Derby County Football Club is a professional football club based at Pride Park Stadium in Derby, England, playing in the Football League Championship.
The club was founded in 1884 and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888. It is therefore one of only eleven clubs to have appeared in every season of league football since its inception. Derby's competitive history includes two spells as English League Champions, one FA Cup title and an appearance in the European Cup semi-finals. The club is nicknamed The Rams in tribute to its links with The First Regiment of Derby Militia, which took a ram as its mascot and the song The Derby Ram as its regimental song
Derby County's relegation saw the club enter a serious financial crisis, which forced them to sell many key players. Gregory was later suspended from his managerial duties over alleged misconduct[citation needed] and former Ipswich Town boss George Burley was brought in temporarily. He later received the job on a permanent basis, after turning the club's playing fortunes around.
The club's parent company went into liquidation in October 2003 and chairman Lionel Pickering, who had presided over the club's promotion and Premiership seasons but was suffering from ill health, gave way to a new board led by Yorkshire solicitor John Sleightholme, who bought the club for £1, despite interest from a local consortium led by former club director Peter Gadsby. Derby finished 20th in the 2003-2004 season, but improved dramatically in the 2004-2005 season and finished 4th in the Football League Championship, qualifying for a promotion play-off spot. They lost in the semi-finals to Preston North End.
Soon afterwards, Burley resigned citing differences between himself and the board. He was replaced by Bolton first team coach,Phil Brown. Brown failed to find much success in the job, however, and was sacked in January 2006, after a bad run of results. Terry Westley, the academy coach at the time, took over first team duties until the end of the season and saved Derby from relegation.
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 court case against three members of that board and two advisors, alleging irregularities involving club finances, is still pending two years later.
A 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 at the new Wembley Stadium to secure a return to the Premier League and the associated £60m windfall.
Despite Derby's promotion, however, there were persistent rumours of a row between Davies and the Managing Director Mike Horton over the appointment of an assistant for Davies and unrest between board members. On 5 June 2007, Horton resigned from his position on the board, and he was followed shortly afterwards by Jill Marples and her husband Peter Marples. Horton claimed at the time that his departure was for family and business reasons, whilst the Marples departure was put down to the death of a family friend in a helicopter accident . With the departure of Horton and the two Marples, the remaining directors appointed 4 new members to the Board. Experienced football executive Trevor Birch came in as Chief Executive, Martin Ridgeway as Financial Director & Company Secretary, John Vicars as Operations Director and Steve Coakley as Commercial Director.
In October 2007, Peter Gadsby stepped down as Chairman to be replaced by former Hull City owner Adam Pearson. After a poor start to the season, manager Billy Davies left by mutual consent in November. He was succeeded by Paul Jewell, who failed to save the club from relegation. Derby became the first club to be relegated from the Premier League in March, recorded the Premier League's lowest-ever points total and equalled Loughborough's 108-year Football League record of going through an entire season with only one win.
Derby's match at home to Sheffield United on 13 September 2008 generated much media coverage as it was approaching a year since Derby's last league win, a run which saw the club break the English league record for most matches without a win. Just four days short of the anniversary of the 1-0 win over Newcastle, Rob Hulse scored against his former club as Derby ran out 2-1 winners, earning Paul Jewell his first league win as Derby boss at his 27th attempt. Despite taking the club to the League Cup Semi final, the clubs first major cup semi final since 1978, where Derby lost 4-3 to Manchester United over two legs, Jewell resigned as manager in December 2008.and was replaced by Nigel Clough, son of the club's legendary manager Brian.
New football club
The club was founded in 1884 and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888. It is therefore one of only eleven clubs to have appeared in every season of league football since its inception. Derby's competitive history includes two spells as English League Champions, one FA Cup title and an appearance in the European Cup semi-finals. The club is nicknamed The Rams in tribute to its links with The First Regiment of Derby Militia, which took a ram as its mascot and the song The Derby Ram as its regimental song
Derby County's relegation saw the club enter a serious financial crisis, which forced them to sell many key players. Gregory was later suspended from his managerial duties over alleged misconduct[citation needed] and former Ipswich Town boss George Burley was brought in temporarily. He later received the job on a permanent basis, after turning the club's playing fortunes around.
The club's parent company went into liquidation in October 2003 and chairman Lionel Pickering, who had presided over the club's promotion and Premiership seasons but was suffering from ill health, gave way to a new board led by Yorkshire solicitor John Sleightholme, who bought the club for £1, despite interest from a local consortium led by former club director Peter Gadsby. Derby finished 20th in the 2003-2004 season, but improved dramatically in the 2004-2005 season and finished 4th in the Football League Championship, qualifying for a promotion play-off spot. They lost in the semi-finals to Preston North End.
Soon afterwards, Burley resigned citing differences between himself and the board. He was replaced by Bolton first team coach,Phil Brown. Brown failed to find much success in the job, however, and was sacked in January 2006, after a bad run of results. Terry Westley, the academy coach at the time, took over first team duties until the end of the season and saved Derby from relegation.
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 court case against three members of that board and two advisors, alleging irregularities involving club finances, is still pending two years later.
A 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 at the new Wembley Stadium to secure a return to the Premier League and the associated £60m windfall.
Despite Derby's promotion, however, there were persistent rumours of a row between Davies and the Managing Director Mike Horton over the appointment of an assistant for Davies and unrest between board members. On 5 June 2007, Horton resigned from his position on the board, and he was followed shortly afterwards by Jill Marples and her husband Peter Marples. Horton claimed at the time that his departure was for family and business reasons, whilst the Marples departure was put down to the death of a family friend in a helicopter accident . With the departure of Horton and the two Marples, the remaining directors appointed 4 new members to the Board. Experienced football executive Trevor Birch came in as Chief Executive, Martin Ridgeway as Financial Director & Company Secretary, John Vicars as Operations Director and Steve Coakley as Commercial Director.
In October 2007, Peter Gadsby stepped down as Chairman to be replaced by former Hull City owner Adam Pearson. After a poor start to the season, manager Billy Davies left by mutual consent in November. He was succeeded by Paul Jewell, who failed to save the club from relegation. Derby became the first club to be relegated from the Premier League in March, recorded the Premier League's lowest-ever points total and equalled Loughborough's 108-year Football League record of going through an entire season with only one win.
Derby's match at home to Sheffield United on 13 September 2008 generated much media coverage as it was approaching a year since Derby's last league win, a run which saw the club break the English league record for most matches without a win. Just four days short of the anniversary of the 1-0 win over Newcastle, Rob Hulse scored against his former club as Derby ran out 2-1 winners, earning Paul Jewell his first league win as Derby boss at his 27th attempt. Despite taking the club to the League Cup Semi final, the clubs first major cup semi final since 1978, where Derby lost 4-3 to Manchester United over two legs, Jewell resigned as manager in December 2008.and was replaced by Nigel Clough, son of the club's legendary manager Brian.
New football club
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