hadn't come to our class.

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