DCFC 1984-1986

[SamUltraRam]

[Wistaston Ram]

1 hour ago, Long Time Lurker said:

I'm definitely with you chaps on this one. I remember 1984-86 fondly too.  I seem to remember some game against Wigan kicking off in the morning, which seemed very strange.

On a slightly different tack, while I know we're all supposed to want the promised land, of the Premier League, going into League 1 would probably be a lot more fun.  I appreciate that the problems that going up to Premier League would present are possibly not quite our most pressing concerns at the moment, but what would we do if we ever got there?  Once the excitement of going to the big stadia has worn off after a couple of seasons, we'd become another Everton  or Palace, just hoping that we don't get relegated and therefore have to face financial ruin (as if that could ever be a possibility).  We'd be doing well to win more than we lose, we'd never take the cups seriously, and boredom would soon set in.  In League 1, as others have mentioned, there would be new grounds & towns to visit.  And we might even win on a fairly regular basis (ever the optimist!)

 

 

 

I remember going to that Wigan game, I'm sure it was 11.30 on a Sunday morning. This was back in the days when Sunday football was unusual. Can also remember going to 3 home games in five days following a fixture pile up at the end of the season (84-85?) Played on Saturday, Monday and Wednesday, think we drew most of the games which put an end to our promotion hopes.

[MuespachRam]

1 hour ago, Angry Ram said:

Reading away.. Elm Park. Massive following. Derby everywhere.

Shrewsbury away.

We had some huge followings in those day. Carefree.

Bournemouth away was a trip and a half too…. And I remember there being millions of us at Lincoln in a pub near the ground and the place getting wrecked and everyone just stood get here drinking in this pub as they were fighting with locals and the police in the beer garden. 

[SamUltraRam]

Just now, MuespachRam said:

Bournemouth away was a trip and a half too…. And I remember there being millions of us at Lincoln in a pub near the ground and the place getting wrecked and everyone just stood get here drinking in this pub as they were fighting with locals and the police in the beer garden. 

There was fighting at most of the away games - pre banning orders & police intelligence I suppose

And of course, don't forget British Rail ran 'football specials' to all of the Saturday away games - reasonably priced too

[Wistaston Ram]

2 minutes ago, SamUltraRam said:

There was fighting at most of the away games - pre banning orders & police intelligence I suppose

And of course, don't forget British Rail ran 'football specials' to all of the Saturday away games - reasonably priced too

You would always know when the Football Special had arrived, in a matter of minutes, the terrace became rammed.  I think I must have gone to about 90% of the away games in those two seasons, fantastic times and a real feeling of pride following the team. I always managed to avoid the trouble which was possible even in those days if you were careful.

[Bob The Badger]

2 hours ago, Angry Ram said:

There were so many great memories. As fans next season could be a great time, as a club it will be horrendous.

Brighton away was great as well..  

Was that the one where it snowed?

Only been there once and it was horrible weather.

[therealhantsram]

One word.

Terraces!

[24Charlie]

Notts County away with 10k Rams was outstanding.

I managed to get myself ejected from the ground away at Rotherham for swearing at a policeman. 
 

I thought Carlisle away was div 3. Maybe  I’m mistaken but that was a crap day. Got rained on in an open end and we lost too.

Can’t have it all.

[JJs dms]

OH yes the grass bank at Wigan the snow at Brighton the station door at York Christies hat trick at Swansea to set up Rotherham getting thumped 4-1 at Plymouth in the rain and the main thing and the thing I hope our younger fans go on to feel the feeling that we were all in it together.that we were going to drag this club back were it belonged. Never felt more attached to the club and players as I did the Cox comeback years .Brilliant

[Sufferingfool]

I remember I hope correctly going to Wednesday in the cup. Derby took massive numbers and I recall entering the leppings lane end with everyone funnelling towards the underpass onto the central terrace. I notice a few heading off right behind a police horse and followed them instead into a sparsely populated side pen. I watched the central pen heaving with bodies crammed in and was glad I was not in there. This memory always comes back when Hillborough is mentioned it could have been Derby fans that evening. My other memory of that match is of the massive open kop rising to a point on the skyline to the left. 

[WystonRam]

15 hours ago, Unlucky Alf said:

We're told that there's 7 wonders of the world, Well actually there's 8, That penalty was the 8th, I'm still wondering how the ref gave it, I was there that night, Why did we play it on a Friday night?

We had a backlog of fixtures, played Rotherham on Friday and then away to Darlington the following Monday. We finished out backlog games after the final day had happened.wouldn’t happen nowadays of course.

[Ellafella]

19 hours ago, Stive Pesley said:

I started going to watch Derby properly in 1984 when we had just been relegated to the old Division 3 (League One in modern parlance)

In the light of current events,  I wanted to start a thread to offer some positivity around the very high likelihood of our relegation this season

I'm sure there is a high percentage of posters who weren't even born back then and have no idea what it was like to playing in tier 3, but I'm here to tell you that it was a fantastic experience

Derby fans came together like never before and relished the status of being a big fish in a small pond, the fallen giants - every other  team's cup final, the one they wanted to beat

Atmosphere on the Popside was better than ever, away games were brilliant adventures to new places 

Players grew in confidence week after week as the team started to coalesce, with the realisation that we had the beating of anyone in the division if we stuck together

Because at the end of the day - it doesn't actually matter what league you are in, you're watching a football game, and in that moment - the passion is just the same

So come on old timers - share your memories of those years 84-86 in Division 3 for the nippers

 

A like just for using the word “coalesce” but also for reminding me of those strangely brilliant days.

[Ellafella]

I was at University in Bristol during that time so only got to go to a few home games and a few away that were "close by". Football was different in those days: the grounds were draughty, concrete, terraced, peeling paint, and smelled of boiled onions and cigarette smoke. The referees were crap but genuinely so; they didn't give a penalty because they honestly believed it wasn't hand ball, not like today when they don't give it because they are following EFL Section 3 sub-section 5 ("If a defending player controls the ball in the area, award a penalty {except if Derby County are the attacking side, in which case wave play-on in a very exaggerated fashion, then book the number 9 for protesting too vigorously, then after the game inform Mr Parry so that 3 more points can be deducted}). The game I do remember like it was yesterday was Plymouth away in the FA Cup (when it still meant something). It was notable for a lot of reasons but mostly Derby took 7,500 for what was an 8 hour round trip. Plymouth were up for it because, although we were 20th in Div 2, we had just a few years previously been League Champs, and we were a "big name".  Listen to the great Barry Davies's comments in the opening moments "7,500 Derby fans have made the long journey; These are the most understanding fans in football..." It was an amazing atmosphere. We were lucky to get a 0-0, and of course Plymouth only had to wait 4 days to get their win at Derby. The other notable thing was that Michael Foot was the Labour Party leader and at the game. He had as much chance of becoming PM as Argyle had of winning the cup. But the thing that sticks out is the passion of the Derby fans, who went everywhere and sang loudly even at drab 0-0 away at Orient. If we stick together again ("coalesce"), we can do it again...drop down...and then come back.

 

 

Edited September 21, 2021 by Ellafella

[JJs dms]

7 hours ago, Sufferingfool said:

I remember I hope correctly going to Wednesday in the cup. Derby took massive numbers and I recall entering the leppings lane end with everyone funnelling towards the underpass onto the central terrace. I notice a few heading off right behind a police horse and followed them instead into a sparsely populated side pen. I watched the central pen heaving with bodies crammed in and was glad I was not in there. This memory always comes back when Hillborough is mentioned it could have been Derby fans that evening. My other memory of that match is of the massive open kop rising to a point on the skyline to the left. 

I have always said the same it was scary that night As I remember there was a small gate at the back of the central pen to get to next pen which obviously soon got blocked off I think Spurs had problems up there to What happened to the Liverpool fans could and should have been avoided definately a case of 'only football fans'

[Ram-Alf]

3 hours ago, Ellafella said:

But the thing that sticks out is the passion of the Derby fans, who went everywhere and sang loudly even at drab 0-0 away at Orient.

Copper(Orient)who was in the crowd with us at the side said " i've never seen so many away supporters that are here today, Even Man Untd wouldn't bring this many"winning 2-0 at home made up for that 0-0

[Stive Pesley]

I remember Huddersfield away, at the old Leeds Road ground that wasn't much more than 3 tin sheds and all the Derby fans stood on the big open concrete terrace behind the goal. We got held back after the game to allow the home fans time to disperse and we all sang the Last Of The Summer Wine theme as they all trudged home up the hill behind the terrace, like the sad Yorkshire bar stewards they are ?

 

[Ram-Alf]

8 minutes ago, Stive Pesley said:

I remember Huddersfield away, at the old Leeds Road ground that wasn't much more than 3 tin sheds and all the Derby fans stood on the big open concrete terrace behind the goal. We got held back after the game to allow the home fans time to disperse and we all sang the Last Of The Summer Wine theme as they all trudged home up the hill behind the terrace, like the sad Yorkshire bar stewards they are ?

 

Yeh I was there that day, I got caught up with the Hudds fans, I had to wear a disguise.