30 Facts About Derby County

Derby County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Derby, Derbyshire, England, which compete in EFL League One.

Derby County were one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888.

Derby County won the FA Cup in 1946, but suffered two relegations in three years to drop to the third tier for the first time in 1955.

Derby County spent 14 consecutive seasons in the Championship until they were relegated in 2022 after nearly a whole season spent in administration.

Derby County FC was formed in 1884 as an offshoot of Derbyshire County Cricket Club in an attempt to give players and supporters a winter interest as well as secure the cricket club extra revenue.

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In 1906, Steve Bloomer was sold to Middlesbrough due to financial constraints, and Derby County subsequently suffered its first ever relegation the following season, but under Jimmy Methven's management, they re-signed Bloomer and regained their First Division place in 1911.

Derby County were one of several clubs to close down after the outbreak of World War II but restarted in the early 1940s, in part due to the persistence of Jack Nicholas and Jack Webb.

Derby County went on to finish fourth in 1970, were banned from competing in Europe due to financial irregularities in 1971, and won their first ever Football League Championship in 1972.

However, Derby County's form declined towards the end of the 1970s and they went down to the Second Division in 1980 after a string of managers, including former Manchester United boss Tommy Docherty, unsettled the club trying desperately to maintain its place at the top of the First Division.

However, Derby County did manage to avoid going out of business, and they were soon under the ownership of wealthy businessman Robert Maxwell.

Derby County reached the final of the Division One playoffs that season, but were beaten by local rivals Leicester City.

McFarland was sacked a year later after Derby County missed out on the playoffs, and his replacement was Jim Smith – a manager whose track record at his previous clubs included four promotions and an FA Cup semi-final appearance.

Derby County's relegation saw the club enter a serious financial crisis, which forced them to sell many key players.

Derby County was replaced by Bolton Wanderers first team coach Phil Brown.

In January 2008, Derby County was taken over by an international investment group led by General Sports and Entertainment, with Pearson remaining as de facto chairman.

Derby County was replaced by Nigel Clough, son of former manager Brian Clough.

Morris initially oversaw a level of spending unprecedented in Derby County's history, breaking the club's transfer record four times in his first three years, but oversaw an equally unprecedented managerial turnover, with nine managers in six years from June 2015.

Meanwhile, and subject to completion of international paperwork, Derby County sold Polish international winger, Kamil Jozwiak, to US MLS side Charlotte FC for £2 million - funds that would help the club survive to the end of the season.

On 6 April 2022, with the club nine points from safety with six matches remaining, Chris Kirchner was confirmed by Quantuma as the preferred bidder, having recently renewed interest in Derby County following a failed attempt to buy Championship rivals Preston North End.

Until the sale was agreed, and EFL checks had been completed, Derby County remained under a transfer embargo, with only five first-team players contracted beyond June 2022.

Derby County's mascot is a ram named Rammie, who works to maintain the club's links with fans and the East Midlands in general, such as school visits to promote literacy and charity events.

Derby County returned from a 10-year exile on 3 October 2015 at a home match against Brentford.

Derby County hold the unique distinction of being the only club to have had three home grounds host full England internationals.

Derby County is often acknowledged as a "passionate football town" by rival supporters and the press alike.

Forest, based in Nottingham, 14 miles east of Derby County, are by far the fiercest rivals; a 2008 survey named the rivalry the 11th-largest in English football, revealing that nine out of 10 fans from both clubs point to the other as their fiercest rival, whilst a 2020 survey listed it joint-12th.

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Derby County themselves appeared in the top fives of Forest, Leicester, Burton Albion, Leeds and Stoke.

Derby County's academy, called Moor Farm, is a purpose-built complex situated near the city suburb of Oakwood.

Derby County sits ahead of Ron Webster, who played 535 times for the club, often in the same team as Hector.

Derby County is over 100 goals ahead of second in the list Kevin Hector, who netted 201 goals for the club.

The record attendance at Pride Park for a competitive Derby County match is 33,378 for a Premier League match against Liverpool on 18 March 2000.