would being a derby fan be as good if we won the champions league and premiership?

[tomsdubs]

I don't support Utd because they're not my local club, and if I did support them, I'd find it impossible going to games and feeling apart of a community as I lived in Derby..

It's not Man Utds fault, nor of their supporters, that they're extremely popular outside of Manchester.. And those inside of Manchester probably couldn't give two hoots as they no doubt see their club play more football than your avergae Man Utd fan in Crawley.

For a person living in Manchester, getting a ticket/season ticket isn't even that difficult.. Nor is it for Barca, Real Madrid or Arsenal given the sheer size of the stadiums..

WHy wouldn't you get that feeling of being part of something.. Take Man Utd out of the equation, and think of Derby.. If we're taken over by billionaires, started winning trophies etc.. And then people from Asia start supporting us and we're on TV a lot more.. Why would that affect your normal DCFC fan in Derby, they'd still gt tickets for games.. The only thing that would change is the quality on the pitch, the entertainment on the pitch, and the prices of tickets..

Not really, i was a little late buying my ST due to finances. So i would have missed out due to plastic supporters. Don't want any bankrolling billionaires near my club it is soulless crap, i remember when Chelsea couldn't get a decent crowd to save their lives. Epitomises everything that is wrong with the game today.

[james_ram]

I don't support Utd because they're not my local club, and if I did support them, I'd find it impossible going to games and feeling apart of a community as I lived in Derby..

It's not Man Utds fault, nor of their supporters, that they're extremely popular outside of Manchester.. And those inside of Manchester probably couldn't give two hoots as they no doubt see their club play more football than your avergae Man Utd fan in Crawley.

For a person living in Manchester, getting a ticket/season ticket isn't even that difficult.. Nor is it for Barca, Real Madrid or Arsenal given the sheer size of the stadiums..

WHy wouldn't you get that feeling of being part of something.. Take Man Utd out of the equation, and think of Derby.. If we're taken over by billionaires, started winning trophies etc.. And then people from Asia start supporting us and we're on TV a lot more.. Why would that affect your normal DCFC fan in Derby, they'd still gt tickets for games.. The only thing that would change is the quality on the pitch, the entertainment on the pitch, and the prices of tickets..

For me, personally, I would take more pride and more happiness in knowing we did it the hard way and got there through our own merit, not billions from an Arab.

[Ambitious]

Premiership strikes me as dull and focuses more on the sums of money being spent or who owns which club..etc The championship now feels like what the Premiership used to be like, where anyone could beat anyone and whilst decent sums of money are being spent (on the whole) no-one has been able to go crazy, you've got teams with youth prospects coming through and home grown talent, you just don't see that in the premiership.

The only thing I would like to experience is being in europe, and having them nights at pride park and lets face you don't even have to be that good to get there nowadays, well depending on how long you want to stay in.

[ramesses]

I think it’s a bit late for some posters to say they don’t want billionaires owning our club.

Then again our owners might as well not be billionaires because, other than funding the PJ disaster, they haven’t shown the slightest interest in ‘bankrolling’ Derby anywhere near to the PL – let alone the Champions League.

[trekkie_ram]

Oh really? A recent trip to Manchester proved otherwise, they were everywhere..

Oh dear! I actually gasped at this - then I lol'd .... Satan, here I come.

[Perky1106]

It would be amazing to have European nights at Pride Park. It would be undoubtedly expensive and difficult to get tickets but the atmosphere would just be brilliant. It would make me proud to be a team from an area of this country that no one gives a **** about representing English football to the rest of the continent, it would be similar to Stoke's qualification to Europe but better, because we have more genuine fans imo.

I genuinely do think we will get to such a level in my lifetime, I really do. We just have to believe and stop being pessimistic and unambitious fans, which face it we generally are.

[Asanovic]

Hi i am just wondering, maybe it is in a small way good that derby county isn't overwhelmingly successful, I mean how boring would it be to be a manchester united fan, win after win after win, no suspense, no crippling doubt about the future, no poor performances that make you go home and wonder will we turn it around, no delight at avoiding relegation by the skin of your teeth. We can all say we are loyal fans, we stick by derby no matter what, whether it is financial disaster and criminality or a 14 game winless streak, don't get me wrong i would love for derby to be eternally successful but then i think part of the magic would be gone, what do you think?

United don't win week after week! Did you watch the other night? Or last Saturday?

Barcelona, maybe.

[froggg]

It would be amazing to have European nights at Pride Park. It would be undoubtedly expensive and difficult to get tickets but the atmosphere would just be brilliant. It would make me proud to be a team from an area of this country that no one gives a **** about representing English football to the rest of the continent, it would be similar to Stoke's qualification to Europe but better, because we have more genuine fans imo.

I genuinely do think we will get to such a level in my lifetime, I really do. We just have to believe and stop being pessimistic and unambitious fans, which face it we generally are.

It'll happen again for sure and people won't be comparing us to stoke they'll be talking about doing a derby....once you are three or four seasons in the prem and established, with the increased cash available there really is no reason that we should'nt be able to even do a tottenham 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' /> 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cool' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='B)' />

[McRamFan]

Sooner be in this league than the one above, could you imagine having issues like Tevez, Bramble, Giggs, Barton to deal with, taking the focus away from the actual football. Being a 'smaller' club and speculation from the Red top Comics about what top 4 club was going to cherry pick x or y player from Derby.

Let the idiots upstairs keep living their soap opera, BS lifestyles, because when all these foriegn investors are stopped from having their play thing run how they want it, and it comes under the FFP rules, they'll go off and play with some other sports industry.

The PL is a flimsy house of cards, built by a crook that is Rupert Murdoch. Just remember News of the Screws is just the beginning of the cracks and corruption in that 'organisation'.

We can go and visit for a few seasons, take the dollar then gently slide back where the football is more fun, entertaining and you genuinely cannot predict a result on any given Saturday!

Rant over. Its Friday. Where did I put the red wine!!

[Perky1106]

It'll happen again for sure and people won't be comparing us to stoke they'll be talking about doing a derby....once you are three or four seasons in the prem and established, with the increased cash available there really is no reason that we should'nt be able to even do a tottenham 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' /> 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cool' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='B)' />

I just hope one day we become famous.

When people think Barca they think of total football, with dominating passing and flair.

When people of Man Utd they think of a massive global support, great management and nurturing of local talent.

When people think of Derby they think of a bunch of ******* crazy, great fans with a team of players that all want to play for the club more than anything else.

[PrivateDerby]

After years of suffering, for some bizare reason most of us still believe we will lift trophies again.

I suppose thats what were all about as a club, we've seen so much ***** that we can just laugh about it now.

Going to Pride Park has become more about the day (train, waterfall, chips, etc.)

I for one enjoy the Championship, playing local rivals, it makes football in my eyes.

At the end of the day would we change it for a shot at Europe and the Premiership?

Of course we would, I just hope that it's too far away.

The only problem is that if were are going to go up, we need to do it in the right way, and prepare for a season in the Prem in advance instead of getting there and looking like cnuts again!

[Dangerous]

It would be amazing to have European nights at Pride Park. It would be undoubtedly expensive and difficult to get tickets but the atmosphere would just be brilliant. It would make me proud to be a team from an area of this country that no one gives a **** about representing English football to the rest of the continent, it would be similar to Stoke's qualification to Europe but better, because we have more genuine fans imo.

I genuinely do think we will get to such a level in my lifetime, I really do. We just have to believe and stop being pessimistic and unambitious fans, which face it we generally are.

I could have seen Derby in Europe but liverpools fans put paid to that when they murdered juventus fans in the heysel stadium,thus provoking a european ban.

I have hated liverpool ever since.

[voyager1]

At the moment, Derby are a club based in Derby and are integrated into the community of Derby. Almost anyone can buy tickets to a game and there isn't a waiting list for season tickets. Derby engage in community activities, you can meet the players after a match and you can feel like part of the club - especially when surrounded by locals.

Imagine ticket prices being sky high to the point where locals are priced out of the stadium - replaced by rich people, tourists and business people. Want to get a players autograph/photo? Forget it. You're not going to get anywhere near the players. Want a season ticket? Join the waiting list. Want a ticket to a match on your birthday? Unless you know a season ticket holder - you've got no chance.

These are negative factors but there would be a lot of positive factors. Being on the TV a lot more would be great for those not living in Derby.

When travelling overseas and saying to the taxi driver you're a Ram and then being asked "yes, but which premier league team do you support?" will become a thing of the past.

You're on holiday in Spain and realise you forgot to bring your Derby top? No problem, just walk into the local sports shop and buy one.

The FA cup match against Nottingham Forest? Now that will be on TV and you'll get to read a full double page spread in the Sunday paper supplements as well as the back pages.