Jump to content

All this Talk of Moyes' Ten year reign

Dethorn

By Dethorn
in Derby County Forum

Recommended Posts

Dethorn

Dethorn

Posted
Posted

Takes me back - I will tell this how I remember it (no looking anything up on internet, honest). Do not get to many games and this is probably the best ever loss I have witnessed

So was it really ten years ago, we were having a rough time post TBE and languishing near the bottom of the prem, the only exciting thing we had to look forward to was a relegation battle and boom Todd was out the door and in came John Gregory.

Well naively I welcomed this with open arms as Todd and his french lightweights seem intent on taking us down in a way only to be surpassed by that Davis/Jewell combo years later. All the news we were hearing regarding the changing of the song to run out to and the round tables at Moor Farm were making me think this guy is going to make a difference. Then came the call ups for a couple of youngsters and Barton and Lee in for Zagano and Grenet !!

Still I had a weekend away with the fiance (yes still with her - 10 year anniversary coming up this year, guess she knew she was getting loyaty splicing up with a rams fan.) booked to Butlins at Minehead, we had a great time and I even managed to watch the Spurs game in the Bowling alley live sports bar, and in my memory we won. I was on cloud 9 - convinced we were staying up and JG was the next messiah !! (lol)

So shortly afterwards I convinced the fiance to make her first premiership pilgramage to pride park, I had picked out the Everton game as a key one to both clubs, both had new managers we had JG they had some scot called Moyes I had not really heard of to be honest (we did not worry too much about the likes of Preston back then). 3 points for either side and manager would be a massive thing I thought, surely if one team got all three points they would be safe and the new manager would have bought himself some time.

This is my recollection of the game - It was a close if not scrappy affair in the first half and we were unlucky to be going in a goal down, straight after half time a bit of a drop of concentration and we were 3-0 down, well thats it I thought - we are condemned to relegation and this could end up being a mauling. But no I think there was probably over an hour gone when big Branco Strupar came on and in no time at all he had pulled one back. However it did not last for long as Everton re-established their 3 goal cushion to make it 4-1 with about 15 minutes to go. Well that last 15 minutes was possibly my favourite 15 minutes at pride park - we scored - I think it might have been Morris and then we scored again, Branco Strupar with a stunner. What a player that guy was I wonder how mmuch his injuries robbed us of ? (Was he another TBE singing?) 3-4 but in my mind we were not going to draw we were going to win - we were all over them like a rash. Into injury and OK I might settle for a draw, but alas that practically nailed on 4th goal never came, and in the record books it says Derby County 3-4 Everton, we were relegated, Everton stayed up, Gregory was sacked, Moyes is still there. I wonder what if ..... we had of scored that 4th and that 5th ??? But then again would that mean we would still have JG !!!! See every cloud has a silver lining and all that.

Please feel free to comment add or correct - the old memory is not what it was - Thanks for reading.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 22
  • Created
  • Last Reply
Ramchope

Ramchope

Posted
Posted

This was only my second game at PP, the first being in 1999 so i remember it quite well. I sat in the north stand just above the goal, Stubbs scored a cracking free-kick for them if i remember correctly and Strupar was superb as you mentioned. I remember walking away thinking thats the last time I will see premiership football at PP, although thats not the case its been pretty much downhill since then. Funnily enough I think my first 3 games at PP were 3-4 losses aswell.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ladyram

ladyram

Posted
Posted

I took a bird to that game as well, she actually played for Derby Ladies at the time. I mistakingly bet her a shag we'd win... I proceeded to go home for a Pot Noodle and a w&nk 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/angry' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':angry:' />

Bloody hell, do you have to lower the tone of the place? 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':rolleyes:' />

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ramsbottom

ramsbottom

Posted
Posted

Bloody hell, do you have to lower the tone of the place? 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':rolleyes:' />

Just taking a walk down memory lane, that Pot Noodle was devine...

I have wondered more than once what would've happened if we'd chosen Moyes over Wide Boy Gregory, but like Gaspode said, we'd have probably sacked him no more than a season later...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Catch 23

Catch 23

Posted
Posted

This was only my second game at PP, the first being in 1999 so i remember it quite well. I sat in the north stand just above the goal, Stubbs scored a cracking free-kick for them if i remember correctly and Strupar was superb as you mentioned. I remember walking away thinking thats the last time I will see premiership football at PP, although thats not the case its been pretty much downhill since then. Funnily enough I think my first 3 games at PP were 3-4 losses aswell.

Was your first game the Newcastle 4-3 Derby game, by any chance? I was at that one, quite an entertaining one despite the defeat. Gary Speed scored two, can't remember who else did.

Great story Dethorn, by the way!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sage

sage

Posted
Posted

I remember that game, I took my father in law (at the time) who hadn't been to a game in years and sat in the West Stand. There were 4 Everton fans in front of us, who celebrated far too much at each goal and at the end for my liking. One had a hat on which i took off him and threw to the front of the stand. He turned round and grabbed me demanding his hat back, i pushed him over and said 'it's down there, you can pick the up on the way back to Goodison to scouse tw@t'. I then tried to leg it but forgot the father in law was with me and walked with a stick. It was a long slow walk to the exit with scouse threats in my ears.

Never got 'involved' before or since, but I just lost it that day. the in laws didn't speak to me for weeks, so that was a bonus at least.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Dethorn

Dethorn

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks for all the responses guys to my lunchtime memory lane trip. Especially to Catch 23.

Other notables

Vernak and the Pot Noodle and a **** - you made me roar out loud at work lol

Good point Shake and Bake - had not thought of it that way round.

Foletti omg I had forgot all about him !!

Greast fact cumbrian that kinda backs up my theory that we hammered them on points.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
randombc

randombc

Posted
Posted

Moyes really is a manager every team which they had, astute when it comes to signings, doesn't need a bottomless pit of cash to get a top 8 finish, and has stuck with Everton through thick and thin when clearly being held back with transfer fees, and having to sell the better players always find a gem from somewhere. Many managers would of packed it in being so frustrated! Would love to see him move onto a slightly 'bigger team' where he could be given £20 million every summer just to see what he's capable of.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...