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A loveless marriage


Norman Hull

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It all began when I was just a little boy. My grandfather indoctrinated me into becoming a Derby County fan. I was okay with that. I lost my virginity at The Baseball Ground in May 1963 when Derby beat Norwich 3-0 and three days later beat Portsmouth 4-0. I was hooked. I became an addict.

There was a long honeymoon period of ups and downs after that magical youthful experience, but the highlight was being a Derby fan at the Baseball Ground on the night Derby beat Real Madrid 4-1 in 1976. I was still a young man then.

Since then I’ve become a father and a grandfather, but I am still in love with Derby County football club. Every clumsy useless player the club have ever signed over the years has briefly become my hero. I only want to know the best. Sadly those players were seldom the best.

So this is where I am now – I am still in love with Derby County Football Club, I am still “married” to the football club, but it’s become an unrequited love. I feel so depressed. So let down. I have all this passion and emotion and I’m getting nothing back. I can never get divorced though. I shall have to suffer. 

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2 hours ago, Norman Hull said:

It all began when I was just a little boy. My grandfather indoctrinated me into becoming a Derby County fan. I was okay with that. I lost my virginity at The Baseball Ground in May 1963 when Derby beat Norwich 3-0 and three days later beat Portsmouth 4-0. I was hooked. I became an addict.

There was a long honeymoon period of ups and downs after that magical youthful experience, but the highlight was being a Derby fan at the Baseball Ground on the night Derby beat Real Madrid 4-1 in 1976. I was still a young man then.

Since then I’ve become a father and a grandfather, but I am still in love with Derby County football club. Every clumsy useless player the club have ever signed over the years has briefly become my hero. I only want to know the best. Sadly those players were seldom the best.

So this is where I am now – I am still in love with Derby County Football Club, I am still “married” to the football club, but it’s become an unrequited love. I feel so depressed. So let down. I have all this passion and emotion and I’m getting nothing back. I can never get divorced though. I shall have to suffer. 

Sounds like you need a second honeymoon to revive the passion. Hang on in there buddy. That second honeymoon is just around the corner. Not long now and we'll be back inside ( the stadium). 

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10 hours ago, Norman Hull said:

It all began when I was just a little boy. My grandfather indoctrinated me into becoming a Derby County fan. I was okay with that. I lost my virginity at The Baseball Ground in May 1963 when Derby beat Norwich 3-0 and three days later beat Portsmouth 4-0. I was hooked. I became an addict.

There was a long honeymoon period of ups and downs after that magical youthful experience, but the highlight was being a Derby fan at the Baseball Ground on the night Derby beat Real Madrid 4-1 in 1976. I was still a young man then.

Since then I’ve become a father and a grandfather, but I am still in love with Derby County football club. Every clumsy useless player the club have ever signed over the years has briefly become my hero. I only want to know the best. Sadly those players were seldom the best.

So this is where I am now – I am still in love with Derby County Football Club, I am still “married” to the football club, but it’s become an unrequited love. I feel so depressed. So let down. I have all this passion and emotion and I’m getting nothing back. I can never get divorced though. I shall have to suffer. 

trade it in for a younger model and watch u23s and u18s ?

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11 hours ago, Norman Hull said:

It all began when I was just a little boy. My grandfather indoctrinated me into becoming a Derby County fan. I was okay with that. I lost my virginity at The Baseball Ground in May 1963 when Derby beat Norwich 3-0 and three days later beat Portsmouth 4-0. I was hooked. I became an addict.

There was a long honeymoon period of ups and downs after that magical youthful experience, but the highlight was being a Derby fan at the Baseball Ground on the night Derby beat Real Madrid 4-1 in 1976. I was still a young man then.

Since then I’ve become a father and a grandfather, but I am still in love with Derby County football club. Every clumsy useless player the club have ever signed over the years has briefly become my hero. I only want to know the best. Sadly those players were seldom the best.

So this is where I am now – I am still in love with Derby County Football Club, I am still “married” to the football club, but it’s become an unrequited love. I feel so depressed. So let down. I have all this passion and emotion and I’m getting nothing back. I can never get divorced though. I shall have to suffer. 

My 1st game Derby 1 Preston 2 1966, I was born in Chaddesden and I was given 1s and 3d pocket money, A s 10 year old back then Chadd park was my playground, So off I went to mess around, Got bored so decided to walk into Derby, Down Nottingham road passed the cattle market and off the Cockpit hill to buy some sweats, Just pass the Ye Olde Boat cafe loads of people were walking in the opposite direction, Never gave it a thought, Sweats in hand i'd watch and listen to the market traders with their speil.

9d spent, 3d for bus fare home so 3d still left for some sweats, Walking through a side street that takes you to St Peters street again I swa lots of people walking, So I followed, 30mins later I was stood outside the Baseball Ground, I'd heard about the Club from my Dad who was born in Joseph Street a 10 minute walk from the ground, To get in was more than I had left, So I messed around with the other kids out there, Around 4-30 the gates would open and the kids would go in, It was the kids pen, Ihad a birds eye view of the wall and the grass at aye level, The keeper Ken Oxford was really the only player I could see.

The game finished and a walk back into town for the bus, I was fasinated with it all, In 1966-67 I managed to go to 12 games, 67-68 a full season, The next season we were Champions losing 1 game at home in mid week to Crystal Palace, Coming home almost in tears, Mum and Dad standing on the doorstep and Dad saying to Mum you'd best turn the gas off don't want him killing himself, Everton, Chelsea at home in the league cup queueing in the eary hours for a ticket, Losing 1-0 to Swindon town, 1st season in the 1st division beating all and sundry only to lose out on Europe for money issues...again.

1971-72, 1974-75 were magical seasons, Real Madrid, Benfica, 13-0 at home to Finn Harps, Brian Clough leaving to be replaced by Dave Mackay, Travelling up and down the country in all weathers, Being bullied by the police, Being thumped/chased by away supporters, Being hearded onto the Ramaway and kept in the station until the police were ready to escourt you all to the ground, Being served absolute crap food at all football matches, Those wet hamburgers outside the Baseball Ground by those guys with the burger carts would ask if you wanted onionsif not to late they were in your burger.

Football violence at it's peak in the mid 70s, WHU in the charity shield it was manic outside in the car park on a hot Saturday in August, One man Kev O'Rielly stood against all WHU fans on the steps encouraging all to follow him, Then the Derbyshire miners followed and a battle ensued, The Mile End Boys took a beating as Bill Gardner admits in his book.

The 80s with Mike Waterson, Chelsea/Leeds ripping the Ossie terrace seats out, Derby youths fighting back, Crowds were treated as animals, We were at Newport when the tragedy of the Bradford fire started, Stopping off in Worcester rumours about that there were several deaths, Getting home in the early hours off to bed, Getting up the next Morning I was transfixed to The TV screen to see those several deaths had turned into 50+, I was in tears watching in all unfold, I remember seeing a man on the pitch with his hair on fire,, Horror isn't enough to explain what we saw.

 

The 80s and 90s, Arthur Cox Jim Smith both brought success to Derby, Eranio, Biano, Wanchope, Stimac, Assanovic players that were a different class, Moving to a soulless stadium, The floodlights breaking down and the match abandoned against Wimbledon, Later to shouts of a conspiracy from the east to a betting organisation, Nothing came from it.

3 playoff finals, Driving back home to Derby after the Leicester defeat was god damn awfull, The WBA game a terrible day weather wise cold and wet, But winning 1-0 made up for it, Losing to Villa unexpected after the Leeds result, But still I believe FL made a mess of it with his team selection.

Covid-19 has almost killed football, VAR certainly has for me, Players wasting time with their gamesmanship, Referees not using common sense, 90mins turning into 100mins +, No fans at games into what i'd describe as a game fit for nowt without us in there, I've seen it all, I've got all the T shirts, Supporting your home town team for 55 years with great memories good and bad, I've now done with football, No season ticket next season, Sky not to be re newed.

Being a fan of DCFC all these years is like being on a roller coaster of love and hate.

Enjoy the ride folks, I'm getting off.

 

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13 hours ago, Norman Hull said:

It all began when I was just a little boy. My grandfather indoctrinated me into becoming a Derby County fan. I was okay with that. I lost my virginity at The Baseball Ground in May 1963 when Derby beat Norwich 3-0 and three days later beat Portsmouth 4-0. I was hooked. I became an addict.

There was a long honeymoon period of ups and downs after that magical youthful experience, but the highlight was being a Derby fan at the Baseball Ground on the night Derby beat Real Madrid 4-1 in 1976. I was still a young man then.

Since then I’ve become a father and a grandfather, but I am still in love with Derby County football club. Every clumsy useless player the club have ever signed over the years has briefly become my hero. I only want to know the best. Sadly those players were seldom the best.

So this is where I am now – I am still in love with Derby County Football Club, I am still “married” to the football club, but it’s become an unrequited love. I feel so depressed. So let down. I have all this passion and emotion and I’m getting nothing back. I can never get divorced though. I shall have to suffer. 

I so sympathise, Norman. My first game at BB in 1952 - don’t remember anything about it except seeing the flickers of lighters in th gloom. Went with my dad when he could afford to travel and buy tickets. Then we drifted apart, you know how it is, distance, time and finance.

Tried again when I had 2 sons to initiate ( don’t think they’ll ever forgive me!) and went as often as we could afford. Reignited when I was able to take my 5 grandchildren but it got very expensive as their parents didn’t have the money to pay for them and, of course, you couldn’t possibly go to football without lunch at McDonald’s! And I then turned my partner’s 6 year old son into a Rams fan.

Then moved away so couldn’t manage tickets and travel very often as the boys always wanted to come and health problems began to play a part.

Then 5years ago I found myself in a position to have my first season ticket and with an easy train journey from Bristol renewed the love affair! I enjoyed the next few years as, although there were some rubbish times, I was so excited having a season ticket! And before the lockdown I managed to take my great granddaughter to a preseason game. So, I feel I will leave behind at least 8 descendants to love the Rams - I hope this wonderful club does enough to inspire them!

And now? I wouldn’t have been able to go this season because of ill health but I still bought my season ticket and to begin with I was delighted to have Ramstv. Now it has become a burden as I can’t bring myself not to watch. You can’t demean a love affair that’s lasted almost 70 years, so think we must comfort each other in our twilight years.

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14 hours ago, Norman Hull said:

I feel so depressed. So let down. I have all this passion and emotion and I’m getting nothing back. I can never get divorced though. I shall have to suffer. 

Having been born in 1985 I have always thought this is what it's like being a Derby fan...

Like repeatedly banging your head against a soft(ish) wall - It's not going to kill you but it's not an enjoyable experience and you don't really get anything out of it

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I've watched DCFC for long enough to have experienced all manner of highs and lows although none of the massive highs of our golden era. I started watching Derby when we were in seemingly terminal decline and have seen us nearly go bust and be utterly embarrassingly bad on the field of play and achieve a record as the worst team in top flight history that is unlikely to ever be broken.

To offset that I've seen us win at Wembley and go toe-to-toe with the best in the top flight with Igor and co. I've stood in a packed PP in a playoff game in scything rain as Idiakez missed a penalty against us and I've seen us destroy Forest 5-0

That sums up  I guess what it is to be a Derby fan. Crushing disappointment, occasional moments of elation and a bunch of mediocrity in between to pad it all out. The 'joy' of football ?

Yep, it's hard to enjoy it much at the moment but honestly, we will have our moment in the sun again, some day. Being remote to the football experience doesn't exactly help us keep engaged with it but however grim it looks at the moment we've been in even worse situations than we are now and the old saying goes 'It is always darkest before the dawn'.

Keep the faith ramkind.

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