Derby County Memories

The Watney Mann Invitation Cup (the Watney Cup to supporters) was a pre-season tournament held in the early 1970s contested by the two highest scoring teams in the four divisions of the Football League the previous season that had not been promoted or involved in European competition. Sponsored by the Watney Mann brewery, it was the first tournament in England to sell its naming rights. The Rams were invited to take part in the inaugural competition and faced Fulham at Craven Cottage in the first round…

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All in the Game was a football skills competition broadcast on ITV between 1976-1977 that featured players from English and Scottish clubs competing in ‘It’s a Knock-Out’ style events. The show was devised by the then Bristol City manager, Alan Dicks, who was convinced that the theme could be used to help City financially in their push to the First Division. The four preliminary rounds, two semi-finals and final were shown by ITV in seven 30 minute programmes in July…

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Back in my days editing The Ram between 2008/09 and 2010/11, it often felt like it was just deadline after deadline because of how a programme production week was structured. And to a certain extent that’s because it was, as we had to do a section each day in order to stick to print schedules. Tuesday and Wednesday were when we completed the vast majority of each edition, and that’s where you’re reliant on other departments for ensuring that their…

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A couple of years ago when scanning programme covers I came across the Charlton v Derby January 1965 issue which had the back page neatly cut out. Assuming it had been damaged by a previous owner removing a form, or perhaps a photo of a favourite player, I thought nothing of it, added it to my spares pile and made a note to buy a replacement. Several months later a copy was purchased on eBay but when it arrived the…

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On Saturday 26 January 2019 the Rams play Accrington Stanley, currently 14th in League One, in the fourth round of the FA Cup at the Crown Ground (known as the Wham Stadium under a sponsorship deal). Having come back from 2-0 down at home to Southampton in round 3 to draw 2-2, Derby needed extra-time and penalties in the televised replay to beat the Saints at St Mary’s Stadium after another 2-2 draw. According to Accrington Stanley’s official website, the…

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Determining a value for any type of memorabilia, especially for scarce football collectables, can be a difficult task. Rare items often command high prices when sold at auction or on eBay and are worth whatever a buyer is prepared to pay at that point in time. Derby County Memories have recorded the sale prices of selected Rams-related memorabilia sold on the open market over the last five years, which includes programmes, tickets, shirts, badges, and property owned by former Derby…

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Derby County’s first Christmas game was at home to Bolton Wanderers at the County Ground on Boxing Day 1888. Until Bolton were relegated in 1899 they provided the Christmas opposition every year; in 11 meetings, the Rams won six to Bolton’s one. Derby’s first league game on Christmas Day was in 1894, a 4-1 win at Sheffield United. Two years later, the first Christmas Day fixture at the Baseball Ground saw Steve Bloomer hit a hat-trick in an 8-1 win…

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Items from the Gerald Mortimer Collection sold for a combined price of over £25,000 at Hansons Auctioneers in Etwall on Friday 31 August 2018. A Derby County directors’ minutes book from 1888, the year the Football League was formed, was bought by the club for £4000 (estimate £1000-£2000). It is now on display at Pride Park along with a 1934 supper card commemorating the club’s jubilee, also bought by Derby County, selling for £400. The card is signed by 8…

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On August 31, Hansons Auctioneers in Etwall are selling items from Gerald Mortimer’s collection which includes letters relating to the controversial dismissal of Brian Clough and Peter Taylor in 1973. Mortimer, who died aged 77 in 2013, reported on the Rams for the Derby Telegraph from 1970 until he retired in 2002. He kept all letters, programmes and memorabilia relating to his career and developed a close personal relationship with Clough and Taylor. One of the lots for sale at…

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Derby travel to Boundary Park on Tuesday to play Oldham Athletic in the first round of the Carabao Cup. In this article, Steve McGhee looks back at the Rams’ first real success in this competition. Under its various sponsored guises, the Football League Cup is now a well-established feature of any season but, back in 1960, when it was first played for, the brainwave of then Football League secretary Alan Hardaker was met by a tide of apathy and concern…

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