Has the lockdown(s) made you care more about Derby?

[Lander]

Just now, RoyMac5 said:

I know how you feel. I was feeling hopeful when Wayne gave his post match speech about dignity and pride (or whatever terms he used) and then so disappointed with the hotel incident. But still I hope that he can grow with us as a club, none of us are perfect. #COYR

This is it, we can only take baby steps in the right direction with every decision we make as individuals and as a collective, but we seem to be doing quite the opposite. Eventually that will see us in a good place...hopefully.

[superzak]

I'm going to give it a miss this season...

[sonofmidnight]

6 minutes ago, superzak said:

I'm going to give it a miss this season...

Yes so am I. Call me half a fan or whatever. I don't care. I want to enjoy my hobbies and interests and at the moment I can't see anything to enjoy about Derby County. 

[Miggins]

Interesting question, @RoyMac5.  I care more about the Rams now since the lockdown, but this is because I lost my job at the start of it. I'd worked in a garden centre for the past 10 years, was furloughed, but then it closed down permanently. I worked every Saturday until 5pm and so couldn't go to matches or even listen to them. During the lockdown I discovered the fans forum and it re-ignited my love for the club. The sense of community, common interest, knowledge and understanding of the game (which I lack) and the general cameraderie made me feel closer to the club than ever. The downside, of course, was that I also started to be aware of all the dreadful difficulties facing the club and having that awful knot in your stomach on match days. I'm just as unhappy with our present situation as  @ram59, @MACKWORTH RAM and @Srg and probably all forum members but I feel closer to and more involved in the club and more informed about its difficulties through joining the fans forum than I have for a long time.

[Miggins]

1 hour ago, i-Ram said:

I might come up and piss in your back pocket for a proper game experience. Genuine offer.

Seriously, is that what folk do?  ? Please don't spare my feelings or lie to me, I want the truth!?

 

[Dethorn]

2 hours ago, RoyMac5 said:

I did think that some fans will have 'wandered off' or thought of other things to do. I don't think it would have been quite as bearable for me being locked down without Derby to watch on RamsTV. #COYR

Very jealous of all you Rams able to attend the matches. Might have to see if I can get away tickets for some southern games now we can afford to go. #TheMightyRams

I think I might have wandered off

Not a big loss though - like you a fair way travel to a home game - I try to make one a season and Bristol City away.

It is not just covid and lock-down though - it is all the other stuff too - probably starting with the Lawrence, Bennett and Keogh incident.

I also feel I got on the Lampard bubble which made the fall even harder.

We will see - I am aware of 4 live TV games by 10/09/21 - I have made a mental note to self to try not to watch 2 of them cos it usually hurts too much - but I think I will inevitably fail.

I guess it is a similar thing to cold turkey though

[Miggins]

1 hour ago, Lander said:

I think for me it's very much similar to what others have already touched on.

It's combination of things which has made me lose my interest in recent times. Obviously not being able to go to games has contributed, because it's just not the same. I don't get to see the same faces that I only see at the football, I don't get to have a beer with my dad and my football mates, talk about what's happened since I last saw them, there's more to Derby County and match days than just watching football for 90 minutes. But then again, even if I went now it wouldn't be the same until fully capacity, so perhaps I'm just holding fire because I don't want a watered down match day experience, I'd rather just wait.

Restaurants opened again and I rushed out because I missed it, but I'm not doing that with the football. For the first time in a long time I've not been bothered about going to pre-season games, or getting excited about when I can go and see them again after a break. Is it due to my routine changing and once it comes back it'll be business as usual? I don't know.

The next contributing factor is just the state of the club at the moment, it's embarrassing going from one ridiculous headline to the next and I think this is part of the reason I'm just not rushing back, I'm not looking at who we might sign (obviously this is slightly difference due to current circumstances), I'm just disinterested and letting the circus continue until the first sign of hope of us going in the right direction because otherwise it'll just get me down.

This is how I'm feeling about Derby at the minute, I'm just looking forward to going back to a bit of normality, going to games and seeing my football mates, having a beer and having some hope that Derby make me be proud again on and off the pitch.

Good post, @Lander

[Anag Ram]

I voted yes. 

I care most about the boys on the pitch. 

I am hoping we develop a Millwall mentality and prove everyone wrong, led by our younger players and supported by older stars who want a last hurrah. 

 

[i-Ram]

1 hour ago, Miggins said:

Seriously, is that what folk do?  ? Please don't spare my feelings or lie to me, I want the truth!?

It was a thing more common in the 70s/80s in compact standing areas, where to move to the toilet (and return) was difficult. I was unfortunately never a giver, being the nice boy that I am, but there were a couple of occasions when I well remember taking the warmth given by a fellow Ram (or Ewe ?). 

[Miggins]

23 minutes ago, i-Ram said:

It was a thing more common in the 70s/80s in compact standing areas, where to move to the toilet (and return) was difficult. I was unfortunately never a giver, being the nice boy that I am, but there were a couple of occasions when I well remember taking the warmth given by a fellow Ram (or Ewe ?). 

Taking the warmth! I can scarcely believe what I am reading! How far we have come from reading about Jane Austen's elegant  description of balls to peeing into people's back pockets!!

 

 

Edited July 28, 2021 by Miggins

[Dean (hick) Saunders]

2 hours ago, MACKWORTHRAM said:

Just to add to what I said earlier. 

Last season I paid for one game. Blackburn at home. 

Obviously we all know how that went.

I was disgusted with that. Players didn't look like they cared or put any effort in.

After that I refused to pay for anymore. I don't see why I should care if the players don't.

I think it everything was normal and I had a season ticket last season. It would have been the final straw for me.

Last season was dire. But I fear this season maybe even worse.

I played for one game also, saw a couple at a mates.

I am with you on nearly all your points.

I am remaining curious about how the next few weeks will pan out on owners, signings, penalty points. If they play out in best possible way for us, my optimistic gland will start throbbing. Otherwise I’m expecting something in between flat out worst champ team by a mile and clinging onto tails of the worst teams to be in the mix still in the last few weeks.

[Rev]

I'd miss this forum more than the club, tbh!

[Rammy03]

2 hours ago, MACKWORTHRAM said:

Bar the Lampard season. The last couple under Cocu I lost the buzz massively.

Yeah I can agree with that somewhat. It's no surprise given the football has been poor. When we get a proper team together and start playing well again, everyone will get that buzz. 

[i-Ram]

31 minutes ago, Rev said:

I'd miss this forum more than the club, tbh!

I think I agree. I never take this place too seriously - not sure if you’ve noticed - but it helps fill in bits of my day when I am wondering what to do. A quick 5 minute flick through a few times a day can be quite a good stress realease. It frequently makes me smile reading other peoples perspective on a range of subjects, and never ceases to amaze me how so many can get so worked up about a crappy football club (who don’t get me wrong I do love, but far too often don’t like). I will enjoy my next away day up to the point we kickoff, no doubt drifting my way home again thinking how much I enjoyed the foreplay but could so quite easily gone without actually watching the dirty act.

[RadioactiveWaste]

As i live hundreds of miles away and make it to a handful of games most seasons the lockdown didn't really affect me that much in terms not making the regular pilgramage to Pride Park.

The empty stadium games were really lacking in vitality.

However, as posting rubbish on this forum is pretty much my main hobby/coping mechanism and the club has been facing testing times on and off the pitch I find I care about DCFC as much as I ever have. It's been hard on all of us, it's been hard how so much greif has connected with DCFC when it's usually something most of us are involved in for a little escapism, entertainment, occasional excitment and mostly fun.

I get that a lot of people are fed up with Derby. I get that it's not really be reflecting back the hopes, passion, emotion and everything else we invest.

But things will get better.

[FlyBritishMidland]

4 hours ago, MACKWORTHRAM said:

Good question.

I've had a season ticket for 27 years.

Bar the Lampard season. The last couple under Cocu I lost the buzz massively.

I wasn't enjoying the match itself. The matchday experience I love. The pub before etc.

Same with away days. Looked forward to the day but invariably the football would ruin it.

I found myself leaving games early which I never did before. 

The football was awful, I don't like what we've become under Mel Morris.

After the season finished I was always like this isn't for me anymore. I think I'm gonna just go to odd games here and there now. I'll still support Derby. I love Derby. 

I think being in the same league for so long has removed some excitement, midweek games on the red button too. Made it easy not to go to games on a Tuesday night. Playing teams at home like Reading, Preston etc on a Tuesday night isn't exactly lighting the fire in my belly.

But I always renewed. Always had that fear of missing out. What if I don't go next season and that's the season we finally do it.

Last season taught me that my fear of missing out was unfounded.

So for the first time in 27 years, next season I won't be renewing. 

I'll get tickets for odd games here and there. 

But I've come to a point where the club isn't what I recognise anymore. I hate everything that comes with this club at the moment. 

I'll go back at some point. But for now. I don't want to go.

That’s pretty much how I feel.  I just don’t have that buzz any more, or at the moment at least.  We might be in a poor way squad wise and financially.  Mel chased the dream in 15/16 and splashed the cash, it didn’t come off and we’ve paid the price ever since.

I’m really disappointed with the circus we’ve become, including Rooney as manager.  His performance hasn’t been great by anyone’s standards and managers have gone for less.  How on earth we’re paying a rookie a reported £90k a week is staggering.  I think since he’s come here he’s had very little respect for the club or fans in my view.  As a player he did Soccer Aid - imagine Fergies view if he’d told him he was off for a couple of weeks to do that - buying a watch and isolating, coming back clearly unfit, lack of leadership as captain yet somehow gets the managers job.  As a manager a woeful run and bad tactics, he’s continually talking about his bosses in public  and says he wants to restore “pride & dignity” to be plastered all over the internet the next day.  How are the players supposed to respect him.

Like you, I’ve often thought about not renewing but I have.  Now, more than ever, I feel really disillusioned.  I don’t want a millionaire takeover throwing loads of money at the club.  I’m not even that bothered about the PL.  I want a well run club.  I want stability.  I want a manager who I feel has loyalty and respect for the club and us, the fans.  I want to enjoy my football again.

[RodleyRam]

I think if we'd been doing well, it would have been light relief and something positive to hold onto.

As it's been a complete horror show, I've disengaged completely and masochistically wanted us to go down.

So it's a 'meh' from me... And I'm not seeing the new season as a beacon of hope sadly!

On the bright side at least we're not managed by Paul Jewell any more...

[VulcanRam]

6 hours ago, i-Ram said:

I might come up and piss in your back pocket for a proper game experience. Genuine offer.

I looked out for you and kept my hands on my backside all game, just in case. Got some weird looks but better safe than sorry I'd say.

It was, I must say, fabulous to be back. I genuinely hadn't realised how much I'd missed it. 

[i-Ram]

9 minutes ago, VulcanRam said:

I looked out for you and kept my hands on my backside all game, just in case. Got some weird looks but better safe than sorry I'd say.

It was, I must say, fabulous to be back. I genuinely hadn't realised how much I'd missed it. 

Really pleased you had a good time buddy. Up the Rams.

[baiano27]

Unfortunately I'm locked in as I renewed in September otherwise i'd be taking a break. Enjoyed going to watch my local side when non-league football was on before christmas and can't stand the Rooney experiment. Hopefully new owners come in, see sense, replace the manager and things turn around on the pitch. Otherwise I'll probably just go to a couple of home matches and try and catch the away games in the West Midlands.