Just why are Derby County the Rams ?

[loweman2]

A question often asked, this is the best explanation that I have seen, taken from the Euro Cup year book 72/73.

[Anag Ram]

I always thought it stood for Ranters And Moaners!

[Philmycock]

But look at its massive eye ? 

[Biley66]

A fine beast ...

[48 hours]

Sheep don't look too shabby, either ...

[BaaLocks]

So the Ram with the eye was launched the same year we went to blue shorts and red numbers? Incendiary stuff indeed.

[Gringo]

I thought and was always told we are called the rams because of the poem, the Derby Ram 

As I was going to Darby, Sir, 
All on a market day, 
I met the finest Ram, Sir, 
That ever was fed on hay. 

This Ram was fat behind, Sir, 
This Ram was fat before, 
This Ram was ten yards high, Sir, 
Indeed he was no more. 

The Wool upon his back, Sir, 
Reached up unto the sky, 
The Eagles made their nests there, Sir, 
For I heard the young ones cry. 

The Wool upon his belly, Sir, 
It dragged upon the ground, 
It was sold in Darby town, Sir, 
For forty thousand pound. 

The space between his horns, Sir, 
Was as far as a man could reach, 
And there they built a pulpit 
For the Parson there to preach. 

The teeth that were in his mouth, Sir, 
Were like a regiment of men; 
And the tongue that hung between them, Sir, 
Would have dined them twice and again. 

This Ram jumped o'er a wall, Sir, 
His tail caught on a briar, 
It reached from Darby town, Sir, 
All into Leicestershire. 

And of this tail so long, Sir, 
'Twas ten miles and an ell, 
They made a goodly rope, Sir, 
To toll the market bell. 

This Ram had four legs to walk on, Sir, 
This Ram had four legs to stand, 
And every leg he had, Sir, 
Stood on an acre of land. 

The Butcher that killed this Ram, Sir, 
Was drownded in the blood, 
And the boy that held the pail, Sir, 
Was carried away in the flood. 

All the maids in Darby, Sir, 
Came begging for his horns, 
To take them to coopers, 
To make them milking gawns. 

The little boys of Darby, Sir, 
They came to beg his eyes, 
To kick about the streets, Sir, 
For they were football size. 

The tanner that tanned its hide, Sir, 
Would never be poor any more, 
For when he had tanned and retched it, 
It covered all Sinfin Moor. 

Indeed, Sir, this is true, Sir, 
I never was taught to lie, 
And if you go to Darby, Sir, 
You may eat a bit of the pie.

[loweman2]

3 hours ago, Asheville Ram said:

I thought and was always told we are called the rams because of the poem, the Derby Ram As

I think that the regiment story was from 1838 and the poem talks of the eyes being football sized so maybe the poem came later and gave further credence to the Ram link with Derby.

[StantonRam]

As I understood it growing up there were several reasons, namely:

The Derby Ram song

The military connection

The fact that the county contains more Sheep than most places

The Black & White colours being associated with Sheep (although I don't think those colours were permanently adopted until about 1920 or thereabouts, if that's wrong then someone please correct me, I haven't checked)

The name - it's not Derby City (Bradley Johnson take note LOL) it's Derby County, and therefore there's arguably more of a rural connection traditionally than with clubs called City or United or Rovers etc.

I think that if someone lives in Derby and doesn't visit the rest of the county very much then it's perhaps easy to forget, or not know, some of the above.  Another example maybe of the urban/rural divide. 

Personally I like the Ram image, it does evoke a certain attitude of pride, defiance, power and potency, which is a good way to be I reckon, on the football pitch anyway, and maybe in life too, even though one suspects that these ideas are becoming increasingly unfashionable in the current Zeitgeist.  I think that the image also speaks to the directness and honesty of people here, and the notion that blunt truth is preferable to polite hypocrisy. 

In ancient times, armies would use a Battering Ram to break down the door of a castle or fortress, and the front end would often be carved into the shape of a Ram's head.  A Ram's horn would be played loudly to summon villagers in an emergency or as a battle signal for tribal warriors. 

Maybe when Mel Morris made his famous "Derby way" comment he was unknowingly channelling these ancient and long established images and trying to suggest that a team called the Rams should play the game in a dynamic, thrusting, forward moving way, even at the risk of conceding as well as scoring.  And maybe that's why many of us have the subconscious notion that this is what we want to see on the pitch, and why most of us (me included) enjoyed the McClaren & Lampard seasons so much, even if in both cases we fell short at the final fence.  

[rufus]

So the word "Gawn" from the 11th verse in the poem. Is it a milking stool ? (can't think of any other reason for wanting the horns and taking them to a cooper). When I search it on my browser it just assumes I have mis spelt Gown.

[Ellafella]

9 hours ago, LondonRam2 said:

As I understood it growing up there were several reasons, namely:

The Derby Ram song

The military connection

The fact that the county contains more Sheep than most places

The Black & White colours being associated with Sheep (although I don't think those colours were permanently adopted until about 1920 or thereabouts, if that's wrong then someone please correct me, I haven't checked)

The name - it's not Derby City (Bradley Johnson take note LOL) it's Derby County, and therefore there's arguably more of a rural connection traditionally than with clubs called City or United or Rovers etc.

I think that if someone lives in Derby and doesn't visit the rest of the county very much then it's perhaps easy to forget, or not know, some of the above.  Another example maybe of the urban/rural divide. 

Personally I like the Ram image, it does evoke a certain attitude of pride, defiance, power and potency, which is a good way to be I reckon, on the football pitch anyway, and maybe in life too, even though one suspects that these ideas are becoming increasingly unfashionable in the current Zeitgeist.  I think that the image also speaks to the directness and honesty of people here, and the notion that blunt truth is preferable to polite hypocrisy. 

In ancient times, armies would use a Battering Ram to break down the door of a castle or fortress, and the front end would often be carved into the shape of a Ram's head.  A Ram's horn would be played loudly to summon villagers in an emergency or as a battle signal for tribal warriors. 

Maybe when Mel Morris made his famous "Derby way" comment he was unknowingly channelling these ancient and long established images and trying to suggest that a team called the Rams should play the game in a dynamic, thrusting, forward moving way, even at the risk of conceding as well as scoring.  And maybe that's why many of us have the subconscious notion that this is what we want to see on the pitch, and why most of us (me included) enjoyed the McClaren & Lampard seasons so much, even if in both cases we fell short at the final fence.  

Probably one of the best posts I've ever read...for some reason I can't give it a "like" as the technology has blanked it out. I would give it 2 likes if I could; one just for the use of the word "zeitgeist". Lots of great points and observations. 

[Gritstone Ram]

I always thought it was to do with the folk song ‘The Derby Ram’.