What defines Derby County?

[Alty_Ram]

Perhaps the usual predictable Leeds/Forest/Boro stuff but I still think its a vocal minority. Most other fans that I talk to seem to have accepted that we have taken our punishment and are showing some character to roll back the deductions on the pitch and will give us due credit if it happens.

[ossieram]

4 hours ago, Alty_Ram said:

Perhaps the usual predictable Leeds/Forest/Boro stuff but I still think its a vocal minority. Most other fans that I talk to seem to have accepted that we have taken our punishment and are showing some character to roll back the deductions on the pitch and will give us due credit if it happens.

The ones you speak to face to face will tell you one thing,  but once they are in the away end,  they will join in the with the party when Derby die chants.

[LeedsCityRam]

9 hours ago, CornwallRam said:

I think what defines us is that we're the biggest small club in the world.

We don't have a massive conurbation to draw support from. We don't have a prime London or coastal location to attract players. We don't have decades of European football that have brought us fame and fortune. 

We're from an unfashionable, small city in a beautiful, if a little neglected, mid-sized county. Go a few miles East, West or South and you find other similar sized clubs - meaning we're hemmed in to Derbyshire. All this limits our growth as a club. We are, and always have been a team for locals (including newly arrived locals) - or the descendents of locals.

The uniqueness of Derby County is the reach within the city and county. I would happily bet that a higher percentage of Derbyshire's population have a Rams allegiance than any other comparable county and club. The most remarkable thing about this city, is that for such an unremarkable place, it has a huge football club, which is vibrant heart of both city and county.

I  think the reason we are such a roller-coaster of a club is that on paper we're as big as a mid-table Premier League club, but our reach is only ever going to be local. Owners come in wanting to make us global. The problem is that although we're enormous in Ripley and Alvaston, we struggle to even dominate in Long Eaton, and we're non-existant in Ashby - so selling shirts in China or packing stadiums on a US tour is never going to happen. 

Agree with a lot of your points but I'm a lot more optimistic about the club's potential for growth.

Firstly, our catchment area is the county really not just the city so can factor in Derbyshire's 1m residents & added to our pockets of support in Staffordshire, Notts, NW Leicestershire gives us the equivalent of a big city population from which to draw support. In terms of clubs either side, I'd argue they have more limitations than we do...Forest share their city with Notts County (and ice hockey ?), Leicester share their city with Tigers & Stoke share theirs with Port Vale.

The one club city fact is a big unique identity & the obvious passion from our fans (particularly this season) willl draw fans in. After all, it was the passion/songs/culture created by Liverpool fans, Man United fans & Newcastle fans at various times historically as well as successful sides that attracted support for them outside their city borders. People want to be associated with an identity & Derby's is getting stronger with our fight this season.

To your point about a global reach, yes it seems very unlikely from where we are currently but we have one of the best badges in world football (so strong it doesnt even need name of the club) & a very strong identity as 'Rams'. Many countries associate sports teams with nicknames not places (Australia, Far East, US in particular) and thats where Derby would have a real advantage over other similarly sized clubs. Also potential for tie ins with similarly named clubs (including current SuperBowl Champions LA Rams). I do accept that success/minimum top division status would also be needed though before those kind of conversations.

[i-Ram]

Derby County are the 1970s. We are the equivalent of bell-bottom trousers and the disco dance movement.

 

[Alty_Ram]

12 hours ago, ossieram said:

The ones you speak to face to face will tell you one thing,  but once they are in the away end,  they will join in the with the party when Derby die chants.

No, and I get that, but much gets said/chanted from the comfort of a block of your own supporters at a match that isn't actually a statement of intent. I would suggest that what someone says over a calm pint later that evening is far more likely to be closer to their real take on things. However, rabid, foaming-at-the-mouth Forest Boro and Leeds fans will undoubtedly still be calling for public executions for minor but perfectly legal accountancy method differences. I just feel that most opposition fans seem to have 'got over it' though, certainly outside the Championship (bar Wycombe..).

[Brammie Steve]

On 18/02/2022 at 19:03, IslandExile said:

Says absolutely everything about Derby County!

No wonder we’re lifelong Rams fans.

Taken at the Baseball Ground.

The Pride of the universe.

Edited February 21, 2022 by Brammie Steve

[Old Spalding Ram]

What defines Derby County.

To quote Bury North MP James Daly speaking in Parliament.

”This is not a branch of Tesco we're talking about. Football clubs are engines for social and economic good. They are the history and heartbeat of communities.” 

…………..that’ll do for me! ??

[BriggRam]

Didn't realise how much Derby means to me since all this poo......I wake up and fall asleep thinking about our football club.... I havent felt this proud of Derby for as long as I can remember, as I am with this team....it feels as tho they are playing with every heartbeat of the City, whatever the outcome I will never forget this team this season...Im confident we will stay up and this squad of Rams deserves it

Edited February 21, 2022 by BriggRam

[DarkFruitsRam7]

1 hour ago, Alty_Ram said:

No, and I get that, but much gets said/chanted from the comfort of a block of your own supporters at a match that isn't actually a statement of intent. I would suggest that what someone says over a calm pint later that evening is far more likely to be closer to their real take on things. However, rabid, foaming-at-the-mouth Forest Boro and Leeds fans will undoubtedly still be calling for public executions for minor but perfectly legal accountancy method differences. I just feel that most opposition fans seem to have 'got over it' though, certainly outside the Championship (bar Wycombe..).

Exactly.

How many of us are genuinely wishing death on Steve Gibson? Bet it’s a lot smaller number than those joining in with the chant.

[RoyMac5]

 

[TuffLuff]

Largely agree with the points @CornwallRamand @LeedsCityRam made. 

We are a county where our Grandads either worked in the factories and mills or were farmers. In the winter months they played football and in the summer they played cricket, it’s a small unassuming county with very little other distractions like ‘culture’. We are very used to the idea of working, and not having someone doing it for us. At the end of the day we started the Industrial Revolution.

I think because of that overall we tend to have a bit of a ‘nothing is too much of a hassle’ attitude. So when things go bad we tend to grin and bear it and either problem solve or do what we can to make the most of it. Which means in the context of Derby County that in low moments we tend to stick behind the club and do what we can do as fans. So whilst the Rooney effect is in place, not many clubs would do what we see because they don’t have a fan base that love their sport, are loyal and go into a drastic situation with an attitude of ‘bugger it lets see what happens’. Remember Rooney threatened to play the U23’s if we got docked 21 points, was it only when the fans started turning up did we start to believe it was doable?