Derby County v Southampton

5 PEOPLE
HAVE AN
OUT-OF-HOSPITAL
CARDIAC
ARREST
EVERY 90 MINUTES *
In partnership with
*UK data

DERBY COUNTY FOOTBALL CLUB
Pride Park Stadium, Pride Park,
Derby, DE24 8XL
Club Telephone Number 0871 472 1884*
*0871 numbers are charged at 13p per
minute plus your mobile phone provider
access charge.
E Derby.County@dcfc.co.uk
D dcfc.co.uk
E Supporter Liaison Officer slo@dcfc.co.uk
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Director - David Clowes
Director - Richard Tavernor
FOOTBALL STAFF
Head Coach - John Eustace
Assistant Head Coach - Matt Gardiner
First Team Coach - Keith Downing
Head of Goalkeeping - Paul Clements
Senior Transition Coach - Jake Buxton
Sports Science & Medicine Lead - Rob Price
Academy Manager - Matt Hale
CLUB STAFF
Chief Executive Officer - Stephen Pearce
Head of Football Administration - Clare Morris
Chief Operating Officer - Simon Carnall
Chief Commercial Officer - Dave Biggar
Chief Financial Officer - John Taylor
Head of Safety & Operations - Nigel Wood
Club Ambassadors - Roy McFarland,
Roger Davies, Hannah Ward
THE RAM
The official match programme of Derby County
Football Club is produced by Ignition Sports
Media. Please visit ignitionsportsmedia.com
for subscriptions and back copies.
Printed by Stephens & George Print Group
MATCHDAY TEXT SERVICE
On a matchday you can report any
incidents or concerns directly to Derby
County Match Control. This includes the
use of discriminatory language, anti-social
behaviour, or any Health & Safety concerns.
You must start your text with DCFC, then
add your message and send to 88440.
Please include as much information as
possible, including the stand, row, seat
number and names where possible.
GROUND REGULATIONS
Entry to Pride Park Stadium
is subject to adherence to the
Club’s Ground Regulations, a
copy of the latest version can be
found by scanning this QR code.
WELCOME
BACK!
IT’S BEEN BACK-TO-BACK HOME GAMES
AT PRIDE PARK STADIUM THIS WEEK
AND TODAY DERBY COUNTY WELCOMES
OUR OPPONENTS SOUTHAMPTON AND
ALL SUPPORTERS.
Today’s fixture is the 73rd first team meeting between
the clubs, the first being an FA Cup tie in 1899. The last
meeting was also an FA Cup tie in 2019 with the sides
sharing a 2-2 draw at Pride Park in a Third Round tie
and repeating the scoreline in the replay at St Mary’s;
Derby eventually went through on a penalty shoot-out.
However, the clubs have not shared the same division
very often in recent years, in fact this afternoon’s
match is the first league meeting at Pride Park in
14 years. The last time the Saints were here for a
Championship game was 15th October 2011 with the
game ending 1-1 after an inspired performance from
Rams goalkeeper Frank Fielding.
Fielding made a string of saves before being beaten
by Rickie Lambert, who fired in low from the edge of
the box. Lambert’s 11th goal of the season cancelled
out Theo Robinson’s opener, which came after just
three minutes.
Southampton, who were league leaders at the time
of the game, finished the season in second and were
promoted with Reading and West Ham United, while
Derby ended the campaign in 12th spot, nine points off
the play-offs.
HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD:
DERBY WINS: 28 (best: 6-2 (h), twice)
THE RAM
SOUTHAMPTON WINS: 20 (best: 5-0 (h), twice)
GAMES DRAWN: 24 (last: 2-2 (a), 16th January 2019)
3

4
THE RAM

THE RAM
FROM THE HEAD COACH
JOHN EUSTACE
DERBY COUNTY’S HEAD COACH JOHN EUSTACE GIVES HIS
PRE-MATCH THOUGHTS AHEAD OF TODAY'S GAME.
Another busy three-game week in the
lead-up to the second international
break of the season is almost done and
dusted and we will need one more big
effort from everyone associated with
Derby County against Southampton
today before the two-week wait ahead of
our next Championship fixture.
Following the 1-1 draw against Wrexham
last Saturday, we were back at Pride Park
on Tuesday against Charlton Athletic
and once again we came from behind
to earn ourselves another point thanks
to Matt Clarke’s second-half header. We
were disappointed with how we played
in spells during the first half and how
we fell behind, but we were much better
after half-time and had chances in the
second 45 to get the three points.
The character of the group was once
again there for everyone to see and we
are making gradual steps in the right
direction, picking up points along the way.
We just need to be a bit more ruthless
and better in our decision making in the
final third, which is something we will
continue to work hard on.
When we return to action following this
month’s international window, we expect
to have the likes of Rhian Brewster,
Sondre Langas, Owen Beck and Corey
Blackett-Taylor back in contention to
feature in the matchday squad and
that will be another boost to the group,
providing further competition for places.
We want the players continually pushing
each other and we value the entire squad,
with the brilliant character and spirit we
have, as everyone will be required over
the course of the season. When we do
get under way again later this month,
we’re straight into a three-game week
once again so we will ensure we manage
the squad accordingly to take on the
challenges we will face against Oxford
United, Norwich City and Queens Park
Rangers.
The international period will give us more
time with the players who aren’t heading
away on duty with their countries, so
that will be valuable work on the training
ground and getting more training minutes
and, where possible, match time into
those that need them from a sharpness
perspective. In an ideal world, you’d have
the whole squad back at Moor Farm, but it
is also brilliant to have our players called
up for international duty and representing
Derby County across the world.
This afternoon’s fixture sees us take on
a strong Southampton side that will no
doubt be in the running for promotion
back to the Premier League come the end
of the campaign. Will Still has a strong
squad to call upon, with plenty of Premier
League and Championship experience,
and they will provide us with a difficult
test today.
We are making steps in the right direction
and, as I have said on a regular basis,
we need to be patient with the group as
things come together. A big overhaul of
the squad took place during the summer,
which we felt was needed, to build a
strong group for the season and those
relationships on the pitch do take a little
bit of time to click. We are getting there
and with the incredible support we have,
it really does make a difference.
Thank you for your support and enjoy
the game.
John Eustace
5

THE RAM
MATCH REPORT
DERBY COUNTY 1
CHARLTON ATHLETIC 1
TUE 30TH SEP 2025 – PRIDE PARK STADIUM – ATTENDANCE: 25,966
The Rams had to settle for
a point against Charlton
Athletic at Pride Park
Stadium on Tuesday evening
after they came from behind
to earn a 1-1 draw for the
second game in a row.
James Bree broke the
deadlock in the 36th
minute with an unstoppable
half-volley from close range
to put Charlton ahead
following a swift and incisive
counter-attack.
Matt Clarke brought the Rams
back level with a headed goal
in the 79th minute - his third
in a Derby shirt and first of
the campaign.
Late chances for both sides
came and went as the spoils
were shared under the
floodlights.
THE RAMS
LINE-UP
01 J. WIDELL ZETTERSTRÖM
22 M. JOHNSTON
28 D. SANDERSON
05 M. CLARKE
20 C. ELDER
27 L. TRAVIS
32 E. ADAMS
42 B. CLARK
09 C. MORRIS
25 B. BRERETON DÍAZ
07 P. AGYEMANG
SUBSTITUTES
46 MINS - D. OZOH
E. ADAMS
68 MINS - A. WEIMANN
B. BRERETON DÍAZ
68 MINS - J. WARD
M. JOHNSTON
84 MINS - K. JACKSON
B. CLARK
88 MINS - L. SALVESEN
P. AGYEMANG
7

Celebrate the magic of Christmas at Pride Park Stadium,
the ultimate venue for unforgettable festive parties!
Packages
Apres Ski Lodge
Classic Christmas
Shared and Private Party night dates available this December!
To book online, please visit www.dcfc.co.uk
For more information, please contact the ClubDCFC event team on 01332 821082

THE RAM
NO. NAME SKYBET CHAMPIONSHIP CARABAO CUP EMIRATES FA CUP SEASON TOTALS
STARTS/SUBS/GOALS STARTS/SUBS/GOALS STARTS/SUBS/GOALS STARTS/SUBS/GOALS
1 Jacob Widell Zetterström 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0 0
2 Kane Wilson (left the club) 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
3 Craig Forsyth 5 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 0
4 Danny Batth 3 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 2 0
5 Matt Clarke 8 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 8 1 1
6 Sondre Langås 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 Patrick Agyemang 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0
8 Ben Osborn (out on loan) 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0
9 Carlton Morris 8 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0 4
10 Rhian Brewster 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 1
11 Corey Blackett-Taylor 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
12 Richard O’Donnell 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
14 Andi Weimann 2 6 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 3 7 1
15 Lars-Jørgen Salvesen 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
16 Liam Thompson 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 1 0
17 Kenzo Goudmijn (out on loan) 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0
18 David Ozoh 2 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 0
19 Kayden Jackson 2 4 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 3 5 0
20 Callum Elder 6 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 8 0 1
21 Jake Rooney (out on loan) 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0
22 Max Johnston 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0
23 Joe Ward 0 4 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 2 4 1
24 Ryan Nyambe 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 0
25 Ben Brereton Diaz 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 1
27 Lewis Travis 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0
28 Dion Sanderson 7 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 9 1 0
31 Josh Vickers 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0
32 Ebou Adams 8 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 9 1 1
33 Owen Beck 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
35 Curtis Nelson 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
37 Owen Eames 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
39 Dajaune Brown (out on loan) 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 0
42 Bobby Clark 4 3 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 6 3 1
44 Isaac Gordon 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
48 Lennon Wheeldon 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Yellow and Red Card counts are for those issued in Championship games only. 110 42 12
# CLUB P W D L F A +/- PTS
1 MIDDLESBROUGH 8 5 3 0 12 5 7 18
2 COVENTRY CITY 8 4 4 0 22 7 15 16
3 STOKE CITY 8 4 2 2 10 5 5 14
4 WEST BROMWICH ALBION 8 4 2 2 9 7 2 14
5 BRISTOL CITY 8 3 4 1 14 8 6 13
6 LEICESTER CITY 8 3 4 1 10 7 3 13
7 PRESTON NORTH END 8 3 4 1 9 7 2 13
8 SWANSEA CITY 8 3 3 2 9 7 2 12
9 CHARLTON ATHLETIC 8 3 3 2 8 6 2 12
10 QUEENS PARK RANGERS 8 3 3 2 11 13 -2 12
11 BIRMINGHAM CITY 8 3 2 3 7 10 -3 11
12 MILLWALL 8 3 2 3 6 12 -6 11
13 IPSWICH TOWN 7 2 4 1 12 7 5 10
14 SOUTHAMPTON 8 2 4 2 10 11 -1 10
15 WREXHAM 8 2 3 3 13 14 -1 9
16 WATFORD 8 2 3 3 9 10 -1 9
17 PORTSMOUTH 8 2 3 3 7 9 -2 9
18 HULL CITY 8 2 3 3 13 16 -3 9
19 NORWICH CITY 8 2 2 4 10 11 -1 8
20 DERBY COUNTY 8 1 4 3 10 14 -4 7
21 OXFORD UNITED 8 1 3 4 9 11 -2 6
22 BLACKBURN ROVERS 7 2 0 5 6 10 -4 6
23 SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 8 1 3 4 8 15 -7 6
24 SHEFFIELD UNITED 8 1 0 7 3 15 -12 3
MATT CLARKE
SCORED HIS
FIRST GOAL OF
THE SEASON ON
TUESDAY EVENING
9

THE RAM
AUGUST H/A KO/ATT COMP F/A STARTING XI
SAT 9th STOKE CITY A 25,746 SBC 1-3 Zetterstrom Nyambe Batth Clarke Forsyth Jackson Goudmijn Thomps
TUE 12th WEST BROMWICH ALBION A 8,548 CC 1-1* Vickers Rooney Sanderson Forsyth Ward Goudmijn Clark Ozoh
SAT 16th COVENTRY CITY H 30,465 SBC 3-5 Zetterstrom Sanderson Batth Clarke Nyambe Thompson Ozoh Elder
FRI 22nd BRISTOL CITY H 27,849 SBC 1-1 Zetterstrom Sanderson Batth Clarke Nyambe Thompson Ozoh Elde
TUE 26th BURNLEY A 7,019 CC 1-2 Vickers Rooney Sanderson Forsyth Ward Adams Osborn Clark
SAT 30th IPSWICH TOWN A 29,155 SBC 2-2 Zetterstrom Sanderson Clarke Forsyth Johnston Travis Adams Elder
SEPTEMBER
SAT 13th WEST BROMWICH ALBION A 25,596 SBC 1-0 Zetterstrom Sanderson Clarke Forsyth Johnston Travis Adams Elde
SAT 20th PRESTON NORTH END H 29,143 SBC 0-1 Zetterstrom Sanderson Clarke Forsyth Johnston Travis Adams Elde
SAT 27th WREXHAM A 10,613 SBC 1-1 Zetterstrom Johnston Sanderson Clarke Forsyth Weimann Travis Adams
TUE 30th CHARLTON ATHLETIC H 25,966 SBC 1-1 Zetterstrom Johnston Sanderson Clarke Elder Adams Travis Clar
OCTOBER
SAT 4th SOUTHAMPTON H 15:00 SBC
SAT 18th OXFORD UNITED A 12:30 SBC
TUE 21st NORWICH CITY H 19:45 SBC
SAT 25th QUEENS PARK RANGERS H 15:00 SBC
NOVEMBER
SAT 1st SHEFFIELD UNITED A 15:00 SBC
TUE 4th HULL CITY H 19:45 SBC
SAT 8th BLACKBURN ROVERS A 12:30 SBC
SAT 22nd WATFORD H 15:00 SBC
TUE 25th SWANSEA CITY A 19:45 SBC
SAT 29th MIDDLESBROUGH A 15:00 SBC
DECEMBER
SAT 6th LEICESTER CITY H 12:30 SBC
WED 10th MILLWALL H 19:45 SBC
MON 15th SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY A 20:00 SBC
SAT 20th PORTSMOUTH H 15:00 SBC
FRI 26th BIRMINGHAM CITY A 12:30 SBC
MON 29th LEICESTER CITY A 19:45 SBC
JANUARY
THU 1st MIDDLESBROUGH H 15:00 SBC
SUN 4th WREXHAM H 15:00 SBC
SAT 17th PRESTON NORTH END A 15:00 SBC
WED 21st CHARLTON ATHLETIC A 19:45 SBC
SAT 24th WEST BROMWICH ALBION H 15:00 SBC
SAT 31st BRISTOL CITY A 15:00 SBC
FEBRUARY
SAT 7th IPSWICH TOWN H 15:00 SBC
SAT 14th SWANSEA CITY H 15:00 SBC
SAT 21st WATFORD A 15:00 SBC
TUE 24th HULL CITY A 19:45 SBC
SAT 28th BLACKBURN ROVERS H 15:00 SBC
MARCH
SAT 7th SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY H 15:00 SBC
TUE 10th MILLWALL A 19:45 SBC
SAT 14th PORTSMOUTH A 15:00 SBC
SAT 21st BIRMINGHAM CITY H 15:00 SBC
APRIL
FRI 3rd COVENTRY CITY A 15:00 SBC
MON 6th STOKE CITY H 15:00 SBC
SAT 11th SOUTHAMPTON A 15:00 SBC
SAT 18th OXFORD UNITED H 15:00 SBC
TUE 21st NORWICH CITY A 19:45 SBC
SAT 25th QUEENS PARK RANGERS A 15:00 SBC
MAY
SAT 2nd SHEFFIELD UNITED H 12:30 SBC
10
*DERBY WON 3-2 ON PENS

THE RAM
CORRECT UP TO 01.10.2025
Home games are in BOLD // SBC = Sky Bet Championship // CC = Carabao Cup //
FAC = FA Cup // FIRST SUB // SECOND SUB // THIRD SUB // FOURTH SUB // FIFTH SUB //
SIXTH SUB // Goalscorer // Yellow Card // Red Card
SUBSTITUTES
on Blackett-Taylor Adams Morris Ozoh Weimann Sanderson Brown Clark Osborn Elder Rooney Vickers
Elder Brown Weimann Batth Adams Osborn Wheeldon Jackson Eames Gordon O'Donnell Thompson
Adams Morris Jackson Clark Ward Weimann Goudmijn Brown Forsyth Osborn Rooney Vickers
r Adams Weimann Morris Clark Ward Brewster Jackson Goudmijn Forsyth Osborn Rooney Vickers
Elder Brewster Jackson Clarke Brown Thompson Weimann Wilson Goudmijn Nyambe O'Donnell Wilson
Clark Brewster Morris Ozoh Jackson Weimann Nyambe Batth Salvesen Thompson Vickers Ward
r Clark Brereton DÍaz Morris Agyemang Weimann Batth Jackson Nyambe Ozoh Salvesen Vickers Ward
r Clark Brereton DÍaz Morris Agyemang Weimann Ward Salvesen Batth Jackson Nyambe Ozoh Vickers
Brereton DÍaz Agyemang Morris Ozoh Clark Jackson Batth Nyambe Elder Salvesen Vickers Ward
k Morris Brereton DÍaz Agyemang Ozoh Ward Weimann Jackson Salvesen Batth Nyambe Forsyth Vickers
Take part in Derby
County’s Supporter
Equality Monitoring
Survey to help the club
to better understand the
composition of its fanbase.
11

12
THE RAM

THE RAM
BILLY VIGAR
(2003-2025)
REST IN PEACE
All at Derby County are
deeply saddened by
the recent passing of
Billy Vigar.
Billy spent the second
half of the 2022/23
season with the
Academy on loan
from Arsenal, making
several appearances
for the Under-21s.
A minute’s silence
was observed in
memory of Billy at
the Rams Under-
21s’ match against
Arsenal Under-21s
– both of his former
clubs – at Matlock
Town on Friday 26th
September.
The thoughts and
condolences of
everyone at the club
are with his family
and friends at this
incredibly difficult
time.
13

THE RAM
Every time you spend at Derby
County, you earn instant rewards.
Simple as that.
14

THE RAM
INTRODUCING SOUTHAMPTON, AKA:
THE SAINTS
AF TER TWO PREMIER LEAGUE RELEGATIONS IN THE LAST THREE SEASONS,
SOUTHAMPTON WILL BE HOPING THEY CAN REPEAT THE FEAT OF 2023/24
AND BOUNCE BACK TO THE TOP-FLIGHT AT THE FIRST AT TEMPT…
Life certainly hasn’t been
dull for followers of
Southampton in recent
seasons – though fans may
well crave the stability of
earlier times.
The Saints have changed
division in each of their last
three campaigns having
been top table regulars for
more than a decade before
that. In fact, Southampton
have played in 25 of the 33
completed Premier League
seasons since the league’s
incorporation in 1992.
A roller-coaster of
managerial changes has
been the backdrop to the
volatility of recent times
with current boss Will Still
being the sixth appointment
to the management hot
seat in three years. After
Ralph Hasenhüttl ended his
four-year spell in November
2022, Nathan Jones, Rubén
Sellés and Ivan Jurić each
lasted less than 20 matches
in charge. Russell Martin,
who oversaw the club’s last
promotion in 2023/24, stayed
for longer but he too left after
a tough start to last term.
Last season was a
particularly challenging one
for the Saints with only two
league victories all year.
They finished 26 points off
safety to be relegated with
12 points.
As with most relegations
from the Premier League,
the fallout has led to a
significant reshaping of the
playing squad and a change
of direction in coaching with
the club putting their faith in
talented young manager Will
Still, who is not 33 until later
this month.
Born in Belgium to British
parents, Still’s coaching
career began in Belgium with
various roles at Lierse and
Beerschot before moving
to France to join Reims,
becoming the youngest
manager in Europe’s top five
leagues when he took charge
at 30 years old.
He enjoyed great success
there, which led to him
taking over at Lens in June
last year before accepting
the Southampton job this
summer.
After receiving around
£75 Million from the sale
of midfielders Mateus
Fernandes to West Ham
United and Tyler Dibling to
Everton, as well as funds
from other player departures,
the Saints were busy in the
transfer window, with seven
players arriving in the week
before deadline day alone.
Some players have been
bought in to develop but
the likes of Tom Fellows
and Finn Azaz are proven,
ready-made Championship
performers of high pedigree.
As can be expected after a
team rebuild, results so far
have been something of a
mixed bag. After winning
their season opener at home
to Wrexham 2-1, they hadn’t
won in six matches before
their midweek success
by the same scoreline at
Sheffield United.
The Saints lost at home to
Stoke City and at Hull City,
with draws against Ipswich,
Watford, Portsmouth and
Middlesbrough.
15

THE RAM
southampton:
LAST LEAGUE LINE-UP
THE SAINTS RECORDED THEIR FIRST AWAY WIN OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP
SEASON WITH A 2-1 SUCCESS AT SHEFFIELD UNITED ON TUESDAY
EVENING, WITH A BRACE OF GOALS EARLY IN THE SECOND HALF BY
ROSS STEWART EARNING THE POINTS. WILL STILL IMPLEMENTED A 4-2-
3-1 FORMATION USING THE FOLLOWING PLAYERS IN THE STARTING XI…
GK
RB
cb
CB
#1
alex
mccarthy
#12
ronnie
edwards
#15
nathan
wood
#17
joshua
quarshie
The 35-year-old
goalkeeper will
complete ten seasons
with the Saints this
term having joined
from Crystal Palace
in 2016. He had
previously been with
QPR and Reading,
plus a multitude of
clubs on loan. He was
called up by England
in 2013 but only made
his international debut
in 2018 to earn his
only cap to date. He
has 160 Southampton
appearances to his
name, the majority in
the Premier League.
The highly regarded
22-year-old defender
impressed for previous
club Peterborough
United and won the
EFL Young Player of
the Month award in
January 2024, the
same month as he
registered his 100th
league start for Posh
despite still only
being 20. He stepped
up to the Premier
League when joining
Southampton in July
last year but played
only one top-flight
game before ending
the campaign on loan
to QPR.
Originally with
Middlesbrough, Wood
became the club’s
youngest player to
make a professional
appearance at 16
years and 72 days and
has also played for
England at every youth
level from Under-15 to
Under-21. He moved
on to Swansea City in
2022 when signed by
Russell Martin and the
same coach took him
to Southampton last
year. If picked today,
it will be the 100th
league appearance of
his career.
A summer recruit from
TSG Hoffenheim, the
21-year-old had played
most of his football
in the German lower
leagues with loans to
Fortuna Dusseldörf
and Greuther Fürth
since the 2023/24
season. Born in
Duisburg, Quarshie
is of Ghanaian
descent and is a
youth international
for Germany, having
played up to the
Under-21s.
16

THE RAM
LB
cm
cm
rm
#3
ryan
manning
#20
caspar
jander
#24
shea
charles
#18
tom
fellows
Another defender to
have made the same
journey from Swansea
City to Southampton
as the club’s former
head coach Russell
Martin, the 29-year-old
was with the Swans
between 2020 to
2023. He had started
his career in the
Republic of Ireland
before QPR brought
him to the EFL from
Galway United in
2015. He won his
first senior call up for
Ireland in 2020 and
now has 19 caps.
Like Quarshie,
Jander is a young
player recruited from
German football last
summer with the
22-year-old defensive
midfielder having cost
a significant fee when
arriving from 1 FC
Nürnberg in August.
He played 60 games
for MSV Duisburg in
Germany’s third tier
before stepping up a
level with Nürnberg
in 2024 and has been
capped to Under-21
standard.
The 21-year-old
played at Pride Park
last season when
on loan to Sheffield
Wednesday for the
campaign and is now
established in the
Saints engine room.
He developed through
the Manchester City
academy, making
one Premier League
appearance for the
Blues before his
switch to St Mary’s in
2023. He was capped
by Northern Ireland
before he had made
his league debut with
City and now has 29
international games
under his belt.
Called up to the
England squad
for last summer’s
European Under-21
Championship,
substitute in the final
as the Young Lions
retained the trophy.
He was a West
Bromwich Albion
player at the time
but completed his
move to Southampton
shortly before the
summer transfer
deadline. The 22-yearold
played 96 games
for the Baggies,
scoring nine goals,
and spent the 2022/23
season on loan to
Crawley Town.
17

#10
THE RAM
finn
azaz
am
On the same day as
Fellows was signed,
the Saints swooped
to recruit Azaz from
Middlesbrough. The
25-year-old Ireland
international had
been on Teesside for
18 months following
his move north from
Aston Villa and he
scored 17 goals in
68 games for the
Boro. At Villa he
spent considerable
spells out on loan
including back-toback
campaigns with
Plymouth Argyle,
helping the Pilgrims
to promotion from
League One in 2023.
#9
adam
armstrong
lm
One of the longer
serving outfield
players in the
Southampton squad,
the 28-year-old
forward has been
with the club since
his 2021 move from
Blackburn Rovers.
He scored 64 goals
in 164 appearances
with Rovers who
themselves had
signed him from
Newcastle United in
2018, originally on
loan. He has scored
34 goals for the Saints
so far and bagged
three in 16 games
when finishing last
term on loan at West
Bromwich Albion.
THE UNUSED SAINTS SUBS:
#11
ross
stewart
st
The match-winner in
midweek at Bramall
Lane, Stewart has
had a tough time
since joining the club
from Sunderland in
September 2023,
missing virtually all
his first campaign with
a persistent hamstring
injury. It wasn’t until
September 2024 that
he made his first
start for the Saints.
At Sunderland the
29-year-old Scotland
international had been
prolific scoring 40
goals in 81 games,
including 26 in their
2021/22 League One
promotion season.
Named on the bench for the midweek game at Sheffield United, but
not called into the action, were Irish international goalkeeper Gavin
Bazunu, who has 22 caps for the Republic, plus defenders Elias Jelert
and Taylor Harwood-Bellis, and 27-year-old Brazilian winger Leo
Scienza, who joined the club on deadline day. A day earlier, Denmark
right-back Jelert, 22, agreed a seasonal loan from Galatasaray.
Former Manchester City youth product Harwood-Bellis, now 23,
played 34 games in the Premier League for the Saints last season.
THE SAINTS
SUBS:
#46 (46mins)
jay robinson
replaced azaz
Southampton’s 11th
youngest Premier League
player, the 18-year-old
forward has not looked back
since his debut last April
and scored his first goal in
August.
#26 (46mins)
ryan fraser
replaced fellows
Now 31, the left winger with
26 caps for Scotland signed
for the club from Newcastle
two years ago having
previously played 208
games for Bournemouth.
#2 (76mins)
mads roerslev
replaced manning
Denmark international rightback
who spent six seasons
with Brentford – helping
the Bees into the Premier
League – before moving to
the Saints last summer.
#4 (75mins)
flynn downes
replaced armstrong
The 26-year-old defensive
midfielder, originally with
Ipswich, played a season
in the Premier League with
West Ham before joining
Southampton in 2023.
#19 (85mins)
cameron archer
replaced stewart
Once re-signed by first
club Aston Villa after a
transfer to Sheffield United,
the 23-year-old striker left
Villa Park for a second
time in August 2024 to join
Southampton.
18

THE RAM
19

THE RAM
southampton legend:
MATT LE TISSIER
A ONE-CLUB PLAYER, MATT LE TISSIER LIT UP A 16-YEAR
CAREER WITH SOUTHAMPTON WITH HIS DYNAMIC MIDFIELD
PLAY, AND WAS LOVED SO MUCH BY SAINTS FANS THAT THEY
NICKNAMED HIM ‘LE GOD’…
Regarded as a creative
attacking midfielder with
exceptional technical
skills, Matt Le Tissier is the
second highest-ever scorer
for Southampton behind
Mick Channon, and was
voted PFA Young Player of
the Year in 1990.
He was the first midfielder
to score 100 goals in the
Premier League; he scored 47
penalties from 48 attempts;
and won a staggeringly small
number of international caps,
appearing only eight times
for England.
Born in Guernsey, he lived
on the Channel Island until
he joined Southampton as
a trainee in 1985. He was
quickly offered professional
terms and made his debut
when still only 18 in a 4-3
defeat at Norwich City, the
first of his 540 appearances
for the Saints.
He scored his first two
competitive goals in a League
Cup third round replay at
home to Manchester United
20
in November 1986, a game
which Southampton won 4-1,
and his 209th – and last –
goal was the final goal scored
at Southampton’s old ground,
The Dell, in May 2001.
Le Tissier’s highest-scoring
league season was in the
1993/94 season, in which
he scored 25 goals. The
following season, he won
the Match of the Day Goal
of the Season award for his
drifting 40-yard chip against
Blackburn Rovers.
His goal tally for the season
regularly went well into
double figures for the
league alone throughout the
1990s, playing a major role
in Southampton preserving
their top-flight status into
the new millennium.
He was the subject of
interest from many big clubs
during this time, particularly
from Chelsea, Tottenham
Hotspur and Manchester
United, but a move away
from Southampton never
happened and Le Tissier
ultimately remained a Saints
player until his retirement
from senior football.
He did play part-time
for non-league Eastleigh –
then of the Wessex Premier
Division - for two seasons
and played his last match for
the Spitfires in August 2003.
GUERNSEY
THROUGH AND
THROUGH
In 2011, he became
honorary president
of Guernsey FC, and
briefly came out of
retirement to play for
the club in 2013, ten
years after hanging up
his boots.
A number of fixture
postponements meant
that the Green Lions
had to play 17 league
fixtures in a month,
and Le Tissier initially
announced that he
would be able to play in
four or five of them. As
it turned out, he made
his only appearance for
the club on 24th April,
as a substitute, in a 4-2
defeat in their Combined
Counties League
Premier Division clash
with Colliers Wood
United.

THE RAM
they played for both:
RAMS LINKS
THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF NOTABLE PLAYERS
TO HAVE PERFORMED FOR BOTH CLUBS OVER THE
YEARS, INCLUDING OF COURSE BEN BRERETON DIAZ
WHO IS CURRENTLY ON LOAN AT THE RAMS FROM
SOUTHAMPTON. TODAY WE FEATURE AN ICONIC
GOALKEEPER AND A DYNAMIC MIDFIELDER…
gk | peter shilton games: 211 | games: 242
When Derby County signed Peter Shilton from Southampton in the summer
of 1987, he was approaching his 38th birthday, but he showed no signs of
losing his edge as one of the world’s best-ever goalkeepers.
He was still very much England’s first choice goalkeeper and he would go
on to play for his country for another three years, finally stepping off the
international stage after the 1990 World Cup finals at the age of 40 and with
a record-setting 125 caps to his name.
He joined a Rams side that featured the likes of Mark Wright and Dean
Saunders and helped Arthur Cox’s team to finish fifth in the First Division in
1988/89.
It could be argued that Shilton was at his absolute prime when he joined
Southampton in 1982 having just spent five years at Nottingham Forest where
he was a key member of Brain Clough’s double European Cup winning squad.
md | matt oakley games: 62, goals: 9 | games: 309, goals: 20
A Saints stalwart, midfielder Matt Oakley spent 12 seasons in
Southampton’s first team squad – 11 of them as a Premier League player.
He graduated from their youth ranks to make his debut against Everton in
May 1995 at the age of 17. It was the first of 232 top-flight appearances for
the club, and that total would have been much higher but for injuries.
He played only 50 games in his last three seasons at the club, the final
campaign being in the Championship after Southampton’s relegation in 2005.
After rejecting a new contract offer, Oakley joined Derby in August 2006
as he turned 29 and was immediately named captain. He played in 37
Championship games that season, scoring six goals, and then led the Rams
through the play-offs to promotion.
He was a regular in the first half of the club’s Premier League campaign, and
scored three times, but with the team struggling, he moved on to Leicester
City in January 2008. The Foxes were relegated to League One that season
but Oakley was a near ever-present in helping them immediately bounce back.
He ended his career with five seasons at Exeter City, finally hanging up his
boots a few months short of his 40th birthday and with a 691-game senior
football career.
21

22
THE RAM

THE RAM
THIRD
TIME'S THE
CHARM
FOR MATT
CLARKE
IN HIS THIRD OFFICIAL STINT AS
A RAM, MATT CLARKE IS MORE
COMFORTABLE THAN EVER AT THE
HEART OF THE DEFENCE.
Now 29, Clarke first linked up with the Rams
as a 22-year-old on loan from Brighton and
Hove Albion in 2019.
23

THE RAM
YOUNG RAMS
MEMBERSHIP
2025/26 SEASON
Membership Includes:
• Welcome Pack
• Personalised Birthday E-Card
• Access to Exclusive Competitions and Prize Draws
• Access to Exclusive Stadium Tours
• Free 2025/26 Derby County Women ticket
VISIT DCFC.CO.UK TO BUY YOUR MEMBERSHIP!
24

H
e made 81 appearances
throughout back-toback
loan spells in
the 2019/20 and 2020/21
seasons from the Seagulls
being named as Jack
Stamps Player of the Season
in his first campaign on
loan before taking in spells
at West Bromwich Albion
and Middlesbrough, where
he grew into an established
Championship defender.
Derby came calling for the
third time in January of this
year as Clarke arrived from
Middlesbrough on an initial
deal until the end of the
2024/25 campaign, and he
played a vital role as John
Eustace’s side secured their
Sky Bet Championship status
on the final day of the season.
The centre-back played every
single minute of the Rams’
final 10 league games, a
sequence that included a 2-0
win over promotion-chasing
Coventry City in which he
scored the opening goal.
This season he has continued
that trend, playing every
minute in the league, after
signing new terms with the
club and chipped in with the
equalising goal in Tuesday
night’s 1-1 draw with Charlton
– his third goal for the club.
The experienced defender
sat down with The Ram to
reflect on rejoining the club
for a third time last season,
signing new three-year deal
in the summer and the art of
defending.
Q: Matt, we are now eight
games into the season. What’s
your assessment so far?
A: I’m feeling good, out on the
pitch and around the group in
training. However, I think we
are frustrated we've not got
a couple more wins on the
board at this stage.
You always want to be doing
better, to have more points
on the board, to be winning
more games. underneath
all that, we are pleased with
the work we’re doing on the
training field. We have picked
up points in draws, and we
do feel like we’re moving in
the right direction, which is
the main thing.
And it’s a long old season.
It’s not about where you
are after five games: it’s
about where you are when
it’s all said and done in May.
We are, a little bit frustrated,
but we are certainly using
that to help fuel us to
improve going forward.
THE RAM
Q: There’s been a lot of
change over the summer,
with 13 new signings joining
the club. How much of a
factor is that in growing as
a squad?
A: I think we’re always
cautious not to make
excuses. But, there has been
a period of time since the
start of pre-season, where
the nature of injuries, the
window, people coming in,
people going out, has been
something we have had to
contend with.
It feels like the group is now
really beginning to settle in
25

THE RAM
Calling all DCFC supporters
Get the Chance to WIN £399 in
vouchers when you book a test drive
with Pentagon Volkswagen
Van Centre Derby
ID. Buzz Cargo
PROUD PARTNER OF:
SCAN FOR MORE
INFORMATION
26

THE RAM
I WAS REALLY ENJOYING MY FOOTBALL
AGAIN, SO IT WAS ALWAYS IN MY MIND
THAT I WANTED TO STAY HERE IF IT WAS
POSSIBLE.
together on the training field
and day-to-day. We’ve had
time now to get some good
work in and really gel.
Q: You’ve picked up points
from the last three away
performances, against
Ipswich, West Brom and
Wrexham. You’ve had to
show resilience to get the
points in those matches -
that must be something the
group is pleased with?
A: Of course, because that
strength and character
is a key factor in the
Championship, especially
away from home. Games
sometimes look different on
the road, and you have to
dig in and suffer at times,
and wait for moments in
the game to capitalise on
opponents' mistakes.
I feel like there are small bits
of encouragement in a lot of
our games where we have
fought to get a point. But
now it’s all about putting it
all together and combining it
into a complete performance.
Q: Home form was such
a big thing, especially
during the end-of-season
run-in last time out. How
important is it to recapture
that this season?
A: That's another important
thing in the Championship,
your home form. When
you’re playing in front of your
own fans with that backing,
you’ve got to make the most
of that.
We are fortunate to have
such an amazing crowd
at Pride Park, and one that
can really be part of creating
a fortress for home games.
Unfortunately, we haven’t
been able to do that in the
way we wanted to so far
this season. But we hope to
see that and trust that the
work we’ve been doing will
get us there.
Q: You came into the squad
and had such a big impact
last season, and then signed
a new three-year deal with
the club in the summer. How
important was it to secure
your future here?
A: When I came in at the end
of January, I wasn’t in a team
(at Middlesbrough) and I
wanted to be playing football
27

THE RAM
YOU’VE GOT TO BE DESPERATE TO KEEP THE
BALL OUT OF YOUR NET, DEFEND YOUR BOX
FOR YOUR LIFE.
week in, week out. Derby
gave me that chance, and I
took the opportunity to come
back here.
As I settled in here, and as
the Gaffer came in, it all
came together for me. I was
really enjoying my football
again, so it was always in
my mind that I wanted to
stay here if it was possible.
I was really pleased that we
managed to get it sorted.
And to be here now for the
future is really exciting.
Q: Once you’d signed on the
dotted line, did you have any
goals set for the season?
A: Every season is a real
rollercoaster where you are
28
always worried about the
next game, the next training
session. So I think it’s very,
very hard to really sit down
and say, “This is what I
want.” But for me, it’s all
about looking after each
performance and giving my
all each time I step on the
pitch. It’s all about the next
game, as cliché as it sounds!
Q: You first came to the club
in 2019 as a 22-year-old.
How do you think you’ve
changed as a player since
your first spell here?
A: As time goes on, you
obviously mature as a player
and as a person. In that
time since I left Derby for
the first time, I have had a
long-term injury, which also
changes your perspective
on football and changes
you. It’s something that you
can’t really explain unless
you’ve gone through. I had
my daughter as well, so
becoming a father really
changes you as well.
I’m still the same person
in many ways, too. I still
have the same values, and
when you come and watch
me, you’ll still probably see
the same type of player. I
would say I am definitely
a more rounded and
more experienced person
underneath!

THE RAM
Q: Do you think you bring
something different to the
group now with that extra
experience?
A: As you play more games
in the division, the teams
we come up against and the
standards become familiar.
I’ve played against players
and managers before.
I definitely have an insight.
I think first and foremost,
you have to do your own
job and make sure you look
after your own performance.
But as you become more
experienced, it’s about trying
to help the person next to
you, the person in front of
you and the whole team in
the best way you can.
Q: As a centre-back, how
do you approach a game of
football? What do you like to
bring on the pitch?
A: As a defender, I have
such pride in defending
the goal. You’ve got to be
desperate to keep the ball
out of your net, defend
your box for your life. I also
have a lot of pride in every
challenge, every header,
every tackle, every cross.
It’s about always wanting
to be the one on the end of
it, winning those battles.
It can eat you up at times,
because you can’t get
them all. But the mindset
is, I believe, I should win
everything that comes into
my area every match, and
that’s what I strive for. I also
feel I read the game quite
well, which helps.
Q: Was defence always the
position for you growing up?
A: If I’m honest, no! I
probably did play a little
bit in defence, but when
I signed as a scholar at
the under-16s level, I was
playing in midfield. And it
wasn’t until maybe the game
got a little bit quicker and
I stepped up a level, where
being in centre-half just
naturally suited me more.
You end up where you’re
meant to be. Your attributes,
your attitude and what
you bring to your game
determine where you’re
going to be. And thinking
about it now, I’m as clear
a centre-half as you'll ever
see, and I love it!
29

THE RAM
DERBY COUNTY WOMEN:
NEWS & UPDATES
KEEP UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST NEWS FROM DERBY COUNTY WOMEN
Derby County Women
secured a 2-0 victory against
Sheffield FC at the MEPS
International Home of
Football Stadium to finish top
of Group P in the FA Women’s
National League Cup.
A first-half strike from Mia
Wheeler and an 88th-minute
goal from Minnie Wilson
earned all three points, with a
spirited performance providing
the Ewes’ fourth win on the
bounce and third clean sheet
in a row in all competitions.
Derby completed the group
stage at the summit of Group
P with nine points, following
previous wins over Notts
County and Lincoln United.
The Ewes will now face
Real Bedford in an away
tie in the FA WNL Cup First
Round. They will head to the
Southern Premier Division
side on Sunday 19th October.
Head Coach Sam Griffiths
made seven changes from
the side that won 1-0 away
to Sporting Khalsa in the FA
Women’s National League
Northern Premier Division a
week earlier.
Hannah Ward captained the
side as Emily Joyce began
on the bench, with minutes
spread amongst the squad in
the cup competition.
Harriet Wayne started in
goal, while defenders Mikayla
Wildgoose and Eve Shepherd,
midfielder Ella Bryan and
attackers Wheeler, Marnie
Drake and Georgia Stevens
also came into the side.
30
Derby started the first half
with a quick break on the
counter, proving an early
test for Sheffield goalkeeper
Marina Boni, who saved a
strike from Kate Oakley in
the fourth minute following
a well-timed through ball by
Wheeler.
The first chance for the hosts
came in the 13th minute,
with a break on the counter
proving dangerous to Derby’s
early strong start, but a welltimed
block from Wildgoose
denied Lexie Butterworth
from registering Sheffield’s
first shot on target.
Derby took the lead through
Wheeler in the 19th minute,
with the first shot from Drake
being parried directly onto the
forward’s path and a calm,
composed finish into the
bottom-right corner gave the
Ewes a well-deserved lead.
Oakley came close to
extending the lead in the 25th
minute, with a well-timed
cross-turned-shot forcing
Boni into a diving save, with
the constant Derby pressure
proving fruitful for chances.
The first opportunity of the
second period presented
itself for the hosts in the 49th
minute. Excellent defending
from Wildgoose denied a
strike from Sheffield’s Stacey
Buxton with a strong sliding
challenge, stopping the striker
from getting a shot away.
The spell of early Sheffield
chances continued with
a headed attempt from
Butterworth just wide of the
right post.
A quick break on the counter
from the Ewes saw a welltimed
pass from Becky May
finding Yasmin Mason on the
flank, and her ball to Bryan in

THE RAM
the box forced Sheffield into
defensive action, with the
resulting strike blocked well.
Buxton almost brought
the hosts level in the 53rd
minute, with a strike from the
left of the box rattling off the
crossbar.
The Ewes’ first chance of the
second half fell to Oakley,
who charged down the left
flank following a quick break
on the counter-attack. After
cutting inside, Oakley’s
curling effort from range was
saved by Boni.
Griffiths opted for three
changes on the hour mark,
with Joyce, Wilson and Olivia
Edwards replacing May,
Mason and Oakley.
The Ewes instantly tested
Sheffield’s defence, with a
strike from Drake at the near
post forcing Sheffield’s shotstopper
to make the save in
the 61st minute.
Drake continued to be an
imposing force for the Ewes,
with another strike from
the right flank deflected by
Sheffield and out for a corner
in the 66th minute.
Sheffield piled on pressure in
the later stages of the second
half, with Joyce forced into a
block on the stroke of the 80th
minute, and the deflection
gave Butterworth a headed
shot, which went directly to
the hands of Morgan.
Second-half substitute Wilson
put the game to bed with a
quick counter two minutes
before the end. A goal-line
clearance from Wildgoose
set Wilson on the chase, and
after beating her opposite
full-back, she placed a low
strike through Boni’s legs and
into the net, giving the Ewes a
two-goal lead and securing all
three points on the road.
Words: Reuben Clark
WOMEN'S FIXTURES
FA WNL NORTHERN
PREMIER DIVISION
RUGBY BOROUGH (A)
SUNDAY 17 AUGUST | 0-6
LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING (H)
SUNDAY 24TH AUGUST | 1-2 (OAKLEY)
MIDDLESBROUGH (A)
SUNDAY 31ST AUGUST | 0-1
HALIFAX (H)
SUNDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER | 2-0
(OAKLEY, WILSON)
SPORTING KHALSA (A)
SUNDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER | 1-0
(STEVENS)
WEST BROMWICH ALBION (H)
SUNDAY 5TH OCTOBER, 2PM
HULL CITY (A)
SUNDAY 12TH OCTOBER, 2PM
STOKE CITY (H)
WEDNESDAY 29TH OCTOBER, 7.45PM
LIVERPOOL FEDS (A)
SUNDAY 2ND NOVEMBER, 2PM
BURNLEY (A)
SUNDAY 16TH NOVEMBER, 2PM
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS (H)
SUNDAY 30TH NOVEMBER, 2PM
RUGBY BOROUGH (H)
SUNDAY 7TH DECEMBER, 2PM
LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING (A)
SUNDAY 4TH JANUARY, 2PM
HALIFAX (A)
SUNDAY 25TH JANUARY, 2PM
MIDDLESBROUGH (H)
SUNDAY 8TH FEBRUARY, 2PM
STOKE CITY (A)
WEDNESDAY 18TH FEBRUARY, 7.45PM
SPORTING KHALSA (H)
SUNDAY 22ND FEBRUARY, 2PM
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS (A)
SUNDAY 8TH MARCH, 2PM
BURNLEY (H)
SUNDAY 22ND MARCH, 2PM
HULL CITY (H)
SUNDAY 29TH MARCH, 2PM
WEST BROMWICH ALBION (A)
SUNDAY 12TH APRIL, 2PM
LIVERPOOL FEDS (H)
SUNDAY 26TH APRIL, 2PM
FA WNL CUP
NOTTS COUNTY (A)
TUESDAY 19TH AUGUST | 4-1
(STEVENS X2, WHEELER, OAKLEY)
LINCOLN UNITED (H) SUNDAY 7TH
SEPTEMBER | 6-2 (DRAKE, MUIR,
OAKLEY, SKELDON, EDWARDS X2)
SHEFFIELD FC (A)
SUNDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER | 2-0
(WHEELER, WILSON)
31

THE RAM
Kicks off
April 2026
Available
nationwide
32
OFFICIAL PARTNER
© 2025 Kellanova.

THE RAM
DERBY COUNTY ACADEMY:
NEWS & UPDATES
CATCH UP ON THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE DERBY COUNTY ACADEMY
UNDER-21S
DERBY COUNTY U21 0-1
ARSENAL U21
Friday 26th September
Premier League 2
The Under-21s were edged
out 1-0 by Arsenal Under-21s
in Premier League 2 at the
Proctor Cars Stadium.
Osman Kamara scored the
only goal of the game in the
72nd minute to give Arsenal
the win after a competitive
match-up in Matlock.
The Under-21s still await
their first league win of the
2025/26 Premier League 2
season and will be looking
to get points on the board
when they head to face
Southampton at St. Mary’s
Stadium on Friday 3rd
October (7pm kick-off).
Justin Oguntolu had the first
clear chance of the game
after 20 minutes, when Cruz
Allen broke with the ball on
the counter from an Arsenal
corner. The midfielder laid
the ball off to Oguntolu, who,
through some tidy footwork,
made space for a left-footed
shot which flew just to the
wrong side of the post.
Derby defender Rio Canoville
blocked Arsenal attacker
Seb Ferdinand’s effort in the
24th minute, as the striker
attempted to hit the ball
across the face of the goal
after it fell to his feet in the
box following a corner kick.
Once again, Danny Maye’s
side created the danger on
the counter-attack after
Jamie Wähling won the ball
back inside the defensive
half in the 35th minute and
passed to Allen, who drove
towards goal before firing
centimetres wide of the post
when he unleashed a low
strike from the edge of the
penalty box.
Charles Sagoe Jr looked to
go near for the Gunners in the
62nd minute after a long punt
up-field saw him in behind
the Derby defence, but an
excellent defensive recovery
from Luca Crolla saw him put
in a sliding challenge that
unsettled the attacker, who
shot high and wide.
The visitors took their lead
10 minutes later, as Sagoe
Jr found Kamara with a low
cross into the penalty area.
The Arsenal man’s initial effort
on goal was blocked, but he
tucked away the follow-up to
give the visitors the win.
Team: Thompson (GK),
Perry (Crolla 27), Turley,
Wähling, Canoville, Osayande,
Wheeldon, Allen, Oguntolu
(Wilson 77), Eames, Osong
(Richards 58).
Not Used: Price (GK), Tola.
33

UNDER-18S
DERBY COUNTY U18 0-0
MIDDLESBROUGH U18
Saturday 27th September
Premier League – North
The Under-18s made it four
points from their last two
matches with a 0-0 draw at
home to Middlesbrough in
Premier League - North.
Bradley Johnson’s side went
into the contest buoyed by
getting their first win of the
league campaign on the
board with a 2-1 success at
Burnley last weekend.
Their search for the side’s
first home win of the
season came against a
Middlesbrough side sitting
in fourth place in the league
table after five matches.
The Rams’ line-up was a
youthful one, and only six
players started from the win
at Burnley, meaning several
Under-16s and first-year
scholars came into the
matchday squad.
Derby had the better of the
chances in the opening 45
minutes at Moor Farm but
couldn’t turn their pressure
into goals against a stubborn
Boro backline.
Boro upped the ante in the
second period, but the two
sides ended up cancelling
each other out with the
spoils shared.
Although it wasn’t the win
the Rams wanted, it was
their first home point of the
campaign to get them up and
running on familiar territory.
Team: O’Neill (GK), Friars
(K Gill 66), Taylor, Doyle,
Connell-Webster (C), Smith,
Corry (Blake 72), Harvey
(Connor 66), Green,
Griffiths, Ward.
Not Used:
Dzialuk (GK), Clarke.
34
THE RAM
B TEAM
DERBY COUNTY B
3-2 PRESTON NORTH
END U21
Monday 29th September
Central League
The B Team came out on
top in a 3-2 win over Preston
North End in the Central
League at Moor Farm
Training Centre.
Keith Briggs took charge of
the B Team as they claimed
their second win on the
bounce, after winning 4-0
against Chesterfield in the
Central League Cup at the
start of September.
The win against Preston
was the Rams’ first in the
2025/26 Central League,
having lost 2-1 away to
Oxford United Under-21s
in the first match of the
competition back in August.
Derby’s first-team defender
Sondre Langås played the
full game and captained the
side against the Lilywhites, as
he continued to build up his
match sharpness following
knee surgery back in May.
Midfielder Owen Eames
gave Derby the lead at Moor
Farm with a spectacular
curling strike from distance.
Justin Oguntolu flicked the
ball into the path of the
midfielder, who took a touch
and wrapped the ball just
inside the right-hand post
from 20 yards.
Marley Mintus doubled
Derby’s lead before the break,
as a well-timed body feint
allowed him to find space
to turn his defender and
unleash a low strike, in a busy
penalty area, that beat the
goalkeeper.
The visitors hit back with a
sharp move that saw striker
Felipe Rodriguez Gentile finish
from close range, but Derby
provided a quick response as
Cameron Wilson steered home
Cruz Allen’s cross to the far
post to make it 3-1.
Winger Shay Reid notched a
second goal for Preston as he
struck the ball on the volley
from inside the box, but the
Rams held on to take all three
Central League points.
Team: Price (GK), Hawkins,
Turley (Wähling 46), Tola,
Osayande (Canoville 46),
Langås (C), Richards, Mintus,
Oguntolu (Wheeldon 46),
Eames (Allen 46), Wilson.
Not Used: Thompson (GK).

THE RAM
UNDER-21S
PREMIER LEAGUE 2
IPSWICH TOWN (A)
FRIDAY 15TH AUGUST | 3-4
(RICHARDS, OGUNTOLU, MCANDREW)
BIRMINGHAM CITY (H)
SATURAY 23RD AUGUST | 0-3
LEICESTER CITY (H)
FRIDAY 29TH AUGUST | 0-2
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION (A)
FRIDAY 19TH SEPTEMBER | 1-3
(WHEELDON)
ARSENAL (H)
FRIDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER | 0-1
SOUTHAMPTON (A)
FRIDAY 3RD OCTOBER, 7PM
NORWICH CITY (H)
FRIDAY 10TH OCTOBER, 7PM
FULHAM (A)
FRIDAY 24TH OCTOBER, 7PM
BLACKBURN ROVERS (A)
MONDAY 10TH NOVEMBER, 7PM
SUNDERLAND (H) *
FRIDAY 9TH JANUARY, 7PM
ASTON VILLA (H) *
FRIDAY 16TH JANUARY, 7PM
CRYSTAL PALACE (A)
MONDAY 26TH JANUARY, 7PM
NOTTINGHAM FOREST (H)
FRIDAY 30TH JANUARY, 7PM
MANCHESTER UNITED (A)
FRIDAY 6TH FEBRUARY, 7PM
MANCHESTER CITY (H) *
FRIDAY 13TH FEBRUARY, 7PM
BURNLEY (A)
FRIDAY 20TH FEBRUARY, 7PM
WEST BROMWICH ALBION (A)
MONDAY 2ND MARCH, 7PM
WEST HAM UNITED (H)
FRIDAY 6TH MARCH, 7PM
MIDDLESBROUGH (H)
FRIDAY 20TH MARCH, 7PM
READING (A)
FRIDAY 13TH APRIL, 7PM
Please Note: Home fixtures are played at
Matlock Town FC and all match dates and
times are subject to change.
* Match venue to be confirmed.
UNDER-18S
PREMIER LEAGUE CUP
BURNLEY (H)
WEDNESDAY 27TH AUGUST | 2-1
(CONNELL-WEBSTER, GREEN)
READING (A)
SATURDAY 4TH OCTOBER, 12PM
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
SATURDAY 22ND NOVEMBER, 1PM
Please Note: Home fixtures are played at Moor
Farm Training Ground, and all match dates and
times are subject to change.
UNDER-18S
PREMIER LEAGUE
NORTH FIXTURES
NOTTINGHAM FOREST (H)
SATURDAY 16TH AUGUST | 0-2
LEEDS UNITED (A)
SATURDAY 23RD AUGUST | 0-4
MANCHESTER UNITED (H)
SATURDAY 30TH AUGUST | 0-4
SUNDERLAND (A)
SATURDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER | 0-3
BURNLEY (A)
SATURDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER | 2-1
(MINTUS X2)
MIDDLESBROUGH (H)
SATURDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER | 0-0
BLACKBURN ROVERS (A)
SATURDAY 18TH OCTOBER, 12:30PM
EVERTON (H)
SATURDAY 25TH OCTOBER, 12PM
STOKE CITY (A)
SATURDAY 1ST NOVEMBER, 11AM
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS (H)
SATURDAY 8TH NOVEMBER, 11AM
NEWCASTLE UNITED (A)
SATURDAY 29TH NOVEMBER, 1PM
MANCHESTER CITY (H)
SATURDAY 6TH DECEMBER, 12PM
LIVERPOOL (A)
SATURDAY 13TH DECEMBER, 12PM
NOTTINGHAM FOREST (A)
SATURDAY 10TH JANUARY, 11AM
SUNDERLAND (H)
SATURDAY 17TH JANUARY, 1PM
MANCHESTER UNITED (A)
SATURDAY 24TH JANUARY, 12PM
LEEDS UNITED (H)
SATURDAY 7TH FEBRUARY, 12PM
MIDDLESBROUGH (A)
SATURDAY 14TH FEBRUARY, 12:30PM
BURNLEY (H)
SATURDAY 21ST FEBRUARY, 12PM
BLACKBURN ROVERS (H)
SATURDAY 7TH MARCH, 12:30PM
EVERTON (A)
SATURDAY 14TH MARCH, 12PM
STOKE CITY (H)
SATURDAY 21ST MARCH, 11AM
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS (A)
SATURDAY 11TH APRIL, 11AM
NEWCASTLE UNITED (H)
SATURDAY 18TH APRIL, 1PM
MANCHESTER CITY (A)
SATURDAY 2ND MAY, 12PM
LIVERPOOL (H)
SATURDAY 9TH MAY, 12PM
Please Note: Home fixtures are played at Moor
Farm Training Ground, and all match dates and
times are subject to change.
UNDER-21S
PREMIER LEAGUE CUP
SHEFFIELD UNITED (A)
FRIDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER | 1-2
(MCANDREW)
BRISTOL CITY (H)
MONDAY 20TH OCTOBER, 7PM
STOKE CITY (H)
FRIDAY 21ST NOVEMBER, 7PM
SHEFFIELD UNITED (H)
FRIDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER, 7PM
B TEAM
CENTRAL LEAGUE
OXFORD UNITED (A) TUESDAY 19TH
AUGUST | 1-2 (RICHARDS)
PRESTON NORTH END (H)
MONDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER | 3-2
(EAMES, MINTUS, WILSON)
BOLTON WANDERERS (H)
MONDAY 27TH OCTOBER, 1PM
STOCKPORT COUNTY (A)
WEDNESDAY 19TH NOVEMBER, 2PM
WREXHAM (H)
WEDNESDAY 3RD DECEMBER, 1PM
CHESTERFIELD (A)
WEDNESDAY 17TH DECEMBER, 2PM
NOTTS COUNTY (H)
TUESDAY 27TH JANUARY, 1PM
MANSFIELD TOWN (A)
WEDNESDAY 4TH FEBRUARY, 1PM
B TEAM
CENTRAL LEAGUE CUP
CHESTERFIELD (H)
THURSDAY 4TH SEPTEMBER | 4-0
(WÄHLING, CORRY, WILSON X2)
GRIMSBY TOWN (A)
TUESDAY 14TH OCTOBER, 2PM
MANSFIELD TOWN (H)
TBC
Please Note: Home fixtures are played at Moor
Farm Training Ground, and all match dates and
kick-off times are subject to change.
35

THE RAM
IN THIS SEASON’S VOLUME OF THE RAM, WE ARE TURNING BACK THE
CLOCK THIRTY YEARS TO THE 1995/96 CAMPAIGN WHICH SAW JIM
SMITH’S DERBY SIDE EARN PROMOTION TO THE TOP-FLIGHT. IN EACH
EDITION, WE ARE DIGGING INTO THE DERBY TELEGRAPH ARCHIVES
TO RELIVE THE SEASON MATCH-BY-MATCH THROUGH THE REPORTS
PENNED BY LEGENDARY LOCAL CORRESPONDENT GERALD MORTIMER
IN OUR PROMOTION TRACKER FEATURE .
‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’,
as the saying goes, and Jim
Smith’s rebuild of the Derby
County squad was a project
still very much struggling
with its foundations after
10 games of the 1995/96
campaign.
Most managers won’t even
look at a league table until
matches played reaches
double-digits and if the
Bald Eagle did glance at the
Division One table at that
stage he might have winced
to see the Rams sitting fifth
from bottom…
MATCH 9
BARNSLEY 2
DERBY COUNTY 0
Oakwell, Saturday 23rd
September 1995
‘This is becoming
monotonous. Derby County
create chances, and they
miss them.’ That was Gerald
Mortimer’s opening line in his
match report on Derby’s visit
to Oakwell in September 1995.
His article went on: ‘The
Rams remain down among
the dead men for one simple
36
reason. In nine league
games, they have scored
eight goals. Even with an
ironclad defence, their strike
rate would not take them too
far up the table.’
‘The defence has improved
since Dean Yates regained
fitness, but they are not yet in
the business of challenging
other teams to score.
When golfers cannot hole
their putts, they call it the
yips. Something similar is
afflicting Derby’s forwards.
Marco Gabbiadini is 28th
equal in Derby’s list of alltime
scorers but, at Oakwell,
he snatched at opportunities
like an anxious beginner.’
In contrast, Barnsley’s centre
forward Andy Liddell was in
hot form and scored both
of his side’s goals, as they
raced 2-0 up by half time.
His first was set up by Jan
Molby who was starting a
loan spell with the Tykes
after seeing his game time
at Liverpool restricted.
The 32-year-old Danish
international – never exactly

THE RAM
what you would call a ‘waif’
– was carrying some weight
on his Barnsley debut but
he remained a world-class
passer and striker of the ball.
Derby gave him room and
Molby let rip. Russell Hoult
could only parry the shot
and Liddell steered in the
loose ball.
The Rams were two down a
minute before the break when
Nicky Eadon centred, Andy
Payton dummied and Liddell
hit in his second expertly.
Derby County: Hoult,
Kavanagh, Nicholson,
Preece, Yates, Wassall, van
der Laan, Stallard (Carsley,
72), Flynn, Gabbiadini
Simpson. Subs not used:
Sutton, Trollope.
MATCH 10
DERBY COUNTY 2
MILLWALL 2
Baseball Ground, Sunday 1st
October 1995
The Rams' difficulties in
front of goal were not helped
when Marco Gabbiadini
joined leading scorer Dean
Sturridge in the treatment
room before table-topping
Millwall travelled to the
Baseball Ground.
However, the return to
fitness of summer recruit
Ron Willems at least filled
one of the vacant forward
slots. Jim Smith solved
the problem alongside
the Dutchman by pushing
midfielder Darryl Powell into
the attack.
Steve Sutton was also
recalled in goal in place
of Russell Hoult, but the
experienced goalkeeper was
soon picking the ball out
of his net as the high-flying
Lions took the lead after six
minutes. David Preece gave
the ball away, Jason van
Blerk went through a wispy
tackle from Gary Rowett and
Millwall midfielder Alex Rae
put away his shot into the
bottom corner.
Fortunately, the response
from Derby was swift. Sean
Flynn’s long pass cleared
Tony Witter in the heart of
the visitors’ defence and
Willems ran through. It was
not an easy chance, but
Willems was composed;
he knew exactly what he
wanted to do and cleverly
steered his shot wide of
Kasey Keller. It was just the
sort of cool finishing that
Derby had been lacking
during Willem’s five-week
absence.
Derby found themselves
trailing again when
Darren Wassall appeared
unfortunate to be penalised
for a foul on Uwe Fuchs and
Kingsley Black, on loan at
Millwall from Nottingham
Forest, bent in the free-kick
from 25 yards with Sutton a
spectator.
It took Derby’s other
Dutchman to restore parity
and earn a much-needed
point. Robin van der Laan
got on the end of Willems’
knock-down on 66 minutes,
creating enough space with
his excellent first touch to
hit a shot low past Keller.
Derby County: Sutton,
Kavanagh, Rowett, Preece,
Yates, Wassall (Trollope, 84),
van der Laan, Willems, Flynn,
Powell, Simpson (Wrack, 67).
Sub not used: Hoult.
37

2025/2026 STAT PACK
ENGLISH FOOTBALL LEAGUE - CHAMPIONSHIP TOP FIVES
GOALS
1 5 VICTOR TORP
100
2 5 HAJI WRIGHT
100
3 5 JOSH SARGENT
100
4 4 ZAN VIPOTNIK
80
5 4 CARLTON MORRIS
80
TOTAL SHOTS
1 24 ANIS MEHMETI
100
2 22 HAJI WRIGHT
92
3 22 JOSH SARGENT
92
4 21 JACK RUDONI
88
5 20 VICTOR TORP
84
% OF GOALS INVOLVED IN
1 100 CALLUM O’HARE
100
2 71.4 ZAN VIPOTNIK
72
3 63.6 OLIVER MCBURNIE
64
4 60 SORBA THOMAS
60
5 57.1 RONALD
58
DRIBBLES COMPLETED
1 26 ABDUL FATAWU
100
2 15 MILLION MANHOEF
58
3 14 ZEIDANE INOUSSA
54
4 14 SIRIKI DEMBÉLÉ
54
5 13 JOE GELHARDT
50
ASSISTS
1 3 RYAN GILES
100
2 3 MILAN VAN EWIJK
100
3 3 ISSA KABORÉ
100
4 3 ROSS MCCRORIE
100
5 3 OLIVER MCBURNIE
100
CHANCES CREATED
1 20 BARRY BANNAN
100
2 18 SORBA THOMAS
90
3 17 RYAN MANNING
85
4 16 SCOTT TWINE
80
5 15 HARRISON BURROWS
75
SUCCESSFUL PASSES
1 468 CHRISTOPH KLARER
100
2 458 MATT GRIMES
98
3 440 CAMERON BURGESS
95
4 433 NATHANIEL PHILLIPS
93
5 408 JANNIK VESTERGAARD
88
SAVES
1 28 JACOB WIDELL ZETTERSTRÖM
100
2 26 MICHAEL COOPER
93
3 21 RADEK VÍTEK
75
4 20 VLADAN KOVACEVIC
72
5 19 BALÁZS TÓTH
68
ENGLISH FOOTBALL LEAGUE - CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson failed to
beat Birmingham twice in League One last
season (D1 L1) but won his two most recent
Championship games against the Blues in
2018-19 with Bolton.
Middlesbrough are unbeaten away from home
in the Championship so far this season (W2
D2), last having a longer unbeaten away start to
a season in 2011-12 (first five games).
Data includes matches played till September 29.

THE RAM
DERBY COUNTY COMMUNITY TRUST CONTINUES TO MAKE A HUGE
IMPACT IN THE LOCAL AREA, AND THE RAM WILL FOCUS ON THEIR
INCREDIBLE EFFORTS OVER THE COURSE OF THE SEASON
RAMS CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH
WITH SHOW RACISM THE RED CARD
Derby County and Derby
County Community Trust are
joining the football world in
celebrating Black History
Month throughout October.
To mark Black History
Month in 2025, Derby
County is one of a number
of clubs to link up with
Show Racism the Red Card
for a special campaign.
Show Racism the Red Card
is the UK’s leading antiracism
charity, established
in January 1996, to use
education to combat racism.
The charity is collaborating
on an education programme
with several clubs, including
Derby County, which will
extend the anti-racism
programme they already
undertake with them to
highlight the untold history
of Black Footballers
and produce a physical
exhibition commemorating
the first 11 Black players to
play for each club.
Each club will have 11
individual backdrops which
will then form a mobile
display that can be used at
their home stadium and also
in local community facilities
like libraries, town halls,
schools, youth clubs and
community centres.
These displays will then be
used as part of Show Racism
the Red Card’s Education
Days at each club, with a
programme of workshops for
young people incorporated
into the day, while the
backdrops can also be used
by individual partner clubs in
their own Equality, Diversity
and Inclusion work.
Derby County’s Chief
Operating Officer, Simon
Carnall, said: “We are
delighted to be working with
Show Racism the Red Card
during Black History Month.
“Highlighting the importance
of diversity is very much part
of Derby County’s values,
and we are keen to celebrate
the untold stories and show
the contributions of Black
athletes, and others, to not
just sport but our wider
society.
“We want everyone
associated with the club to
feel a sense of pride in their
community by celebrating
diversity and understanding
the benefits of a diverse
society.”
40

THE RAM
The first 11 Black Players to
play for Derby County are:
TEWFIK ABDULLAH
Born: Egypt
Joined club: 1920
Left club: 1922
Legacy number: 296
FLOYD STREETE
Born: Jamaica
Joined club: 1984
Left club: 1986
Legacy number: 691
DEAN STURRIDGE
Born: Birmingham
Ancestry: Jamaican
Joined club: 1992
Left club: 2001
Legacy number: 740
TONY PARRY
Born: Burton-on-Trent
Joined club: 1972
Left club: 1974
Legacy number: 594
JOHN CHIEDOZIE
Born: Nigeria
Joined club: 1988
Left club: 1990
Legacy number: 717
GARY CHARLES
Born: Newham, London
Joined club: 1993
Left club: 1995
Legacy number: 752
CALVIN PLUMMER
Born: Nottingham
Joined club: 1983
Left club: 1984
Legacy number: 674
KEVIN FRANCIS
Born: Birmingham
Ancestry: Saint Kitts & Nevis
Joined club: 1989
Left club: 1991
Legacy number: 723
DARRYL POWELL
Born: Lambeth, London
Ancestry: Jamaican
Joined club: 1995
Left club: 2002
Legacy number: 770
CHARLIE PALMER
Born: Aylesbury
Joined club: 1984
Left club: 1986
Legacy number: 685
PAUL WILLIAMS
Born: Burton-on-Trent
Ancestry: Jamaican
Joined club: 1989
Left club: 1995
Legacy number: 729
Find out more about
each member of the
11, head to dcfc.
co.uk or scan the
QR code below!
41

42
THE RAM

THE RAM
OUR MATCHDAY QUIZ RETURNS TO TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF RECENT
SPORTING ACHIEVEMENTS AND MILESTONES. GET AT LEAST TEN CORRECT
ANSWERS FOR A ‘WIN’; EIGHT RIGHT EARNS YOU A ‘DRAW’.
BUT DON’T WORRY IF YOU’RE STRUGGLING FOR A RESULT AS YOU CAN SWAP QUESTIONS THAT
STUMP YOU WITH ONE FROM THE SUBSTITUTES’ BENCH - AND THEY ALL HAVE A RAMS THEME.
1
Which team earned
its first Premier
League point of the
season last weekend?
2
In which American
state is Ryder
Cup venue Bethpage
Black located?
3
The course at
Bethpage is a
municipal facility
with no membership,
so how much does it
cost a local to play a
round there?
4
Which two teams
contested the
NFL fixture played
at Croke Park, Dublin
last weekend?
5
How much was
the England player
bonus for winning
the Women’s Rugby
World Cup?
6
Other than
Lionel Messi,
which player has
won the men’s Ballon
d’Or award three years
in a row?
7
The United States
finished top of
the medal table at
the World Athletics
Championships. Which
country was second?
8
Famous cricket
umpire ‘Dickie’ Bird
died recently at the
age of 92. What was
his real first name?
9
The English rugby
competition
formerly known as the
Premiership is now
called what?
THE SUBS’
BENCH
YOU CAN SUBSTITUTE A
QUESTION IN THE STARTING
XI FOR ANY OF THESE RAMS’
THEMED TESTERS…
12
Grzegorz Rasiak played for both Derby
and Southampton, but which club was
he with between the Rams and the Saints?
13
What was the name of the Baseball
Ground stand that ran above the Pop
Side terrace when it first opened in 1969?
14
10
Which golfer
won the
Nicklaus-Jacklin
Award as the recent
Ryder Cup’s player of
the tournament?
11
Two brothers,
Reigan and Jaden,
made their Manchester
City debuts against
Huddersfield Town last
month but who is their
ex-footballer father?
Before last weekend, in which decade
did the Rams last play a league game
in Wrexham?
Best XI Answers: 1. Wolverhampton Wanderers;
2. New York State; 3. $75 (non-locals pay $150);
4. Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings; 5. £20,000
(£5,000 for being a member of the squad and £15,000
for winning the tournament); 6. Michel Platini (1983,
84 & 85); 7. Kenya; 8. Harold; 9. The Prem; 10. Tommy
Fleetwood; 11. Emile Heskey; 12. Tottenham Hotspur;
13. The Ley Stand; 14. The Eighties (1982).
43

DOUBLE
TIMERS
WITH CURRENT SQUAD MEMBER ANDI WEIMANN ON HIS SECOND
STINT WITH THE RAMS – WHILE HEAD COACH JOHN EUSTACE AND
DEFENDER MAT T CLARKE ARE ON THEIR THIRD! – THIS SEASON IN THE
RAM WE’RE REMEMBERING THOSE WHO CAME BACK FOR MORE. TODAY
WE FOCUS ON A MAN WHO BROUGHT SWAGGER TO THE BASEBALL
GROUND IN THE SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES – CHARLIE GEORGE…
Charlie George was
already a football superstar
when he first joined Derby
County in 1975 and, even
though the Rams were
reigning Champions at the
time, his signing was seen
as a real coup.
Born Frederick Charles
George in 1950 in Islington,
North London – just a
stone’s throw away from
Arsenal’s Highbury Stadium
- he joined the Gunners
when he was 16 years old.
He made his debut when
still only 18 and played a
major part in Bertie Mee’s
team’s successes of the
early 1970s.
He was prolific in Arsenal’s
1969/70 Inter-Cities Fairs
44
THE RAM
Cup campaign and played
in both legs of the final
against RSC Anderlecht,
which Arsenal won 4-3 on
aggregate. George broke
his ankle at the start of
the following season but
after being out for five
months, he returned to
play a significant part in
the Gunners run-in to the
1970/71 Division One title,
scoring five times in 17
appearances in the league.
However, the highlight of his
season came in the FA Cup;
he scored in the fourth, fifth
and sixth rounds as well as
proving the difference in the
final against Liverpool. With
the score at 1-1 in extra time,
in the 111th minute George
latched onto John Radford’s
square ball and scored a
spectacular winner from 20
yards to win the match and
clinch the ‘Double’.
George was not yet 21 at
that point but his cheeky,
rebellious streak started
to put him at odds with the
Arsenal hierarchy, and he
was transfer listed by his
boyhood club in December
1974, paving the way for a
£100,000 move to the Rams
the following July.
He played his first game for
Derby in the Charity Shield
of 1975, which the Rams
won 2-0 against West Ham
United, and he went on to
spend three and a half years
at the club, earning his one
and only senior England cap
whilst here. Memorably, he
scored a hat-trick against
Real Madrid in a European
Cup first leg, in October
1975.
Unfortunately, his time at the
Baseball Ground coincided
with a slide in the club’s
fortunes. The club finished
fourth in this first season to

THE RAM
qualify for the UEFA Cup – a
campaign in which George
scored another European
hat-trick in Derby’s recordsetting
12-0 victory over Irish
club Finn Harps – but sank
into lower mid-table in the
years that followed.
An opportunity to move to
the USA with Minnesota
Kicks in the North America
Soccer League opened up in
1978 and whilst there George
scored what was an NASL
record for the fastest playoff
goal in a 9-2 thumping of
Pelé’s New York Cosmos.
George returned to England
with today’s opponents
Southampton in December
1978, playing his last
league game for them on
14th March 1981 against
Stoke City. He made a
total of 52 appearances for
Southampton in which he
scored 14 goals.
In the summer of 1981,
he left the club to move
to Bulova in Hong Kong
returning to England a year
later to have a short time
at AFC Bournemouth and
subsequently rejoined Derby
County for his second spell.
By that time the Rams
were in Division Two and
struggling. George arrived
in March 1982 and helped
to keep the club clear of
relegation; John Newman’s
side eventually finishing 16th
in a the 22-club division.
His colourful career took
in Dundee United and
Coventry City after his 11
games and two goals Rams
return, before he retired
from the game in 1983
despite still being in his
early 30s. His total Derby
County contribution included
36 goals in 117 league
appearances.
45

THE RAM
on sale now!
Tuesday 21 st October
7.45pm
Saturday 25 th October
3pm
visit dcfc.co.uk for tickets
46

THE RAM
WE FIRED UP THE
RANDOMISER AND ASKED
FIVE QUESTIONS TO FIND OUT
MORE ABOUT RAMS DEFENDER
DION SANDERSON!
What would you be if you
Q weren’t a footballer?
DS: I’d have to still be
doing something physical,
maybe a bricklayer!
Q
If you could
learn any
language, which
would you choose?
DS: I think I’d go
for Italian.
Q
What is your goto
coffee order?
DS: I always go for a
simple flat white.
Q
What is your
favourite TV show
to binge-watch?
DS: Narcos on Netflix.
Q
Where is your favourite
holiday destination?
DS: I’m a fan of a sunny
holiday. I love Mykonos.
47

THE RAM
Hello Junior Rams!
Welcome back to Pride
Park for our second
home game of the week
and this afternoon the
best-behaved team in
the league are in town…
in fact, they are SAINTS!
Sorry, my jokes are
terrible, but my brain
teasers are good – have
a go at today’s selection
before cheering on the
lads.
Up The Rams!
NAME THE CLUB!
NAME WHICH CLUB THIS
BADGE BELONGS TO?
48
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE!
CAN YOU SPOT THE FOUR DIFFERENCES IN THE TWO
PICTURES ABOVE WHEN WE PLAYED BURNLEY?

THE RAM
B Z G A M V B M R W L J K K N
Y S W A E V E P A W P B N U G
Y Q A N L D B R A I K O A F T
V V K Y A V D A K D D J U O X
Z I T P U J C S U J D X C H O
A C Z F O A N R Y C T S X Q R
Z E F B L C N O S R E D N A S
A R I U S K Y J T E D O Z I E
W R O D S S E W I S Z K G T F
A O W E Y O V S I Q N N J P A
I A V M R N B N G Q K H W D L
Z O X C V S T X B Q I U O F G
K K N E X D L I B Y V K R J T
B P Z X F W U E L E T E P U P
R F P E L S V B V A C E U H T
RAMMIE’S WORDSEARCH!
CAN YOU FIND THE EIGHT NAMES FROM THE DERBY AND
SOUTHAMPTON SQUADS IN THE WORDSEARCH?
JACKSON
WARD
SANDERSON
JOHNSTON
AZAZ
ARIBO
EDOZIE
ROERSLEV
ANAGRAMS!
CAN YOU FIND THE RAMS
AND SAINTS PLAYERS
SCRAMBLED BELOW?
DRAGONS LENS
INCLOSE TURNS
SEQUOIA JARS HUH
CAREER MONARCH
WHO AM I?
NAME THE PLAYER BELOW
FROM THE CLUES?
• I’M A MIDFIELDER
• I ARRIVED AT PRIDE
PARK THIS SUMMER
• I AM 27 YEARS OLD
GUESS THE GROUND
CAN YOU NAME THE STADIUM ABOVE AND WHICH
FELLOW EFL TEAM IT BELONGS TO?
ANSWERS: Name The Club: Barrow AFC.
Spot the Difference: The ball is missing,
the Burnley player is missing the badge from
his shorts, Kayden Jackson is missing the
FanHub logo from his shirt and there is a bird
to the left of the players.
Guess the ground:
Mazuma Satdium, Morecambe
Anagrams: Sondre Langas, Curtis Nelson,
Joshua Quarshie, Cameron Archer.
Who Am I: Bobby Clark
49

Defender Matt Clarke netted his third goal in
Derby County colours when he clinched a point
for the Rams under the Pride Park floodlights.
The 29-year-old notched his 106th appearance
against the Addicks on Tuesday night,
and has played every match in the Sky Bet
Championship so far this season.

WIN ONE OF
72 SEASON
TICKETS
SIGN-UP TODAY

DERBY COUNTY
HEAD COACH: JOHN EUSTACE
JACOB WIDELL ZETTERSTRÖM (GK) 1
CRAIG FORSYTH 3
DANNY BATTH 4
MATT CLARKE 5
SONDRE LANGÅS 6
PATRICK AGYEMANG 7
CARLTON MORRIS 9
RHIAN BREWSTER 10
COREY BLACKETT-TAYLOR 11
RICHARD O’DONNELL (GK) 12
ANDI WEIMANN 14
LARS-JØRGEN SALVESEN 15
LIAM THOMPSON 16
DAVID OZOH 18
KAYDEN JACKSON 19
CALLUM ELDER 20
MAX JOHNSTON 22
JOE WARD 23
RYAN NYAMBE 24
BEN BRERETON DÍAZ 25
LEWIS TRAVIS 27
DION SANDERSON 28
JOSH VICKERS (GK) 31
EBOU ADAMS 32
OWEN BECK 33
CURTIS NELSON 35
BOBBY CLARK 42
MATCH OFFICIALS
REFEREE: OLIVER LANGFORD
ASSISTANT REFEREE: LEE VENAMORE
ASSISTANT REFEREE: ALISTAIR NELSON
FOURTH OFFICIAL: LEIGH DOUGHTY
TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE
AT PRIDE PARK STADIUM
SOUTHAMPTON
MANAGER: WILL STILL
1 ALEX MCCARTHY (GK)
2 MADS ROERSLEV
3 RYAN MANNING
4 FLYNN DOWNES
5 JACK STEPHENS
6 TAYLOR HARWOOD-BELLIS
7 JOE ARIBO
9 ADAM ARMSTRONG
10 FINN AZAZ
11 ROSS STEWART
12 RONNIE EDWARDS
13 LÉO SCIENZA
15 NATHAN WOOD
17 JOSHUA QUARSHIE
18 TOM FELLOWS
19 CAMERON ARCHER
20 CASPAR JANDER
23 SAMUEL EDOZIE
24 SHEA CHARLES
25 GEORGE LONG (GK)
26 RYAN FRASER
27 KURYU MATSUKI
31 GAVIN BAZUNU (GK)
34 WELINGTON
38 ELIAS JELERT
42 DAMION DOWNS
46 JAY ROBINSON
47 MOSES SESAY
THIS WEEKEND'S
CHAMPIONSHIP FIXTURES
SATURDAY 4TH OCTOBER
BLACKBURN ROVERS VS STOKE CITY (12:30)
HULL CITY VS SHEFFIELD UNITED (12:30)
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY VS COVENTRY CITY (12:30)
BRISTOL CITY VS QUEENS PARK RANGERS (15:00)
DERBY COUNTY VS SOUTHAMPTON (15:00)
MILLWALL VS WEST BROMWICH ALBION (15:00)
PORTSMOUTH VS MIDDLESBROUGH (15:00)
PRESTON NORTH END VS CHARLTON ATHLETIC (15:00)
SWANSEA CITY VS LEICESTER CITY (15:00)
WATFORD VS OXFORD UNITED (15:00)
SUNDAY 5TH OCTOBER
IPSWICH TOWN VS NORWICH CITY (12:00)

SATURDAY 4TH OCTOBER 2025 - 3PM THE OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME OF DERBY COUNTY FOOTBALL CLUB 2025/26 SEASON - ISSUE 5 - £4