Memries of Derby

[grafikhaus]

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Incredibly for the fifth consecutive match (Preston, Aston Villa, Sunderland, Bolton and now Derby County) our first league meeting came in the 1893 season. Here is the final table for the 1893-94 season.

To date, The Blades and Derby County have met 101 times in the League. An unexceptional provincial club, this was all to change with the arrival of Brian Clough and his assistant, Peter Taylor in 1967. Derby County had been rooted in the Second Division for a decade before Clough's arrival, and had been outside the top flight for a further five years, their only major trophy being the FA Cup in 1946. A series of astute signings, including Roy McFarland, John O'Hare, John McGovern and Alan Hinton paved the way for winning the Second Division Championship title in 1968-69 and then top-flight Championship in 1971-72.

Clough left Derby in October 1973 and had brief spells at Brighton & Hove Albion and a 44-day tenure at Leeds United before alighting at Nottingham Forest in January 1975, where he stayed for eight years.

Once again, Clough totally transformed a middling East Midland team winning (among others) the top-flight Championship, The League Cup five times and The European Cup twice. Clough’s managerial career ended sadly with a descent into alcoholism. He took his penultimate home game at The City Ground on 1st May, 1993 where the Blades won 2-0.

Most of Clough’s success came at The Baseball Ground, a cramped ‘old-school’ ground where the pitch was more mud than grass and defeat (and a good ruck!) was almost guaranteed! (In fact, United faced a Clough-led Derby five times in all competitions at the Baseball Ground…and lost all six). In July 1997, Derby moved to their current home, Pride Park.

Baseball Ground​

Recent meetings with The Rams are:



Full list


Our most recent meeting was on 26th August, 2017 when the Blades won 3-1 at Bramall Lane with a brace from Billy Sharp and an own goal by Derby’s Russell.

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And here’s a decent vlog from a Derby fans perspective:

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On 15th April, 2005, Derby secured a narrow 0-1 win at Bramall Lane with a first-half goal from Theo Robinson to defeat Neil Warnock’s Blades in this second-tier (Division One) match. Three games later and the 2004-05 season finished with the Blades in eighth place.

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The Blades won 3-2 at The Baseball Ground on 4th February, 1995. Carl Veart scored twice and Dane Whitehouse got the other for Dave Bassett’s side in front of just 15,882:

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On 7th October 1995, Derby again triumphed at Bramall Lane, 0-2 in this Division One match. The crowd? Just 12,721.

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[grafikhaus]

…and on 2nd December, 1995 Derby won at home against the Blades 2-4 (Blake & Veart for United). This was the last time that the Blades played at The Baseball Ground. Ten days later, manager Dave Bassett left (12th December) after seven eventful years and – the very next day – Howard Kendall was installed as United manager.

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26th January, 1991 saw the Blades triumph at Bramall Lane 1-0 in this top-flight meeting. Glyn Hodges got the only goal. Featuring for Derby were Peter Shilton, Mark Wright, Mick Harford and Dean Saunders. Our manager was Dave Bassett.

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On 29th August, 1990 a Brian Deane equaliser saw us share the spoils at the Baseball Ground 1-1. Only the second game of the 1990-91 in the top flight, Brian Deane scored the only goal for Bassett’s side.

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On 25th April, 1987 a Phil Gee goal saw Derby triumph at Bramall Lane 0-1. United were back in the second-tier (we’d finish the season in 9th place and Derby went up as Champions). These were grim times for United with Billy McEwan in charge.

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The opening day of the 1975-76 season - 16th August – saw Bramall Lane host Derby in the top flight and in front of the newly-opened South Stand. 25,438 watched as United drew 1-1 in bright sunshine (our scorer was Keith Eddy with a second-half penalty). However, this season in the top flight would end badly as the Blades finished rock-bottom on 22 points (two points for a win back then), eleven points from safety. Manager Ken Furphy had only ten more games in charge before being replaced – temporarily – by Cec Coldwell before Jimmy Sirrel took the helm in October 1975.

In the return fixture on 20th December 1975, United lost 2-3. Charlie George scored for Derby and Derby’s winner came from an own goal by United’s Paul Garner. Look out for two screamers from Alan Woodward!

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[grafikhaus]

The Blades played Derby County in the top tier on 17th November 1973. The Blades won at Bramall Lane (Flynn, Woodward, Colquhoun) 3-0 despite County fielding a strong side that included Roy McFarland, Archie Gemmill and Kevin Hector. The legendary United manager John Harris had just one more game left in charge before being replaced by Ken Furphy.

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8th April, 1972 saw United lose 0-4 at home to Brian Clough’s Derby. United had a fabulous side back then. We had won promotion back to the top flight the previous season and this was reflected in our crowds. John Harris’s team started the season unbeaten in ten games (eight wins, two draws) before losing 0-2 at Old Trafford, a game which saw George Best score that goal. Falling away after that incredible start, the Blades would finish the season in tenth place. 38,238 were in the crowd for this clash against Derby - no doubt boosted by a large following of away fans who, just four games later, were crowned Division One Champions.

United team: Hope, Badger, Hemsley, Mackenzie, Colquhoun, Salmons, Woodward, Scullion, Dearden, Holmes, Ford. (Currie was injured).
Derby Team: Boulton, Webster, Todd, McFarland, Robson, Durban, Gemmill, McGovern, Hinton, Hector, O’Hare.

This clip is from London Weekend Television’s ‘The Perfect Match’ programme and is hosted by George Best and Rodney Marsh, commentary by Keith Macklin:

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On 28th October, 1972 United lost 1-2 at the Baseball Ground in League One – Currie scoring for the Blades:

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On 20th November, 1971 the Blades lost – as usual back then – at the Baseball Ground 0-3. 35,326 watched this game as a superb Derby side - managed by Brian Clough - would finish the season as Champions.

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To date, our League results against Derby read:

Home: P: 51 W: 30 D: 9 L: 12 F: 90 A: 59

Away: P: 50 W: 13 D: 6 L: 31 F: 59 A: 101

Form Guide:

With five wins and one draw from the last six league games, Derby are at number one in the form guide – United are in 21st position:

Full list


Men to watch:

Derby have quality all over the pitch and I think this will be our sternest test this season.

View attachment 34873View attachment 34874View attachment 34875View attachment 34876 View attachment 34877

Scott Carson, Darren Bent, Bradley Johnson,


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Matej Vydra, Sam Winnall, David Nugent



Tom Huddlestone



Scott Carson, Darren Bent, Bradley Johnson,



Matej Vydra, Sam Winnall, David Nugent



Tom Huddlestone

Top scorers 2017-18:

Matej Vydra – 11 goals

David Nugent – 6 goals

Bradley Johnson – 4 goals

Sam Winnall – 4 goals


Full List

 

[Champagneblade]

Now would be a good time to get an unexpected win.

It’s a genuine six-pointer.

They win, distance between us and second is 10 points. We win and it’s 4 and after yesterday’s debacle ought to have been one.

I’m not hopeful though on current form. We’ve not pulled any unexpected or surprising wins out for some time. Visits to places like Norwich and Derby looked like possible wins before Coutts’ injury. Now, not so much.

 

[benn5712]

Memory keeps telling me that in the 70's we beat Cloughie's Derby 3 -1 at BDTBL.
Still in 't 70's they well and truly beat us 4 - 1 at the Baseball ground.
Woody scored a brilliant consolation goal. Cut in from right, beat two defenders and curved the ball past goyalie.
The ball wedged itsen between the netting and metal framework thingy.
Pick that out !
And they had to.

 

[grafikhaus]

Just semi-remembered another one. In the 2007-08 Premier League (the season after we were relegated from the PL), Derby's egregious manager - Billy Davies - had set a record for the lowest-ever points total in the PL - 11 points. They won one match, beating Newcastle 1-0 at Pride Park in September thanks to a Kenny Miller screamer, but that was it. They drew eight and lost 29, conceding 89 goals and scoring just 20. Davies was sacked in November and replaced with the equally-dire Paul Jewell.

Jewells Summer reconstruction of the squad seeing 16 players come in and 12 leave. However, things did not go to plan and the club spent the majority of the season in the lower reaches of the table. They were bottom of the league going into the August international break, after a 2-0 defeat away to Barnsley left the club with a single point from the first four games of the season. A 2-1 win over Sheffield United was the club's first league win in almost a year, bringing to an end of a 38-game winless sequence. (The Blades are very good at ending these winless runs..)

 

[Tunstall Fred]

The freezing cold night at Pride Park,we won 1-0 thanks to Badbuys header and Paddys penalty save

 

[grafikhaus]

Memory keeps telling me that in the 70's we beat Cloughie's Derby 3 -1 at BDTBL.

24th March, 1973. Blades 3 v Derby 1 (Dearden (2), Bone - Roger Davies for Derby). Crowd 24,403. In the top flight. And yes, Brian Clough was manager but would leave in October 1973 (with Peter Taylor) to join Brighton & Hove Albion.

 

[ZoneManWilf]

The 4-2 loss at The Baseball Ground in 1995. Was a horrible atmosphere in the away end. Blades fighting Blades as Bassett's era came to an ignominious end.

 

[Silent Blade]

24th March, 1973. Blades 3 v Derby 1 (Dearden (2), Bone - Roger Davies for Derby). Crowd 24,403. In the top flight. And yes, Brian Clough was manager but would leave in October 1973 (with Peter Taylor) to join Brighton & Hove Albion.

They were due to play against Juventus in the 2 legged European Cup semi final the following month

Dearden



Bone

 

[Silent Blade]

Clinching promotion with a 3-1 against Derby in April 1961

 

[Minty]

The freezing cold night at Pride Park,we won 1-0 thanks to Badbuys header and Paddys penalty save

Yep, remember that well. Also remember an equally cold night a season or two before that one. It was scheduled for a Sat pm kick off and half way there on the M1 and heard on the radio that it was off due to frozen pitch. The rearranged game was soon after on a freezing night - I think we lost 1-0.

 

[Silent Blade]

1899 FA Cup final

Billy Beer scoring the 2nd goal

 

[snootyfenooty]

The only thing I remember about the Baseball Ground is getting crushed half to death every time I went. An old "traditional" ground it wasn't. It was a fucking dump.

 

[Bladebri]

Woodward certainly knew how to score great goals against them.

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

The only thing I remember about the Baseball Ground is getting crushed half to death every time I went. An old "traditional" ground it wasn't. It was a fucking dump.

Yes, I was at the '71 game when we got battered and it was the worst crush I've ever been in.

A young copper effectively got trapped in the middle of our fans and after about ten minutes completely lost it, started screaming at us and threatened to draw his truncheon. A couple of blokes near me forcefully pointed out that we weren't to blame and that he better shut the fuck up - which he did.

 

[grafikhaus]

They were due to play against Juventus in the 2 legged European Cup semi final the following month

And Cloughie responded in his usual forthright, drink befuddled way:

That season, Derby failed to retain their title, finishing seventh, but reached the semi-finals of the European Cup in April 1973, when they were knocked out by Juventus 3–1 on aggregate. After the game, Clough emerged from the dressing room and told the expectant Italian reporters "No cheating bastards do I talk to. I will not talk to any cheating bastards" and then questioned the Italian nation's courage in the Second World War.

Different strokes back then. Mourinho gets away with as bad nowadays, but has his own sly, underhand way of doing it.

 

[United Aren't Back.]

Tom McAlister saved 3 pens against Derby across 2 matches, both lost.

 

[raul]

ARCHIE GEMMILL!

 

[DifferentClass]

24th March, 1973. Blades 3 v Derby 1 (Dearden (2), Bone - Roger Davies for Derby). Crowd 24,403. In the top flight. And yes, Brian Clough was manager but would leave in October 1973 (with Peter Taylor) to join Brighton & Hove Albion.

Clough leaving to join Brighton would be like Pep leaving to join Shrewsbury now.

 

[SE1Blade]

I remember winning 3-2 at the baseball ground mid 90’s. Whitehouse got 2. We had Billy Mercer in goal.

 

[SE1Blade]

I remember winning 3-2 at the baseball ground mid 90’s. Whitehouse got 2. We had Billy Mercer in goal.

Correction: Veart got 2, Whitehouse the other.

 

[DaveBassettsgoneonholiday]

Correction: Veart got 2, Whitehouse the other.

I think at the time it was our first victory there for about 40 years which even pre dated me, now in itself that match is 35 years ago !!
We were stood on the Pop Side and randomly coming out one of their lot bitterly hoped we'd get stuck in the M1 for hours going home, not that we did as we lived in Belper at the time.

 

[DaveBassettsgoneonholiday]

30 years ago, not 35