It's in your DNA, youth

[rsmini]

What a great thread. 

 

I was was born in a council house in Littleover, Derby in 1961. The ambulance couldn’t get through a very heavy snow storm but somehow the midwife got through and I was born in the front bedroom. 

 

My late mum and dad were both Derby through and through and I can trace my Derby roots back at least 120 years. My family have always bled black and white. I can not recall any family member supporting any other team. 

 

I recentky posted this this on twitter on the same subject “My grandad died when my dad was 3. He was brought up on Ossie Park Road and often sent to live with his aunt as his mum couldn’t cope, still went to the BBG. some question why #DCFC say “it’s in your DNA youth” well this is why ??” 

i used to walk from Littleover to the BBG via the Cavendish just before the glory days. That was a brilliant time to be a supporter. 8-2 against Spurs. Roger Davies 5 against Luton, European nights at the BBG were something to behold. My daughter and nephews are all Derby fans. It’s brilliant to see the DNA continue. 

The poem read out last season before every game really got to my emotions as I  everything about Derby and it’s heritage is just so important to me. That might sound daft but Derby is firmly entrenched in my DNA 

My wife was born in Goole and her family are from Aberdeen  They settled in Derby in the mid 60’s after her late father left the RAF and got a teaching job at Wilmorton Tech  They all tend to keep up with what’s going on with Derby 

 

[Stagtime]

8 hours ago, Inverurie Ram said:

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.........

 

My side Canberra Raiders has four English players this season with another one coming next year. Our co captain is from HKR with one from Bradford and two and the one next year from Wigan. Hard men.

And how good are Leeds Rhinos going this year?

[Jourdan]

After moving from Jamaica, my grandparents lived on Molineux Street for the remainder of their lives, so I guess in many ways, the Rams and I were always on a collision course.

They weren’t really interested in football whatsoever, but football has always been a big part of my dad’s life. He doesn’t open up very much but I would imagine taking me to the Baseball Ground is one of his proudest days as a father. It is comfortably one of my best childhood memories. The Baseball Ground is such a distinctive and soulful place. If there was ever a place to make you fall in love with football, this was it. The sights, the sounds, the smells. They stay with you.

And from there, football was a constant. My brother and I were out on the park playing football from as early an age as possible, wearing the latest kits and playing with kids 4-5 years older than us. We’d go to Willows on a Saturday and play five-a-side too, trying to sneak our potato fritters on board the bus back. We shared a room, and we had our very own table football table, a PlayStation with every edition of FIFA, and we’d even use our bunk bed as a goal frame and have penalty shootouts before bed. We didn’t go to many games back then, because my dad was always working, so every game felt special.

In 2001, we got our first season tickets at Pride Park. I was 11 and my brother a few years younger. It was a different time back then. My brother and I could go unaccompanied, and we’d take the 38 bus to the Spot and then walk to PP and back again. Can you imagine that happening now?

One of my earliest memories of Pride Park is Ravanelli scoring a free kick to beat Blackburn. I remember it well because my brother and I would stealthily move seats at half time to the other end of the ground and in this case, we got a perfect view of the goal! When we got relegated, my brother stopped going. He was a United fan at heart. I remember celebrating Christie’s third goal - the one that was but wasn’t - pretty wildly.

Season after season, I continued going and would wear my shirt with pride, even during THAT season. It has always felt special being a Derby fan, because you weren’t like the rest. So the people that were just like you really stood out.

My psychology teacher in college was a Ram and his face would always light up when I walked in wearing my shirt. I’d stay behind after class and chat about the Rams, or he’d pass me in the corridor whistling the tune to the Stevie Howard song.

My best friend from school is a Derby fan and since the age of 15, we have been up and down the country watching the boys together.

Reading 5-0 Derby, Coventry 6-1 Derby, Liverpool 6-0 Derby - these were the nights that turned us from boys to men. Forest 5-2 Derby, Norwich 3-2 Derby, Coventry 2-0 Derby - these were the nights that turned us from men to masochists!

I gave up my season ticket when I moved away for the first time but 11 years later, the passion is still going strong - so much so that I flew back twice to take in this year’s play-off adventure despite living in Porto, and will probably be strutting around Malaga later this week in my 1970s retro shirt despite the fact it’s starting to look like a crop top (I can still own the look, trust me!).

It is a special feeling being a Derby fan and not something everyone quite understands. Case in point: Derby 0-0 Preston, May 2005, we’ve crashed out of the play offs. I am in floods in tears all the way home, finally get home, run up to my room still in tears and my mum comes in and says ‘J, it’s only a game!’

[BobdeBilder]

Born a ten minute walk from the BBG. Father and older brother supported the Rams and my brother took me to my first Game, Middlesbrough, home 1959. Stood on the Pop Side and watched us get tanned 1-7 ? Clough and Taylor played and Cloughy didn't score, but must have made some sort of impression on me as I have supported them ever since.

[MK-Ram]

I was born into a very football-orientated family. My mother's side had all played for a club at some level - Mansfield, Villa, Preston as well as others, and my grandfather knew most of the big players of the '60s, my Dad also loves the game.  That being said, I was a very late bloomer and didn't really get into football until I was about 11 and going up to secondary school.  I realised all the other boys would be talking about football and wanted to fit in, so read up on everything and became hooked on Euro 2004 - Lampard was my favourite England player.

I didn't really have a team, my uncle supports them down the road and I couldn't bring myself to that and my Dad loved the game but didn't really support a team.  My favourite player played for Juventus so they were my favourite team for a while.

I first visited Pride Park for an England v Netherlands U-21 game and was amazed by the place. A few months later, my dad offered to start taking me to games and gave me a choice - did I want to go and see Derby, or did I want to go and see Sheffield United?  The choice was all mine and, needless to say, since that day both myself and my old man have been die hard Rams!

[uttoxram75]

Never lived in Derby but I feel its home to me. I was born in Burton hospital in 1960, (DE postcode ?) but lived all my life 20 mile away in Utch on the Derby/Staffs border. As a young kid we used to visit me Dad's uncle in Chadd. Dad worked at British Rail so even though me old man wasn't a fan I grew up with a huge connection to Derby.

I will admit to a 7 year old boyhood crush on George Best, but without being a Man ure supporter....I suppose it would be like a kid nowadays loving Messi or Ronaldo...Bestie was pretty good tbh.

At 10 years old I was taken to a match at the Baseball Ground, Derby v Everton. 1970. The noise, atmosphere, walking up to the ground , the smell of beer and cigarettes......without checking, I think Everton were League Champions, Derby were just embarking on their domination of English football, the game was a blur of skill and flair and international footballers giving their all. Love at first sight.

Me Dad's mate was a big Rams fan, he offered to take me to matches and I went with him 70-71, and  throughout the 71-72 title winning season. I was at the European games 72-73, including the semi-final home match v Juventus.

73-74 I was going with mates, there was a supporters bus from Uttoxeter or we'd be on the train. I got free passes on the train until I was 16 cos me dad worked for BR so I went everywhere home and away by rail. Me Mam thought I was going with responsible adults but it was a bunch of older pissheads mainly.

I wouldn't swap one second of it for any other club in the world.