What defines Derby County?

[TigerTedd]

I was thinking about the identity of the club, the derby way, the dna. There have been lots of comments recently about how proud we all are if the fans, the players, the management this season. 

There are clubs that, when you think about them, you instantly think of an identity or reputation, that spans across generations.

Mel was constantly searching for the Derby way, and I don’t think it was ever very well defined. What is the derby way?

We’re earning a reputation of never say die. Could this season be the beginning of a new legacy, and a new identity. Or has that always been something synonymous with us? Or are we just a reflection of our manager and we’ll become something else when he eventually leaves? Lots of talk of being proud of our fans, of our city / county, of our club and our players? Is this a common thread that has always defined us? Or is this just starting to emerge? Thinking back to the premier league season, the fans won the player of the year award. So do the fans define us?

mother clubs that I associate with instantly recognisable identities are:

Man United have always been for me, a club with a win at all costs mentality, with Fergie time, mains games, a steel spine of the likes of Keane and Rooney. This is the identity they are starting to lose. Was this all just Sir Alex, or has this always been their identity?

Chelsea are Chel-ski. But they must have been something before Abramovic. We’re they just bland, they never popped up on my radar. 

City are money bags, and pretty, almost perfect football. But this definitely wasn’t always the case. 

Liverpool has always been synonymous with its fans and the people of Liverpool. Having a song certainly helps with an identity too. 

Arsenal seem to have always had a reputation for cultivating young talent, and achieving success with pretty European football without spending mega-bucks. Or am I only thinking of the Wenger years?

Even clubs like Stoke, for better or worse, have an identity. They tried to do pretty football once, and it didn’t really work, so they ended up back with a Pulis. Does the identity of the club mean you look for and attract a certain type of player and manager? Is it a self fulfilling prophecy?

Leeds are dirty Leeds. But has this always been the case, or was that just the legacy of Revie. 

So I’m interested to know if clubs reputations / identities / personalities are well earned, so they really span generations, are they ingrained in the DNA of the club? Or do we just remember the bit we remember, and associate the club with a period of time, or a manager? And either way, what is it that defines Derby County?

[GeneralRam]

Bottle jobs. The Prem season, the 2 play off losses, Keogh, I could go on.

When it all seems to be going right, it goes wrong at the last hurdle.

 

[RadioactiveWaste]

11 minutes ago, GeneralRam said:

Bottle jobs. The Prem season, the 2 play off losses, Keogh, I could go on.

When it all seems to be going right, it goes wrong at the last hurdle.

 

It's the Derby way..........

[Raminphilippines]

For me it has always been the never say die attitude of the supporters. Win or lose Derby Supporters always give their all and never stop singing. 
I remember one game at Norwich many years ago. We were getting relegated and Norwich had had a pretty good season, for most of the match all you could hear was Derby Supporters. The one time Norwich did make themselves heard they were trying to taunt us by singing "Going Down" Derby Supporters replied by Singing "We're Going Down" while jumping up and down celebrating. I am from Norfolk and people were asking me for weeks why the Derby Supporters were celebrating going down, they just could not understand it. For me that is the Derby Way.

 

[GlastoEls]

What defines Derby County to me:

The older chap who sits behind me at PPS.  I asked him once at the match “how are you mate?”

“Not bad.  Apart from the fact I’m here”. 
 

????

[Day]

"The Derby Way" was a great idea, poorly executed which, I'm sure those that attended Moor Farm with myself during the early years of Mel's tenure would agree.

The managerial appointments, transfers created confusion and questions as years went by causing it to become a meme.

I look back and just think we missed a real opportunity to do something great by not appointing a director of football which was needed to execute the plan. Someone with experience, success, the value they would have given would have outweighed any signing we made. 

We had the owner willing to fund, not scared of opening his wallet, just needed that guidance, like I need the missus if we go to IKEA otherwise the room will have a lot of expensive furniture that doesn't go together.

The play off adventures masked what had been a poorly executed plan, some will argue and rightly so that they had clocked on to the situation earlier on. Fair play, I will always argue that I am first and foremost a football fan and when we're winning games, why would I lift the sofa cushions looking for dirt?

But we're here now, what defines Derby County? It's hard to say, we do not have a long great tradition of playing football the right way, we've had the likes of Jim Smith, George Burley, Steve McClaren in my time, along with Billy Davies, Gary Rowett and Nigel Clough.

Nor have we seen the numbers of academy players we are seeing now break through the ranks, which is possibly down to the situation sadly, given money I don't think we would have seen the likes of Liam Thompson, Festy Ebosele in the first team.

I would like to think we could take something positive from this experience and retain the spirit of "Fight 'til the end", that's on us as fans as well with the continued support which this season has been nothing short of excellent. 

Other than financially it's almost a perfect scenario for a new owner to walk into, the squad is a blank canvas, the fans feel a togetherness with the players we do have and management team.

If a new owner can slide in and cause minimal disruption, employ a CEO or DoF with experience and start a slow rebuild with a clear plan that includes bringing through academy players, I believe we have a great opportunity to define Derby County going forwards.

[SirBrian]

Love of Brian Clough from all fans the world over, soon as you say you are a Derby fan Brian's name is soon introduced into the conversation, and that includes Leeds fans, Brian put Derby County on the football world stage 50 years ago, only seems yesterday

[Rammy03]

6 minutes ago, SirBrian said:

Love of Brian Clough from all fans the world over, soon as you say you are a Derby fan Brian's name is soon introduced into the conversation, and that includes Leeds fans, Brian put Derby County on the football world stage 50 years ago, only seems yesterday

From Clough's autobiography:

Derby County should have been one of the biggest and most successful football clubs, not only in Britain but in Europe. They should have achieved the levels of triumph that Liverpool enjoyed for more than a quarter of a century. Oh yes, Derby should have been as big as Liverpool – possibly even bigger. And there is only one man to blame for the fact that they didn't reach such status: Brian Clough. To be strictly accurate, there are two culprits: me and Peter Taylor. When we walked out of the Baseball Ground in October 1973 it was the worst move of our lives. We were stupid, we were headstrong, we were stubborn and full of our own importance, but we were terribly, terribly wrong.

The day we resigned together was the day we turned our backs on the chance, if not the absolute guarantee, of turning a small-town club into a major power in European football. I honestly still believe that had Taylor and I not quit, we would have led Derby to the kind of unprecedented glory that set apart Liverpool from the rest from the 1960s onwards.

Edited February 18, 2022 by Rammy03

[TheresOnlyWanChope]

In recent years Derby for me is defined as losing playoff finals, hating Forest, having Keogh at the back and having the guy behind me always shout something like ‘Bloody Dawkins’ or get him off at Jozefzoon Ince or Lawrence 

[Ram-Alf]

What defines DCFC the same as many if not all football clubs...The Fans

Players, Managers, Owners, Agents all move on, The Fans stay, Yes some will stop going but the club will be close by in their heart, Some maybe unable to go, But they'll follow their score once kick off starts, We take holidays when our teams games are away, Ceremonies are put off until close season, Shirts are worn with pride, We introduce friends and very close family members, We'll argue our case against those who see "cheating" we put off that important dinner/engagement as Sky have moved the game.

I doubt very much there's not one person on here that hasn't been affected in some shape or form since following DCFC from the above...and more, Yes a club is defined by it's fans alright.

 

[RadioactiveWaste]

We generally are more tolerant of a playing style that's charismatic and fails than pragmatism that is successful.

The love for George Burley's side Vs Billy Davies for example.

The elusive "what could've been" moments

The humour, the stubbornness, the loyalty of the fans.

Being a respected if slightly unfashionable Midlands club.

We wear underdog so much better than we wear favourite (e.g. GSE, Clough, McClaren, innocent rise Vs QPR to becoming the Mel Morris era Derby)

 

 

[Old Spalding Ram]

Boulton, Webster, Todd, McFarland, Nish, Gemmil, Newton, Mackay, Rioch, Hinton, O’Hare, Lee, George and Kevin Hector.

………………no further comment required!

Edit………..forgot Durban, Robson, Hennessey and McGovern! ??

Edited February 18, 2022 by Old Spalding Ram

[Ram-Alf]

6 minutes ago, Old Spalding Ram said:

Boulton, Webster, Todd, McFarland, Nish, Gemmil, Newton, Mackay, Rioch, Hinton, O’Hare, Lee, George and Kevin Hector.

………………no further comment required!

Edit………..forgot Durban, Robson, Hennessey and McGovern!

Or That One season...Peter Daniel ?

[Curtains]

My love for DCFC defines who I am.  
 

It comes from the old Baseball Ground days and going in the boys pen as a kid. 
The smell of Leys and Ewarts hanging around.  
Later it was the Baseball Hotel and going in there. 
All the pubs in the area were frequented on match days. 
Queuing for Wolves tickets and crushed up against a wall in the corner of Normo End. 
The love for the club stays with me forward to this day and Pride Park is great .

Hoping we Survive 

Rams4life

 

[Millenniumram]

Failure. As Jose Mourinho once said to Arsene Wenger, we’re specialists in it. No one fails quite as catastrophically as we do. It’s almost something to be proud of.

Edited February 18, 2022 by Millenniumram

[EtoileSportiveDeDerby]

Amortisation, "The Derby way"

[Ken Tram]

I think that it is time for a new Derby Way!

We've always sung, "Come on Derby, Come on Derby," which I've always found underwhelming, and a bit like saying, "Please try a little harder, if you don't mind?"

I hope that we permanently replace, "Come on Derby," with, "We'll fight 'til the end!"

[JoetheRam]

Unfashionable, unsuccessful and unremarkable. 

Wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[B4ev6is]

Well what this city is Fall of fighters and so Is derby county we keep going and this war with efl I feel we are winning and giving the help rooney needs but we need this take over to hurry up.

[Wistaston Ram]

1 hour ago, Ken Tram said:

I think that it is time for a new Derby Way!

We've always sung, "Come on Derby, Come on Derby," which I've always found underwhelming, and a bit like saying, "Please try a little harder, if you don't mind?"

I hope that we permanently replace, "Come on Derby," with, "We'll fight 'til the end!"

 

Have to disagree. I wish we would chant 'Come on Derby' more, when sung with force and passion, it is very inspiring, particularly when we are driving for a winner/ equaliser.  I love the "We'll fight 'til the end!"  chant as well, which raised the hairs on the back of my neck when we first sang it v WBA?