Derby Reserves

[Normanton Lad]

Do local league players make up the numbers in under 23 games today? I doubt it. I would guess the average Derby reserve player gets far more than he could get in another job for his age.

Why is there so much money in the game today compared to the 1980s where you had the example mentioned in a post above of a local league player turning down a full time career at Derby because he had better prospects in a bank? The players today are more skilled and fitter than those from the past but I don’t know if they are any more entertaining than yesteryear’s players.

If they are not giving us more entertaining games than we used to get then why are they being paid so much more today? What is the extra thing they are providing that justifies their massive wages? I think they are now paid extra for supporting the system. They are conduits for state propaganda. You can see this with all the blm kneeling and other political nonsense. In the past footballers were not political. I can only think of one who talked about politics or current events and that was Paul Breitner. But he was no state propaganda puppet. He was very anti-state.

Footballers in the past were, on the whole, more articulate than today’s crop but they kept their views to themselves. I've just been watching an England v Spain game from the 1950s and one of the goal scorers was John Atyeo. I saw him play at the Baseball Ground in 1965. He was an absolute goal machine yet he was part-time for much of his career. He was busy studying for his next career. After hanging up his boots he taught maths. Someone like that would probably have had  sensible independent thoughts on current events but no one dreamed of asking him about his views. Today we have footballers who are probably semi-literate and innumerate telling us what to think.

Edited February 15, 2023 by Normanton Lad

[Dordogne-Ram]

60 years ago today : Everton 4 v Derby Reserves 0 , Goodison Park, attendance "c 4000".

This was during the Big Freeze of 1962- 1963, no football for DCFC since away at Cardiff on 22nd December 1962, 8 (frozen) solid(!) Weeks with nothing to watch.

So, using my rail travel facilities and knowing that their from ground was euphemistically deemed playable In decided to chance it.

On arrival at the ground there were only a few outside the main entrance as I arrived, when a door opened and someone brandishing a handful of free tickets asked if there were any takers, so those of us waiting could not refuse could we?!

We were told which entrance to go to and were taken up to our seats - in the Directors box!  Everton played  7 first team regulars, so we were up against it from the start, but at least it was an unlikely new ground to visit. And no, regrettably, I cannot find any details of the Rams line up. Have always had a soft spot for Everton since then.

The mid- 1990s saw me working at L**D's, and for once - well twice actually - it gave me the chance to take in two more away Reserve evening fixtures. The first was at York, where I seem to remember we won, and enjoyed some agreeable conversation with a handful of locals who were most interested to hear how Marco Gabbiadini was getting on, being a former youth player for them.

The second surprise game was- you guessed it - at Bellend Road!  Attendance was sparse so got close to the dug-out where Roy Mac was in charge. Rams played them off the park all game until the 87th minute when David Rocastle (ex Aresenal) scored an undeserved winner. 

C'estl la vie!

[Normanton Lad]

2 hours ago, Dordogne-Ram said:

60 years ago today : Everton 4 v Derby Reserves 0 , Goodison Park, attendance "c 4000".

This was during the Big Freeze of 1962- 1963, no football for DCFC since away at Cardiff on 22nd December 1962, 8 (frozen) solid(!) Weeks with nothing to watch.

So, using my rail travel facilities and knowing that their from ground was euphemistically deemed playable In decided to chance it.

On arrival at the ground there were only a few outside the main entrance as I arrived, when a door opened and someone brandishing a handful of free tickets asked if there were any takers, so those of us waiting could not refuse could we?!

We were told which entrance to go to and were taken up to our seats - in the Directors box!  Everton played  7 first team regulars, so we were up against it from the start, but at least it was an unlikely new ground to visit. And no, regrettably, I cannot find any details of the Rams line up. Have always had a soft spot for Everton since then.

The mid- 1990s saw me working at L**D's, and for once - well twice actually - it gave me the chance to take in two more away Reserve evening fixtures. The first was at York, where I seem to remember we won, and enjoyed some agreeable conversation with a handful of locals who were most interested to hear how Marco Gabbiadini was getting on, being a former youth player for them.

The second surprise game was- you guessed it - at Bellend Road!  Attendance was sparse so got close to the dug-out where Roy Mac was in charge. Rams played them off the park all game until the 87th minute when David Rocastle (ex Aresenal) scored an undeserved winner. 

C'estl la vie!

Nice memories. I wonder if there are any football supporters who follow their reserve team away rather than watching the first team at home.

I used to watch a lot of away games. I often asked myself if it was really worth all the travel time and money, but it had become a habit. We often do things because we lack the imagination to think of an alternative use of our time.

If you live in the Dordogne then you probably know The Gardens of Marqueyssac. On a lovely clear sunny day about a decade ago I was there, sitting in the outside café looking far across the valley to distant castles and wondering why I had spent so long living in dumps in the UK when I could have been living there. As a young man mooching around Normanton it never occurred to me that living in, or just visiting, a place like the Dordogne was an option. But if I had saved all the money spent watching away games I could have had a nice holiday there every year.

[ImARam2]

The first time I visited the Baseball Ground was in the 'Boys Corner'/Normanton End for a reserve game, on Saturday, 27th January 1962, with Derby Reserves vs Bolton Wanderers Reserves, which the Rams won 6-0.

It was the day the first team were playing Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup and I can remember shouting to the Derby goalkeeper, Ken Oxford, what was the first team score.

I was 9 years old, along with a friend, also 9, my brother & his friend, both aged 7, we got the bus from Breadsall Estate to Derby, Tenant Street, got a free bag of chips from the 'Savoy' chippie on the Morledge because my mother worked there, walked to the BBG, walked backed to town, and then home for tea.

I'm nearly 71 years of age, and wherever I've lived and worked around the world, and there's been many, I've taken my love of my home town and football club with me, and I can still remember that first visit to the BBG as it was yesterday.

 

[Guest]

23 hours ago, Dordogne-Ram said:

60 years ago today : Everton 4 v Derby Reserves 0 , Goodison Park, attendance "c 4000".

This was during the Big Freeze of 1962- 1963, no football for DCFC since away at Cardiff on 22nd December 1962, 8 (frozen) solid(!) Weeks with nothing to watch.

So, using my rail travel facilities and knowing that their from ground was euphemistically deemed playable In decided to chance it.

On arrival at the ground there were only a few outside the main entrance as I arrived, when a door opened and someone brandishing a handful of free tickets asked if there were any takers, so those of us waiting could not refuse could we?!

We were told which entrance to go to and were taken up to our seats - in the Directors box!  Everton played  7 first team regulars, so we were up against it from the start, but at least it was an unlikely new ground to visit. And no, regrettably, I cannot find any details of the Rams line up. Have always had a soft spot for Everton since then.

The mid- 1990s saw me working at L**D's, and for once - well twice actually - it gave me the chance to take in two more away Reserve evening fixtures. The first was at York, where I seem to remember we won, and enjoyed some agreeable conversation with a handful of locals who were most interested to hear how Marco Gabbiadini was getting on, being a former youth player for them.

The second surprise game was- you guessed it - at Bellend Road!  Attendance was sparse so got close to the dug-out where Roy Mac was in charge. Rams played them off the park all game until the 87th minute when David Rocastle (ex Aresenal) scored an undeserved winner. 

C'estl la vie!

The Rams game at home to Norwich was called off.

The two sides at Goodison according to the DET on the day before the game were expected to be:

EVERTON - Dunlop, Thomson, Parnell, Rees, Heslop, Sharples; (from) Bingham, Shaw, Tyrer, Wignall, Webber, Veall.

But the Everton team could change if the first team game at the Hawthorns against WBA was called off. The game was called off and Everton fielded:

West, Rees, Meagan, Gabriel, Labone, Harris, Stevens, Bingham, Young, Temple, Morrissey.

Stevens, Gabriel, Morrissey and Young scored the Everton goals.

DERBY - Matthews, Richardson, McAndrew, Webster, Paxton, Waller, Bowers, Havenhand, Buxton, Stephenson, Swallow.

Webster was returning for his first game since fracturing a collar bone in September and Swallow was returning from a knee injury sustained the previous month. Les Moore had hope to play following  a knee injury the previous month but he was suffering influenza.

The first team for the Norwich game would have been Oxford, Barrowcliffe, Ferguson, Parry, Young, Hopkinson, Roby, Cullen, Curry, Hutchinson, McCann.

Your memory of the attendance has slipped - it was 12,903.

At the end of the season, Everton were crowned First Division champions.

[Mick Harford]

Used to play for Derbyshire Police as a 16/17 year old after I'd left Chesterfield, such a top group of blokes.  Teams who I used to think were very good back then were Santos and was it the Crown Allenton? 

Redders (Dave Redfearn) was an absolute beast, I also played with him at Mickleover Sports and a few games where he fought like s****, literally, for us. 

I miss him.

[Old Spalding Ram]

On 11/02/2023 at 21:02, Henrycav81 said:

Prims used to train and play at the Ramarena, if they left the boiler room open we would nip in and “borrow” the training kit I’d always try and get bobby Davison,s kit. I’d struggle to get in John Robertson’s kit now 

……..should of got there earlier! ?

[Dordogne-Ram]

On 17/02/2023 at 17:18, Brailsford Ram said:

The Rams game at home to Norwich was called off.

The two sides at Goodison according to the DET on the day before the game were expected to be:

EVERTON - Dunlop, Thomson, Parnell, Rees, Heslop, Sharples; (from) Bingham, Shaw, Tyrer, Wignall, Webber, Veall.

But the Everton team could change if the first team game at the Hawthorns against WBA was called off. The game was called off and Everton fielded:

West, Rees, Meagan, Gabriel, Labone, Harris, Stevens, Bingham, Young, Temple, Morrissey.

Stevens, Gabriel, Morrissey and Young scored the Everton goals.

DERBY - Matthews, Richardson, McAndrew, Webster, Paxton, Waller, Bowers, Havenhand, Buxton, Stephenson, Swallow.

Webster was returning for his first game since fracturing a collar bone in September and Swallow was returning from a knee injury sustained the previous month. Les Moore had hope to play following  a knee injury the previous month but he was suffering influenza.

The first team for the Norwich game would have been Oxford, Barrowcliffe, Ferguson, Parry, Young, Hopkinson, Roby, Cullen, Curry, Hutchinson, McCann.

Your memory of the attendance has slipped - it was 12,903.

At the end of the season, Everton were crowned First Division champions.

Thanks @Brailsford Ram for this comprehensive response and for the correction re the attendance. I did not see a DT report at the time, so much appreciated.

[Guest]

46 minutes ago, Dordogne-Ram said:

Thanks @Brailsford Ram for this comprehensive response and for the correction re the attendance. I did not see a DT report at the time, so much appreciated.

It was hardly a correction DR with the passage of time. 4000 would have been a pretty impressive attendance at the time, 12k was magnificent (it was what we were getting for first team games at the BBG at the time) and I loved reading your story, it showed real adventure and initiative. I was 10 at this time and in my second season at the BBG. I remember well the heavy snow fall on Boxing Day. Contrary to what a lot of people now forget, that was the only day's snow we had but then we suffered a Canadian style permafrost where the ground froze solidly and the snow didn't melt until well into March.

We didn't play a League game at all between Cardiff away on 22 December and Sunderland at home on 23 February. I'll never forget racing excitedly to the BBG for the Sunderland game. I wanted to see Brian Clough whose goalscoring reputation was sky high. But when I got into the boys enclosure, read my programme and heard the team announcements, I found out he wasn't playing and Dominic Sharkey was at centre-forward. I was completely unaware that Cloughie had suffered the knee injury, which in the end finished him, against Bury on Boxing Day. But my disappointment was tempered by the fact we got a 2-2 draw against Sunderland who were promoted at the end of the season.

I started going away in 1965 and I first made it to Goodison for the League Cup tie in 1968.