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Derby County evoke Sir Bobby Robson words in desperate battle for survival

2 years ago
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Derby County are in a desperate state.

So desperate, they would even welcome Mike Ashley (see below) into their club.

When we are talking how desperate Derby County and their fans actually are, it sums it up when almost certain relegation from the Championship is the least of their worries.

With the mess at the club getting ever worse, Derby County have evoked the words of a certain Sir Bobby Robson…

Derby County official Twitter account:

“What is a club in any case?

“Not the buildings or the directors or the people who are paid to represent it.

“It’s not the television contracts, get-out clauses, marketing departments or executive boxes.

“It’s the noise, the passion, the feeling of belonging, the pride in your city.

“It’s a small boy clambering up stadium steps for the very first time, gripping his father’s hand, gawping at that hallowed stretch of turf beneath and, without being able to do a thing about it, falling in love.”

Great quotes from a Newcastle United great, words that are much used to sum up what football and supporting your club is all about. Not just choosing to glory hunt and picking a successful club, then sitting back and waiting to count up the trophies ‘your’ club has won.

It is quite shameful what is allowed to happen in England when it comes to how football is run, indeed, the football authorities are possibly the only ones that give this current Government a run for their money, when it comes to being an absolute integrity-free disgrace.

It is just an absolute free for all, with owners allowed to do pretty much what they want at clubs in England, in the Premier League and below. Then if / when it all goes wrong and those owners who have caused such serious damage to their club then walk away, it is always the football fans and those now trying to save the club, who end up with the real sh.tty end of the stick. All kinds of penalties come far too late, long after the former owner(s) have left the scene, clubs left in a total mess then find themselves having points deductions, fines, transfer embargoes and so on.

With ultimately, those who have done nothing at all wrong, the fans, being the biggest victims.

I have no particular thoughts usually on Derby County either way, apart from that they are a football club with a lot of people who care about it, just like Newcastle United.

I can even forgive their digs below, when talking about Newcastle supporters as they discuss whether Mike Ashley would be a welcome saviour, after all, they (Derby fans) are absolutely desperate and no doubt tired and emotional as they face the possibility of losing their club altogether.

Despite seemingly doomed to relegation, Derby County have been averaging 20,496 fans at home matches, sixth highest in the Championship. In the previous season when fans were allowed (2019/20), only Leeds who got promoted managed a higher average home attendance.

Good luck to them and you would just hope that everything that can be done to save their club, will be done. Whether that is football authorities, Government / politicians, whoever.

As the Sir Bobby Robson words sum up, a football club is about far more than 90 minutes on a matchday and so many people get so much out of following their clubs, whether they are successful or not.

Derby fans commenting via their DCFCFANS message board about the possibility of Mike Ashley taking over their club:

‘Mike Ashley? Bring it on we are going off Newcastle fans thoughts on the bloke, fans that believe Newcastle should be challenging for the prem year in year out.’

‘We should not let the views of Newcastle fans determine our opinion.

They have been deluded for many years that they are a big club and should be competing in the Champions league expecting investment to suit.’

‘Well if you sat in st James Park for a big PL game you could be forgiven for thinking they were a big club. They certainly will become a big club now.’

‘Do we know why Ashley, after his torrid time with fans at Newcastle, would want to get involved with football again?’

‘Ashley was early 40s when he took over Newcastle. Nearly 60 now and looking to step down in one of his roles at the Fraser Group in May 2022. He’s on a mission to take Derby to the top.

The grief he got from Newcastle fans I think will spur him on to go one better than what they do in the future.

This could just be an unbelievable coup from somebody that knows what they are doing in so many ways.

He’s not just buying Derby as an advertising tool for one of his brands. I’m sure he can do that a lot cheaper than buying Derby County.’

‘Maybe Ashley is missing owning a club. He doesn’t exactly need the money Does he. Maybe he wants to make a better go of it without entitled fans.’

‘I would be more than happy for Mike Ashley to come in and stablise the club.’

‘Ashley is no saint but he also isn’t as bad as painted in the media and by Newcastle fans.’

‘Very few wealthy entrepreneurs, if any, have a clean ethical record.

I have no idea of the dealings of other potential buyers but Ashley’s practices are in the public domain.’

‘He gets to advertise his businesses again and gets another business he can potentially sell for hundreds of millions somewhere down the line like he did with Newcastle.’

‘He just wanted a bit of fun at Newcastle, well he can start the bounce here.’

‘You know with Ashley if he does take us over and if we do go down he will invest within limits for players to get us out and run it like clockwork .He wants us back in the prem via investment to make a profit on us , its as simple as that to him and i for one am happy with that.’

‘What if he really wants to rub salt in the wounds of newcastle fans.’

‘If I was worth £6 billion, there’s no way I’d still be working or looking for new projects.

I’d be living like a king and wouldn’t be worried about what Newcastle fans thought Of me.

That said, that’s probably the reason why I’ll never be worth £6 billion.’

‘If you look into Ashley and his football and retail dealings he doesn’t seem to be the devil incarnate and neither is he.’

‘It would be a good, cheap alternative way for Mike Ashley to advertise again.

He is about to open House of Fraser and Flannels in Derby, to add to Sports Direct. Mike Ashley will already have a big presence in our City Centre.

I have no problem with our stadium being called the Flannels Arena or House of Fraser Stadium.’

‘Newcastle fans got above themselves when first Keegan and then Bobby Robson managed them, thought they’d become a permanent fixture in the top 6, not realising that was an abberation. I wouldn’t argue that Ashley never really leveraged their potential, but he left them in the PL ffs! Look where Sunderland, if anything a club with a more illustrious history and only a marginally smaller fanbase, are!’

‘I’m hoping Mike Ashley is named preffered bidder and quick.’

‘If you read articles from around the time he took over Newcastle, they were – on a larger scale – in a very similar position to us.

The way Mike Ashley chose to stabilise them was by significant cost cutting.

Some folks seem to think that he will stabilise Derby by astute investment.

He has no track record of doing so.’

‘Our academy is successful. Newcastle’s is terrible and was before Ashley arrived. For a club Newcastle’s size, they never produce. Ashley isn’t stupid, our academy could make him more money. I’m sure on that basis, he’d be happy to fund it still.’

‘I would welcome Ashley with open arms, he has money and is a very good business man.’

‘Very happy if this is true about Mike Ashley. He’ll find a lot more support here than he did with the delusional Geordies.’

‘Newcastle supporters are the most deluded set of fans ever. It is very unlikely to happen to be fair, but imagine for a second their face if next year Derby County (owned by Mike Ashley) beat the richest club in the world in a championship fixture. The cruel beauty of the football gods at its best.’

‘A best case scenario would be if Ashley has learnt from his Geordie experience and looks to keep the fans on-side. It can’t have been fun for him over many of the past few years there being hated by all. Also he might feel like this is a chance for payback and invest so we can out perform Newcastle at least. Interesting times lie ahead.’

‘If you’re looking at cost cutting, the first place to go will likely be the academy. Don’t think Newcastle funded theirs particularly well, but I could be wrong.’

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