Time to big up the Rams
After our frankly pathetic tilt at the Premier league this season, Derby County have been laughed at, lambasted and humiliated by anyone and everyone in the football world. We will be relegated in a couple of weeks and our primary focus now is Sunderland's worst ever premier league points tally (15) and getting the bones of a team together ready for a full on promotion tilt next season.
Can someone explain then why we have the 12th best average attendance in the Premier league, why every away game is sold out weeks in advance and why the general mood amongst Rams fans is one of positivity?
The answer is that Derby is a football town. Everyone in Derby supports Derby, everyone who lives in Derby but doesn't go to the game follows Derby. The local media is wall to wall Derby County coverage (it helps that the club is generally an ongoing soap opera) and pretty much all Derby fans eat, sleep , breath Derby County. This is not a club that has to rely on 'floaters' (stand up Sunderland and Middlesborough).
I got married a few weeks ago and the night before, I went out for a pint with my Dad, brother and three of my mates. The majority of the evenings conversation revolved around what away games we were doing up to the end of the season and how cut price tickets could be scored for forthcoming home games (exclusive to those without season tickets). The fact that Derby are highly likely to lose the majority of these games, or at least very unlikely to win, didn't seem to concern anyone.
This Rams unbelievable support is the main reason why we have managed to score American investment and the financial future of the Rams is secure for years. If, as is the plan, we bounce back next season then the sky's the limit - actually, being realistic, perhaps the top ten of the Premier league is the limit !
When Fulham go down they will not be in the Premier league for a long time, when Wigan eventually go down they will never come back, when Mark Hughes leaves Blackburn they will plummet etc. The list goes on.
Derby County is a proper football club and, no matter how derisory our efforts have been this year, we have significantly more going for us than many teams currently above us in the Premier league.
Come on you Rams!
C Spaceram
www.ramspace.co.uk
Rick's got a point here, you try to do the right thing and support your local "smaller club" but then get stick because we're not as big as others in town or the north-west!
Posted by: Yoshi | February 11, 2008 at 04:38 PM
Sunderland,floating fans? A few average attendance stats (boring I know but they prove a point) - 07/08- Derby - 32,148, Sun - 42,378, 06/07- Derby - 25,945, Sun - 31,887. When Sunderland finished the season with 15 points? - 33,904. When Sunderland finished the season with 19 points? - 39,698. It's worth noting that in the dreaded "15 Point Season" we managed to lose or draw the first 18 home games...Entertaining.
Posted by: Alan | February 11, 2008 at 01:33 PM
oi!
Why aren't Fulham a proper football club?
I was really enjoying your article until that bombshell.
Roy's got us well set up now. No guarantees, but we're playing properly with proper players.
I would guess that our attendances will plummet if we drop, but that needn't affect what happens on the pitch. Auxerre get by with 6,000 every week in France, no reason why we can't win with 16,000.
Posted by: rich | February 11, 2008 at 11:58 AM
I have to say I have been impressed by the support Derby fans have given their team considering what the team is putting them through. Being a Sunderland supporter I can also sympathise with how they are feeling.
I do find your comment calling Sunderland supporters floaters a bit off though. Being described as something resembling a soggy crumb of a crisp floating in a pint is a bit wrong.
We also sell out our away games despite the fact we haven't won one this season and lost the last 9!
Last season in the championship we had the 3rd or 4th highest attendances in the country most weekends, (not bad for a chasmpionship side) only falling behind Man U, Arsenal etc. I think you'll find Wigan and Bolton with their barely there crowds are the real 'floaters' even Boro have more in one stand than they do in their respective grounds.
Take your impending relegation with a bit of dignity. PS try not to pass 14 points please
Posted by: Tim Sunderland Supporter | February 11, 2008 at 11:36 AM
I was at the game on sat. What showed up to me as a Spurs fan is what fantastic support Derby have, what a FANTASTIC ground. They will be back. Meanwhile we at Spurs are STILL in a 1920's ground with post's in the way of viewing. Come on Levy spend money and bring the ground up to date NOW Knock it down and build a new one 70 thousand+ then we might be able to compeat with the big boys again
Posted by: stepan bedrossian | February 11, 2008 at 11:16 AM