History of Derby County F.C.

Derby County Football Club This article contains information on the history of the club.

Early years

The club was formed in 1884 as an offshoot of Derbyshire County Cricket Club. They originally wanted to name themselves directly after the cricket club as Derbyshire County FC, but objections from the local football association (who thought the name was too long) led them to choose Derby County FC.

The Rams, as Derby County are known, initially played at the Racecourse Ground, like their parent cricket club. As well as competing in a number of friendly matches and informal competitions, Derby County also entered the premier British football competition of the time: the FA Cup.

Derby County were founder members of The Football League when it was launched in 1888. In 1891, they absorbed another Derby club, Derby Midland F.C., who had been members of the Midland League. Steve Bloomer, generally considered to be Derby County's best-ever player, joined the club in 1892. In 1895 the club moved to a new stadium, The Baseball Ground (so called because it was previously used for baseball), which became their home for the next 102 years, and adopted their traditional colours of black and white.

On 16 April 1898, Derby appeared in their first FA Cup final at Crystal Palace, but unfortunately lost 3-1.They were losing finalists again on 15 April 1899 (4-1 to Sheffield United) and 18 April 1903 (6-0 to Bury). Derby's luck didn't get any better and they were relegated to the Football League's Second Division for the first time in 1907, but under Jimmy Methven's management they re-signed Steve Bloomer and regained their First Division place in 1911. Bloomer's captaincy of the side that contained 'The 5 Bs' of himself, ('Major' Frank Buckley, Tommy Barbour, Horace Barnes, Jimmy Bauchop) was a feature just before World War I.

In 1914 they were relegated again, but instantly won the Second Division to get promoted (though World War I meant that they had to wait until 1919 to play First Division football again). After just two seasons, they were relegated yet again in 1921. However, more successful times lay ahead, instigated by Derby's promotion in 1926. Despite not winning anything, the club became a formidable force, with constantly high finishes, from the late 1920s and all the way through the 1939-1940 season, which was abandoned due to World War II. For example, in the 1929-1930 season Derby County finished in second place in the First Division with 50 points behind Sheffield Wednesday on 60 points. Second place was repeated with the Hughie Gallacher inspired side of 1935-36.

FA Cup triumph

The FA Cup restarted in the 1945-1946 season. Derby got to the final again, but this time managed to go all the way and win by beating Charlton Athletic 4-1 after extra time. (Derby's previous lack of success in the FA Cup — they also regularly lost at the semi-final stage — gave rise to a superstition that the club was subject to a gypsy curse, supposedly because of Gypsy anger that the Baseball Ground was built on a Gypsy camping ground. Prior to the 1946 final, Derby County players went so far as to ask the Gypsies to lift the curse.)

The Football League restarted the following season and, despite the Cup win, Derby could not reproduce their pre-War form and were eventually relegated in 1953. Things went from bad to worse and in 1955 they were relegated to the Third Division North for the first time in their history. The third tier proved easy for Derby, though: they finished second at the first attempt and then bettered it by finishing first (and gaining promotion) the following season.

The Brian Clough years

In 1967, the now-legendary Brian Clough took over Derby County (in partnership with assistant manager Peter Taylor) and led them to their greatest glories. When Clough took over the team, the Rams were treading water in the Second Division and the club's only honour, the 1946 FA Cup win, was becoming a distant memory. There was little expectation that the young manager was going to lead his team to the club's first League Championship.

With Clough having clinched the influential signing of Dave Mackay, Derby were promoted to the First Division in 1969, finished fourth in 1970, got banned from competing in Europe due to financial irregularities in 1971, and won their first ever Football League Championship in 1972. With their season ended, Clough traveled to the Scilly Islands with his family while his Derby side flew to Majorca. Back home, Leeds United and Liverpool failed to get the results necessary in their last games and the Rams clinched the title on 8 May 1972.

Though Derby did not retain their title the following season, they did reach the semi-finals of the European Cup, eventually losing to Italian side Juventus in a controversial match which was subject to subsequent allegations that the Italian club had bribed the match officials, leading Clough to call the Italians "cheating bastards".

Clough's frequent outspoken comments against football's establishment (which had led to Derby being threatened with expulsion from the Football League) eventually led to him falling out with the board of directors at the club, and Clough and Taylor both left in 1973, to widespread uproar from Rams fans, who demanded the board resign and Clough be reinstated.

econd Football League Championship

With the high profile signings of Francis Lee and Bruce Rioch, Derby's League success was repeated in 1974-1975 season when they won the title again, this time under Dave Mackay. Before the 1975-1976 season the Rams made another big name signing in Charlie George and that season saw the Rams face mighty Real Madrid in the European Cup. In one of the greatest games at the Baseball Ground, Charlie George scored a hat-trick as Derby ran out 4-1 winners. Progress in the competition was halted by a 1-5 loss in the second leg at Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

Declining fortunes

Derby's form declined towards the end of the 1970s and they went down to the Second Division in 1980.

Though they challenged well in their first season, Derby's stay in the Second Division was not a happy one and they were relegated to the now-national Third Division in 1984, their centenary year and just nine years after their last Championship.

Return to the top

After the relegation, the club appointed former Newcastle United manager Arthur Cox to stop the rot — and stop it he did. After a two year stint in the Third Division, Cox's emerging side were promoted to the Second Division and won it at the first attempt, returning to the old First Division in 1987.

The club finished fifth in the 1988-1989 season, with the team now containing stars like Peter Shilton, Mark Wright, Dean Saunders and Ted McMinn. However, English clubs were banned from European competition at the time, so the Rams missed out on a place in the UEFA Cup that their high finish otherwise would have earned.

This was Cox's team at its peak; a lack of further investment from controversial chairman Robert Maxwell lead to a decline shortly after. With Maxwell soon dead from suspected suicide, the club was relegated back to the Second Division in 1991 (which became the "new" First Division a year later when the old First Division clubs broke away to form the FA Premier League). At this time, local newspaper businessman Lionel Pickering became the majority shareholder of the club.

Derby's hopes of earning immediate promotion to the new FA Premier League in 1992 were ended when they lost to eventual winners Blackburn Rovers in the play-off semi-finals. The same year, Derby paid £2.5 million for Notts County's central defender Craig Short. At the time — and for five years afterwards — he was the most expensive player to be signed by a club outside the top flight.

The FA Premier League (or, more precisely, the money it brought) made it even more difficult for Derby to gain promotion to the Premier League, let alone stay there. Cox resigned in late 1993 citing health problems, and Roy McFarland returned as manager. Despite big spending, however, McFarland failed to get the side anywhere near the top of the division apart from a defeat at the hands of Leicester City in the 1993-1994 play-off final and was sacked in 1995 after a mid-table finish. Jim Smith was appointed as the club's new manager. Although the season started slowly, the hugely influential signing of sweeper Igor Stimac proved pivotal. Throwing his brief of 'a top-half finish' out the window, Smith guided the Rams to a second-place finish and, more importantly, the Premier League.

Premier Rams and Pride Park Stadium

Derby County made an excellent Premiership début in the 1996-1997 season, finishing 12th in the final table with a side containing quality players like Paulo Wanchope, Aljosa Asanovic, Igor Stimac and Jacob Laursen.

The club moved into the new 30,000-seat (later upgraded to 33,597-seat) Pride Park Stadium for the 1997-1998 season and was able to attract quality signings like Stefano Eranio and Francesco Baiano.

Progress continued in the next two seasons. The Rams finishing ninth and eighth places before a decline in form saw the club finish 16th at the end of the 1999-2000 Premiership campaign. Another relegation battle followed in 2000-2001 when Derby narrowly avoided the drop by finished 17th in the Premiership — one place clear of relegation.

Jim Smith resigned as manager in October 2001 after rejecting an offer to become the club's director of football. He was replaced by assistant manager and former player Colin Todd. Todd remained in charge for just three months before he was sacked in the aftermath of a humiliating FA Cup Third Round home defeat against Third Division strugglers Bristol Rovers.

At the end of January 2002, John Gregory was appointed Derby manager less than a week after walking out on Aston Villa. Derby won their first two games under Gregory's management and also held title chasing Manchester United to a draw, suggesting that Gregory might be able to save Derby from relegation. But seven defeats from their final eight fixtures condemned Derby to relegation from the Premiership after six successive seasons of top division football.

Back in The Football League

Derby County's relegation back to The Football League saw the club enter a serious financial crisis, which forced them to sell many key players and build a team mostly of home-grown youngsters like Tom Huddlestone and Lee Grant. Gregory was suspended from his managerial duties over alleged misconduct and former Ipswich Town boss George Burley was drafted in as a temporary manager. An 18th place finish was secured. At the end of the season Gregory's contract was terminated and Burley received the job on a permanent basis.

The club's parent company went briefly into liquidation in October 2003 and the majority shareholder Lionel Pickering gave way to a new board of John Sleightholme, Jeremy Keith and Steve Harding, who bought the club for £3. Derby finished 20th in the 2003-2004 First Division campaign, but improved dramatically in the 2004-2005 season and finished 4th in the Football League Championship (the new name for the Football League First Division) and qualified for a promotion play-off spot, though lost in the semi-finals to Preston North End.

Soon afterwards, Burley resigned citing differences between himself and the board. He was replaced by Phil Brown. Brown failed to find much success in the job, however, and was sacked in January 2006, after a bad run of results, including a 6-1 hammering at Coventry City and an embarrassing 3-1 FA Cup exit to League One side Colchester United. Terry Westley, the academy coach at the time, took over first team duties until the end of the season and saved Derby from relegation.

Another promotion

Derby's Chairman, John Sleightholme, resigned in April 2006, saying his position had become untenable. The rest of the board followed him later that month. A popular consortium of local businessmen led by former vice-chairman Peter Gadsby bought the club, reducing its debt and returning Pride Park Stadium to the club's ownership in the process. In June 2006, former Preston North End boss Billy Davies was appointed Derby County's new permanent manager, with Julian Darby as his first-team coach. In his first season, Davies took Derby to the Championship play-offs, where they beat Southampton on penalties in the semi-finals before defeating West Bromwich Albion 1-0 with a second-half Stephen Pearson goal (his first for the club) at the new Wembley Stadium to secure a return to the Premier League and the £60m windfall that achievement is reputed to bring.

In preparation for the club's return to the Premier League Davies spent the summer busily improving the playing and backroom staff. In the period between the win over West Brom and the opening game of the 2007/08 season Derby signed goalkeeper Lewis Price from Ipswich Towncite news
title=Price completes transfer to Derby|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/6918622.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|date=2007-07-27|] for around £200,000, the defenders Claude Davies from Sheffield United for £3 million [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/6276226.stm "Davis agrees £3m switch to Derby"] , BBC Sport, 6 July 2007.] and Andy Todd from Blackburn Rovers F.C. for an undisclosed feecite news
title = Derby sign Todd from Blackburn
url = http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/09072007/58/premiership-derby-sign-todd-blackburn.html
publisher = Eurosport
date = 2007-07-07] , two American international midfielders in the shape of Hamburg's Benny Feilhabercite news
title = Player Profile
url = http://www.dcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10270~37934,00.html
publisher = dcfc.co.uk
date = 2007-12-28] and Eddie Lewis from Leeds United [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Derby recruit Leeds winger Lewis|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/6951974.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|date=2007-08-20] and striker Robert Earnshaw for a club record £3.5million from Norwich. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/6254710.stm Derby sign Earnshaw] BBC Sport Online]

In the coaching department, Derby appointed Colin Miller as Assistant First Team Coach and Craig Brown as Footballing Consultant as part of a change to the backroom staff at the club, while Billy Davies also signed a 12 month contract extension until 2010. Finally, on 6 July 2007 it was announced that David Kelly, Davies former assistant at Preston, would be joining the club as the new Assistant Manager, [ [http://www.dcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10270~1069065,00.html David Kelly appointed as Assistant Manager] ] an appointment which Davies had been pursuing for several months.

Despite this strengthening, Derby made a disastrous start to the Premier League 2007-08 season and following their 6-0 defeat to Liverpool on 1 September 2007, Irish bookmakers Paddy Power decided to pay out on the club to be relegated after just five games of the new season. [cite news |url=http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,3015_2697302,00.html |title=Paddy Power pays out on Derby relegation |date=2007-08-31 |accessdate=2007-09-04 |publisher=Teamtalk.co.uk] . The poor start saw fans accuse Gadsby and the board of failing to invest properly in players for the club. The repercussions of this saw Trevor Birch leave his position as Chief Executive on 19 October [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/7053629.stm Birch leaves Derby chief exec job] BBC Sport Online] and, on 29 October 2007, Gadsby stepped down as Chairman to be replaced by former Hull City owner Adam Pearson. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/7067444.stm New Derby chairman backs Davies] BBC Sport Online] Meanwhile, results on the pitch weren't improving, with another poor performance away to Aston Villa being followed by a 5-0 home defeat against a West Ham side ravaged by injuries. After taking just 6 points from 14 matches Davies left by mutual consent after a meeting with Adam Pearson, taking nearly all of his newly assembled backroom staff with him. [ [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/derby/article2946767.ece Bily Davies leaves Derby by mutual consent] Times online] The move was seen to be more as a result of Davies publicly questioning Adam Pearson's chairmanship of the club in a post-match interview following a 2-0 home defeat by Chelsea than actual results (as Pearson publicly gave Davies his backing a few weeks previously), with some supporters suggesting Davies engineered his dismissal as he was unable to turn the club around. Within two days of Davies's dismissal, on 26 November 2007, Derby appointed highly rated former Wigan manager Paul Jewell. [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2007/11/28/ufnderby128.xml Paul Jewell appointed Derby manager] Telegraph] . He initially appointed Stan Ternent as his assistant but, when Ternant left to become Huddersfield manager in April 2008, Jewell moved to appoint Chris Hutchingscite news
title = Hutchings set to take Derby role
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/7364460.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2008-04-24
accessdate = 2008-04-24] who had been his assistant at both Bradford and Wigan.

Jewell was busy in the January 2008 transfer window, selling several players and bringing eight new players in, namely Everton defender Alan Stubbs cite news
title= Stubbs Brings Steel |url=http://www.dcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10270~1230028,00.html|publisher=dcfc.co.uk|date=2008-01-31] ; Argentine striker Emanuel Villa [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Rams sign Argentine striker Villa |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/7166848.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|date=2008-01-04] ; ex-England international defender Danny Mills on loan from Manchester City; Blackburn midfielder Robbie Savage [cite web
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/blackburn_rovers/7166114.stm
title="Savage completes switch to Derby"
date=9 January 2008
publisher=BBC Sport] ; French winger Laurent Robert; Tottenham's Egyptian midfielder Hossam Ghaly on loancite news
title = Hossam Ghaly recruited for Derby’s rescue effort
url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article3168714.ece
publisher = Timesonline.co.uk
date = 2007-11-01] ; Genclerbirligi's Mile Sterjovski cite news
title = Derby complete Sterjovski signing
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/7180692.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 24 January 2007] and Rangers goalkeeper Roy Carroll cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/7258258.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|title=Carroll Extends Derby Stay|date=22 February 2008] . Although performances improved, results didn't, with many at the club already accepting relegation by the end of December. On 28 January 2008, it was announced that Derby had been purchased by American group General Sports and Entertainment, with Tom Glick taking the role of new President and Chief Executive. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/7210230.stm General Sports and Entertainment Takeover - BBC Sport] ] Derby's relegation was confirmed on 29 March 2008, the first time a club had been relegated from the division before April [cite news |first=Phil |last=McNulty |title=Derby 2-2 Fulham |url=http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7309363.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2008-03-29 |accessdate=2008-03-29 ] and sealing the club's first immediate relegation following promotion in its history. Poor results continued: a 6-0 home defeat at the hands of Aston Villa on 12 April 2008 is the biggest defeat at Pride Park and, by the season's end, they had recorded the Premier League's lowest points total. [cite news |title=Dismal Derby take Cats' sad place in the record books |url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/sport/Dismal-Derby-take-Cats39-sad.4095005.jp |publisher=Sunderland Echo |date=2008-03-29 |accessdate=2008-03-29 ] and equalled Loughborough's 108-year Football League record of going through an entire season with only one win.

Following the final day of the season, Jewell publicly announced his displeasure with the current squad, promising drastic changes [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/7395710.stm|title=Jewell promises drastic changes |date=2008-05-12 |accessdate=2008-05-14 |publisher=BBCSport.co.uk] . Within four weeks of the close of the season Derby confirmed five new signings, namely Plymouth defender Paul Connolly [cite news |http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/7400064.stm|title=Derby snap up Plymouth defender |date=2008-05-15 |accessdate=2008-05-15 |publisher=BBCSport.co.uk] ; Doncaster midfielder Paul Green [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/7426415.stm "Rovers' Green set to join Derby"] , BBC Sport, 29 May 2008] ; Watford F.C. defender Jordan Stewart and Nottingham Forest winger Kris Commons [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/7414281.stm|title="Derby complete deal for Commons"|work=BBC Sport|date=2008-06-02|accessdate=2008-06-02] on frees. Watford's Nathan Ellington joined on a season-long loan (with a view to a permanent deal) [http://www.dcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10270~1320844,00.html "Trio Make A Famous Five"] , dcfc.co.uk, 30 May 2008] . In addition to these, the club signed out of contract Tranmere youngster Steve Davies [cite web | title=Davies Joins Jewell Revolution| work=dcfc.co.uk | url=http://www.dcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10270~1327183,00.html| accessmonthday= Jun 12 | accessyear=2008 ] on 12 June 2008 on a Bosman (although as he is under 24, a tribunal fee was set at £275k, with an additional £450k based on appearances and promotion). [cite web | title=Breaking news: Tribunal decide on fee for Davies| work=therams.co.uk | url=http://therams.co.uk/stories/tribunal-decide-on-fee-for-davies| accessmonthday= Aug 26 | accessyear=2008 ] West Brom's Martin Albrechtsen joined for free on 30 June 2008cite news|title=Rams agree deal for Albrechtsen|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/7481734.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|date=2008-06-30|] and Stockport striker Liam Dickinson signed for £750k on 1 July 2008cite news | title=Derby swoop for Stockport striker| publisher=BBC.co.uk | date=2008-07-01 | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/7445778.stm| accessdate=2008-07-01 ] . Sheffield United striker Rob Hulse followed for £1.75m on 21 July 2008cite news | title=Derby complete £1.75m Hulse deal| publisher=BBC.co.uk | date=2008-07-21 | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/7511320.stm| accessdate=2008-07-21 ] , the same day a season long loan deal for FC Porto and Poland international midfielder Przemyslaw Kazmierczak was finalisedcite news | title=KAZMIERCZAK DEAL IS COMPLETED| publisher=dcfc.co.uk | date=2008-07-21 | url=http://www.dcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10270~1347885,00.html| accessdate=2008-07-21 ] . On 7 August, just two days before the start of the new season, the club completed its eleventh and twelfth signings of pre-season, in the shape of Swiss-born Serbian U-19 international Aleksandar Prijović, who rejected a new deal with Parma to join the club, for free and Latvian international midfielder Andrejs Perepļotkins on a season long loan from Skonto FC Rīga after impressing on trial at the club.cite news | title=Derby sign Eastern European Duo| publisher=BBC.co.uk | date=2008-08-07 | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/7547746.stm| accessdate=2008-08-07 ] Finally, on 19 August the club signed Dutch attacking midfielder Nacer Barazite on loan until 31 December 2008 from Arsenal cite news
title = Rams bring in young Gunner on loan| url = http://therams.co.uk/stories/young-gun-is-rams-target| publisher = therams.co.uk| date = 2008-08-19]

These thirteen signings all came in addition to Australian midfielder Ruben Zadkovich who was signed in March [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/7351979.stm|title="Derby complete Zadkovich signing"|date=17 April 2008|publisher=BBC Sport] . There were also unsuccessful attempts to sign Swansea midfielder Ferrie Bodde [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/swansea_city/7439641.stm|title=Rams Agree Bodde deal with Swans|publisher=BBCSport.co.uk|date=12 June 2008] and Wigan's Marlon King on a season-long loan. Trials where also given to former Reading winger John Oster (who rejected the offer of a contractcite news | title=Oster rejects Derby County offer| publisher=BBC.co.uk | date=2008-07-30 | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/7532587.stm| accessdate=2008-08-01 ] ), Nigerian midfielder Richard Eromoigbe (whom the club decided not to signcite news | title=JEWELL TO SEEK A LOAN KEEPER| publisher=thisisderbyshire.co.uk | date=2008-08-01 | url=http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/sport/JEWELL-SEEK-LOAN-KEEPER/article-246328-detail/article.html| accessdate=2008-08-01 ] ), Australian defender Daniel Piorkowski (who eventually joined Walsall and French midfielder Julien Sable. (who, as with Eromoigbe, the club declined to signcite news| title = Rams wait to discover how much they will pay Tranmere for Davies| url = http://therams.co.uk/stories/rams-wait-to-discover-how-much-they-will-pay-tranmere-for-davies| publisher = theramsco.uk| date = 2008-08-26] )

Four players were initially allowed to leave the club, with the contracts of Michael Johnson, Lee Holmes and Marc Edworthy [http://www.dcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10270~1312383,00.html"Derby Will Let Four Go"] , dcfc.co.uk, 13 May 2008.] not being renewed following their completion, and Ben Hinchcliffe's contract being terminated. Andy Todd was told he could leave on a free transfer but is still currently with the club. Players moving out for fees were Kenny Miller, who rejoined Rangers for £2m [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/7422674.stm|title=Miller makes way back to Gers|date=13 June 2008|publisher=BBC Sport.co.uk] ; club record signing Rob Earnshaw for £2.65m to rivals Nottingham Forest less than a year after joining the club [cite news|url=http://www.nottinghamforest.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10308~1321025,00.html|title=Forest Seal Earnshaw Capture|date=30 May 2008|publisher=nffc.co.uk] ; David Jones, who joined Wolves for £1.2m [cite news | title = Wolves complete deal for Jones | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wolverhampton_wanderers/7478041.stm | publisher = BBC Sport | date = 2008-06-27] ; Craig Fagan, who returned to Hull City for £750k [cite news | title = Fagan completes Hull City return | url = http://www.dcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10270~1334266,00.html | publisher =dcfc.co.uk | date = 2008-07-02] and Darren Moore, who signed for Barnsley on a free. [cite news | title = Darren Moore signs for reds | url = http://www.barnsleyfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10309~1332571,00.html | publisher =Barnsleyfc.co.uk | date = 2008-07-02]
Stephen Pearson was expected to move to Birmingham but the move fell through due to Birmingham's unwillingness to sign the player while injured and Pearson rejecting a loan move. Stephen Bywater was the subject of an accepted £200k bid from Tottenham. However, despite taking a medical, Tottenham decided not to sign Bywater. [cite web|url=http://www.football.co.uk/tottenham_hotspur/spurs_pull_plug_on_bywater_268992.shtml|title=Spurs pull plug on Bywater|work=football.co.uk|accessdate=2008-08-05] Shortly after the start of the season, these players where joined by Eddie Lewis, whose contract was terminated by mutual consentcite news
title = Lewis to leave Rams and head home| url = http://therams.co.uk/stories/lewis-to-leave-rams-and-head-home| publisher = therams.co.uk| date = 2008-08-15] and Benny Feilhaber who joined Danish side AGF Aarhus on a freecite news| title = Teale and Feilhaber depart| url = http://www.dcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10270~1367178,00.html| publisher = dcfc.co.uk| date = 2008-08-15] . Another, unwanted, departure came with the news of club captain Alan Stubbs' retirement through injurycite news
title = Stubbsy hangs up his boots| url = http://www.dcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10270~1370520,00.html| publisher = dcfc.co.uk| date = 2008-08-20] on 20 August.

The first game of the new Championship season saw 9 of Jewell's summer signings make their debuts (7 starting and 2 substitutes) [cite web|url=http://therams.co.uk/stories/the-ghosts-of-season-past-still-haunting-rams-as-they-flop-in-opener|title=The ghosts of season past still haunting Rams as they flop in opener|work=therams.co.uk|accessdate=2008-08-11] , but lost 1-0 to Doncaster. This stretched the club's winless run to 33 matches and saw Jewell express disappointment with his players failing to cope with the pressure [cite web|url=http://therams.co.uk/stories/http://therams.co.uk/stories/jewell-disappointed-his-players-failed-to-deal-with-pressure|title=Jewell disappointed his players failed to deal with pressure|work=therams.co.uk|accessdate=2008-08-11] . Jewell finally got his first win as Derby manager (not counting an FA Cup third round penalties victory against Sheff Wednesday in January 2008) three days later as Derby beat Lincoln 3-1 in the League Cup first round, with Nathan Ellington getting it first goals for the club with a hattrick. [cite web|url=http://therams.co.uk/stories/one-ell-of-a-recovery-rams|title=One Ell of a recovery Rams|work=therams.co.uk|accessdate=2008-08-13] . A 1-1 draw with Bristol Rovers four days later saw the club break the league record for longest winless streak, stretching it to 34 matches.

On 14 August 2008 the club finally announced the extent of the club's debt after several months of speculation. The club's new chairman, Andrew Appleby, announced that upon arrival at the club in January 2008, Derby were £31m in debt. This had been reduced by £6m to £25m in the first six months of the new boards tenure, with the aim to reduce it by a further £10m by August 2009, leaving Derby with only the £15m mortgage on the Pride Park Stadium to repaycite news
title = Mortgage is all we'll owe next year
url = http://therams.co.uk/stories/mortgage-is-all-well-owe-next-year
publisher = therams.co.uk
date = 2008-08-14] . It was also announced that £10.4m of the 2008/09 season’s £11.5m parachute payment has already been spent on players bought the previous summer. These players (such as Kenny Miller and Claude Davis) had still not completely been paid for, with Chairman of Football Adam Pearson stating that "We’ve (Derby County) still got to find £3m this month for Claude Davis, Kenny Miller, David Jones and Benny Feilhaber – so that’s another significant investment." He added that "At the minute, the wages are circa £2.5m more than where I’d like them to be on an annual basis, so that needs taking care of."

References

External links

* [http://beehive.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/dcfchistory/ Derby County History]
* [http://homepage.ntlworld.com/steveeyre/kits.htm Derby County Shirt History]