What's the best Derby game you never went to (TV and radio question)

[Bob The Badger]

Most of Derby's great games in my lifetime I was at.

I missed the Playoff final win because we'd not long moved to the US, but other than Spurs away in the cup when we had that amazing comeback I'm struggling to think of one.

I almost didn't see this one.

I had a client and was wondering whether to rearrange or not.

In the end I did, but I wasn't looking forward to it.

And when the first goal went in I was regretting my decision.

But then Jack gave me a glimmer of hope, but it was still too much.

I don't care what any of us older supporters tell you, that second half at Leeds was up there with Real Madrid and Benfica.

You think it's not the same watching a game on a computer on your own in the wrong country.

And maybe it isn't.

But that was the most enjoyable hour or so since I moved to this country.

I was almost in tears.

And when I see Leeds fans saying 'yeh, but you lost in the final' and even though I spent almost $3k going back to see that, they just don't get it.

It's not like losing in the semi-final of the cup.

This was one of the greatest comebacks in our great clubs history.

We went into an entitled celebratory Elland Road who saw us as just making up the numbers after having lost to them 3 times in a season (and being outplayed each time) and did a number on them.

And how sad they all looked at the end ?

There's nothing close to that that I can think of other than the playoff win - and strange though it seems, I probably got more enjoyment out of the Leeds game because at the time we'd no clue whether we'd win the final or not.

What's yours? 

 

[r4derby]

36 minutes ago, Bob The Badger said:

Most of Derby's great games in my lifetime I was at.

I missed the Playoff final win because we'd not long moved to the US, but other than Spurs away in the cup when we had that amazing comeback I'm struggling to think of one.

I almost didn't see this one.

I had a client and was wondering whether to rearrange or not.

In the end I did, but I wasn't looking forward to it.

And when the first goal went in I was regretting my decision.

But then Jack gave me a glimmer of hope, but it was still too much.

I don't care what any of us older supporters tell you, that second half at Leeds was up there with Real Madrid and Benfica.

You think it's not the same watching a game on a computer on your own in the wrong country.

And maybe it isn't.

But that was the most enjoyable hour or so since I moved to this country.

I was almost in tears.

And when I see Leeds fans saying 'yeh, but you lost in the final' and even though I spent almost $3k going back to see that, they just don't get it.

It's not like losing in the semi-final of the cup.

This was one of the greatest comebacks in our great clubs history.

We went into an entitled celebratory Elland Road who saw us as just making up the numbers after having lost to them 3 times in a season (and being outplayed each time) and did a number on them.

And how sad they all looked at the end ?

There's nothing close to that that I can think of other than the playoff win - and strange though it seems, I probably got more enjoyment out of the Leeds game because at the time we'd no clue whether we'd win the final or not.

What's yours? 

 

I think thats the only answer for me too. Didn't go to Old Trafford when we beat them 3-2 and that Wanchope goal. But having been privileged enough to see playoff semi final wins and been to Wembley 3 times in the last 13 years, the Leeds game is just different class.

I agree that its rare to get a sense of jubilation when watching or listening, than you do when sat in the ground. But I was beaming, standing with hands on head in delight and shock, for about an hour after the full time whistle!

[Andicis]

Was desperate to get tickets for the Leeds game last year. Couldn't get em. This thread might have that answer a lot, but it's hard to look past it with all the circumstances surrounding the game.

[richinspain]

I missed the big BBG nights because my dad thought I was too young to go to such big games on the Popside. That Leeds game last year though as you say is right up there in great DCFC games. I was a nervous wreck at the end of it. Only some of the away  games when we were pushing for promotion under Cox and Smith that I had to listen to on Radio Derby got me as nervous, but that was because listening you can't "see" what danger there is. Graham Richards painted some wonderful pictures with his commentary, but it's not the same as seeing the action. I would often find myself physically rocking backwards and forwards like a caged polar bear. That Leeds game got me rocking, but not in a good way until the end.

[secretsquirrel]

The Crystal Palace promotion game-just had a daughter and wife came out of hospital that day.

[DesertRam]

I had already resolved myself to watch till the end of this one, no matter what the score was, so the

outcome was fantastic, and will always be remembered as one of the biggest turnarounds in playoff 

history  ?

[Millenniumram]

I’ve been pretty lucky and caught most of the memorable games in recent years in person - Leeds playoff second leg, Brighton playoff second leg, deforestation etc etc... even going back to the 2007 playoff final! 

I guess the Brighton first leg must have been a good game to be at too... I watched it at PP in the Toyota Suite, but it’s probably still not as good as actually being there. I missed a couple of big away wins under McClaren as well, as I didn’t start regularly going away until Rowett really. Seem to remember checking the scores after leaving Seaworld in Orlando in 2014 and seeing we’d beaten Fulham 5-1 away (?!) - games like that must have been good to be at, when we were so unplayable we smashed teams in their own back yard.

[MuespachRam]

Plymouth at home to clinch the league....I had not missed a game home or away that season but my mum and dad (neither of them have the slightest interest in football at all) thought it was acceptable to book our first ever family holiday abroad that week......I did everything I could to get out of it but couldn't...

The forest away game with 10 men, I was tiling the bathroom floor, thought that was a better option....

On the flip side, I was seconds away from not going to the Germany 1 - 5 England game in Munich sat in a bar in Munich discussing if it was worth making our way to the ground....thankfully we decided to give it a whirl..

[Joe]

As a 9 year old my dad said do you want to go to the game on Wednesday?.... I said no I will watch the highlights on Sportsnight. Final score Derby 4 Real Madrid 1

[TramRam]

Beating Ipswich away 6-2 was a joy to hear, When we beat Man Untd 1-0 away in 2001 I was a bag of nerves, Last 10mins I had to leave the house for a walk a bout, Wife was at the window after the game waving her scarf and cheering, We'd escaped relegation from the Prem...wow a few tears rolled down my cheeks then.

Ipswich 2 Derby 6

Man Untd 0 Derby 1

 

[LeedsCityRam]

3 hours ago, Bob The Badger said:

Most of Derby's great games in my lifetime I was at.

I missed the Playoff final win because we'd not long moved to the US, but other than Spurs away in the cup when we had that amazing comeback I'm struggling to think of one.

I almost didn't see this one.

I had a client and was wondering whether to rearrange or not.

In the end I did, but I wasn't looking forward to it.

And when the first goal went in I was regretting my decision.

But then Jack gave me a glimmer of hope, but it was still too much.

I don't care what any of us older supporters tell you, that second half at Leeds was up there with Real Madrid and Benfica.

You think it's not the same watching a game on a computer on your own in the wrong country.

And maybe it isn't.

But that was the most enjoyable hour or so since I moved to this country.

I was almost in tears.

And when I see Leeds fans saying 'yeh, but you lost in the final' and even though I spent almost $3k going back to see that, they just don't get it.

It's not like losing in the semi-final of the cup.

This was one of the greatest comebacks in our great clubs history.

We went into an entitled celebratory Elland Road who saw us as just making up the numbers after having lost to them 3 times in a season (and being outplayed each time) and did a number on them.

And how sad they all looked at the end ?

There's nothing close to that that I can think of other than the playoff win - and strange though it seems, I probably got more enjoyment out of the Leeds game because at the time we'd no clue whether we'd win the final or not.

What's yours? 

 

And it was a night I enjoyed immensely, what with living & working in Leeds allied to what had happened that season between the 2 clubs. I went, sang til my voice was hoarse & couldnt stop smiling for days.

That said, all it counted for was shutting up gobby Leeds fans for a few days (until we lost against Villa). We didnt win anything, we didnt go up & the team broke up for good a week later.

A second tier playoff game can't be compared to the great European nights against Real or Benfica at all & without sounding a bit harsh, it does come across a bit tinpot to suggest otherwise. I used to mock Leicester fans by telling them their 1994 playoff win against us was the greatest moment in their history & they always bit because until their League title in 2016, it probably was. Im sure Leeds fans would regard us in the same light reading this.

[MackworthRamIsGod]

Definitely Leeds second leg, I went on holiday the morning after the first leg, all dejected, but my word the 2nd leg made my holiday amazing. I would loved to have been there and would have been if it wasnt for the holiday, but the memories I have of that game will live with me forever.

Even walking down the road in St Ives the next day with a Derby top on and hearing "Villa' from a fan and just realising that we had made it to Wembley, amazing

[DarkFruitsRam7]

Probably the '10 men' game. But if we're talking since I started going to most away games, it has to be Norwich away. I was genuinely more gutted than delighted when we scored the winner.

[Bob The Badger]

2 hours ago, MuespachRam said:

Plymouth at home to clinch the league....I had not missed a game home or away that season but my mum and dad (neither of them have the slightest interest in football at all) thought it was acceptable to book our first ever family holiday abroad that week......I did everything I could to get out of it but couldn't...

The forest away game with 10 men, I was tiling the bathroom floor, thought that was a better option....

On the flip side, I was seconds away from not going to the Germany 1 - 5 England game in Munich sat in a bar in Munich discussing if it was worth making our way to the ground....thankfully we decided to give it a whirl..

That game was made even better by the brilliant Plymouth support. I *think* they needed to won ti have a chance of the playoffs.

The previous game beating Leeds to seal promotion was great too.

Was it your Derby flag that you see on almost every photo of the German game with the scoreboard in the background?

53 minutes ago, LeedsCityRam said:

A second tier playoff game can't be compared to the great European nights against Real or Benfica at all & without sounding a bit harsh

Of course it can.

You're looking back with hindsight and taking in the big picture.

I was at every home European game and I bet I didn't enjoy any at the time more than the Derby fans as that final whistle went against Leeds.

Having said that, the super old timers used to say the Chelsea game was even better than the European games.

[RamNut]

Leeds play-off away.

everyone was down after the home defeat when we didn’t really turn up. Nugent up front and Marriott on the bench?

then I started to get the totally irrational desire to go to the away leg, and some tickets became available on the forum at the last minute I was so tempted. The trouble was it was a Wednesday night, I was a work, and would my back cope with 2 hours standing? I had time to get them but I hesitated and then it was too late.

one of the greatest games in my 50 years of following Derby. 

Unfortunately the play off final team selection made it ultimately meaningless. 
villa were there for the taking but we didn’t start playing until the subs came on. 
too little, too late. 

[MuespachRam]

51 minutes ago, Bob The Badger said:

That game was made even better by the brilliant Plymouth support. I *think* they needed to won ti have a chance of the playoffs.

The previous game beating Leeds to seal promotion was great too.

Was it your Derby flag that you see on almost every photo of the German game with the scoreboard in the background?

Of course it can.

You're looking back with hindsight and taking in the big picture.

I was at every home European game and I bet I didn't enjoy any at the time more than the Derby fans as that final whistle went against Leeds.

Having said that, the super old timers used to say the Chelsea game was even better than the European games.

No, we were at the other end in the middle of the German fans.....my flag was on the running track and I have a photo somewhere with Owen, Heskey and Beckham celebrating in front of it after one of the goals...!

and without doubt...and all my friends that were there that night will agree with me, the worst ever hangover we have ever suffered, ever.....

[LeedsCityRam]

58 minutes ago, Bob The Badger said:

Of course it can.

You're looking back with hindsight and taking in the big picture.

I was at every home European game and I bet I didn't enjoy any at the time more than the Derby fans as that final whistle went against Leeds.

Having said that, the super old timers used to say the Chelsea game was even better than the European games.

And you're applying recent event bias when asking folk to look back at games potentially going back 50/60 years. Yes, it stands out amongst recent games as a cracking evening & result but it was at a low level by our best historical standards & ultimately meant little apart from making Leeds cry on the telly.

All opinions of course but I would hope our next few seasons throw up something a lot more glorious than that.

[Bob The Badger]

20 minutes ago, LeedsCityRam said:

And you're applying recent event bias when asking folk to look back at games potentially going back 50/60 years. Yes, it stands out amongst recent games as a cracking evening & result but it was at a low level by our best historical standards & ultimately meant little apart from making Leeds cry on the telly.

All opinions of course but I would hope our next few seasons throw up something a lot more glorious than that.

It's 100% subjective and after being at the European games I can see why the people who went to Leeds that night would have been as ecstastic at the end as we were after winning European nights.

I was going mental and I was on my own with only two dobermans to join in.

The reality is with Real Madrid and Benfica that we weren't even through and with the former didn't even go through - so that meant little other than the momentary glory until they put 5 past us on the away leg.

You play the recency bias and I'll up you the primacy effect ?

[Mucker1884]

I've only had tears in my eyes at the end of one game.

... And it was all Billy's fault!

With no chance of dropping down to a play off position, and guaranteed automatic promotion in the bag, we booked our hols in early January 2007, to depart on May 20th... the weekend before the bank holiday/Play Off weekend.  I had the final say on the dates.  I was the one that was so confident of the autos.  I was the one that said "Sod it.  Let's go for it"! 
My first realistic chance of going to Wembley (Finally made it last year!) but just didn't expect us to need Wembley, at that stage!

I assure you all now... That wasn't rain when we beat Southampton*... That was me, bawling my eyes out, thinking "Oh Duck... What Have I gone and done"! 
I even looked into the possibility of flying back (Palma to London/Luton or similar) for the final, then back to Majorca before the girls had even noticed we'd disappeared (We went with sis and bro-in-law.  The latter being a fellow ST holder and adjacent seat sitter in the SE Corner).  I wrangled a free London flat for the night through a mate of a mate, but in the end, the flight times were far from ideal, and in all honesty, I'd have paid the £700 quid each... but only if we were guaranteed to beat WBA.  I wasn't so confident as I was back in January, so we chickened out!  LOL. 
My sons used up our ticket priority, and attended on our behalf.

 

That glorious day came (it was glorious in Majorca!  Ha, Ha!) and we initially found a bar in the local square, already buzzing with footy fans, and indoor screens.  Problem being, they all talked funny, and were all wearing blue and white striped shirts.  Quite simply, they clashed with our pristine white shirts, and as we weren't favourites any more, I really didn't fancy staying!  After one quick drink, we headed to the smaller, quieter (deserted!) bar next door, less than an hour before kick off.  Screens inside and out, so we got prime position in the sun.  30 mins later, in walked a couple of acquainted families from Spondon, all in matching white shirts. 4 adults, and 2 or 3 young teens.  Just enough for us to make up one big Barmy army!
The beers flowed.  The game got better and better as time went by.  The confidence soared.  The singing grew louder, and more passionate.  For so few people, the roars grew to a crescendo when Pearson slid in, and for a few minutes, I truly thought I was about to have a heart attack!  "Absolute Scenes", as they would have called it on the neighbouring island of Ibiza!  That particular version of SBW was the most heartfelt and passionate I have ever had the joy to be a part of.  There is no doubt we did both the club and the city proud that day!

But by the final whistle, I was stood bolt upright, and totally motionless, staring at the screen.  The scenes continued around me, but something wasn't right.  I watched you all, celebrating in the rain, and I couldn't help but feel I should have been with you all.  My sons were in there somewhere.  I felt I'd abandoned them, at the pinnacle of their Rams supporting career.  I should have been there with them.  I wanted to hug them.  In truth, I wanted to hug each and every one of you.  I wanted to share your joy, in person.  I was green with envy, and my stomach still churns now, as I write this.  Such a bitter sweet moment.  The biggest day since my first game back in April '75.  I had the chance to be there... and I blew it!
It was then I came out of my trance, with the words ringing in my ears... "Oh my God... He's actually crying"!  And crying I was.  I still don't know to this day whether they were tears of joy, or tears of regret.  But they were most certainly DCFC tears! 

?

 

 

 

*OK... It was rain really (v Saints), but I did feel such a Bamford, for making such a stupid mistake.  The real tears didn't arrive until after Pearson had slid in!

[LeedsCityRam]

44 minutes ago, Bob The Badger said:

It's 100% subjective and after being at the European games I can see why the people who went to Leeds that night would have been as ecstastic at the end as we were after winning European nights.

I was going mental and I was on my own with only two dobermans to join in.

The reality is with Real Madrid and Benfica that we weren't even through and with the former didn't even go through - so that meant little other than the momentary glory until they put 5 past us on the away leg.

You play the recency bias and I'll up you the primacy effect ?

Definitely subjective & in fairness, Ive never been as emotionally wrought at an actual game.

Still would swap it for giving one of the big boys of European football a good hiding though ? Im very envious of you & others who got to experience that, hope those days come back again ?