Derby County 23/24 and the future ahead:
The Rams began the 2023/2024 having to spend a second season in League One having missed out on the League One playoffs on the final day of the campaign losing 1-0 away to Sheffield Wednesday and with Peterborough beating Barnsley, boro snatched 6th place on the final day. Beginning the 23/24 season top scorer David McGoldrick had left the club on a free transfer to join boyhood club Notts County, other crucial players in Curtis Davies & Jason Knight left the club also with Davies joining Cheltenham & Knight joining Bristol City. With their departures Derby signed Sonny Bradley & Kane Wilson in a swap deal with Jason Knight + an additional fee alongside Elliot Embleton & Josh Vickers. The Rams began Pre-Season with a trip to National League side and fairly local side Matlock Town coming out as 0-2 victors beginning our Pre-Season campaign on a positive. The Rams then faced Chesterfield away from home in another Pre-Season clash and came out as 0-1 victors there against the National League side, Pre-Season game 3 was the Craig Forsyth Testmonial and a test to championship side Stoke City at Pride Park for the first time in the 23/24 campaign, a thoroughly outstanding performance as The Rams came out as 3-0 winners against The Potters and a superb result to mark 10-years of long serving Craig Forsyth! The Rams then went onto finish Pre-Season against newly-promoted Premier League side Sheffield United and was the only defeat for The Rams of Pre-Season losing 1-3 at home to The Blades, all focus now was to the League One campaign ahead the following week at home to Wigan Athletic.
The Rams began the 23/24 campaign with a 1-2 home defeat to Wigan Athletic who began their season with a -8 point deduction. Next came the Carabao Cup with The Rams welcoming fellow League One side Blackpool to Pride Park to begin their respective cup campaigns, The Rams went on to lose 0-2 at home to The Seasiders as they headed out of the EFL Cup in Round 1. Back to League action seeing The Rams on the road to fairly local side Burton Albion which saw The Rams pick up their first win in the 23/24 League One season with a 0-3 away win thanks to goals from James Collins, Conor Hourihane & Conor Washington. The following week then saw The Rams lose 1-2 at home to Oxford United as they continued their bright start to the 23/24 campaign and another bad home defeat, on the weekend saw a bounce back from The Rams in a 1-0 home win against Fleetwood but was a very unconvincing home win.
Rounding off August The Rams produced an outstanding performance on the road against promotion rivals Peterborough United seeing Martyn Waghorn score a first half hatrick and a big result to round off August. September coming in with some very unconvincing performances from The Rams starting on the road to promotion rivals Bolton as 10 man Rams bottled a 0-1 lead and lost 2-1 away to Bolton.
Back at home to another promotion rival in Portsmouth which saw a very poor performance from The Rams but managing a 1-1 draw against Pompey, James Collins scoring a late penalty in the 88th minute but then in the 5th minute of stoppage time Colby Bishop scored to deny The Rams of 3 points.
The following week seeing The Rams begin their Bristol Street Motors Trophy campaign with a 2-0 win against fellow League One side Lincoln City and then on the road again at the weekend against newly-promoted & League One strugglers Carlisle United which saw The Rams come out as 0-2 victors on the road. Back at home on 30th September which saw The Rams round off the month with a very poor performance against low in the table Cambridge United with The Rams dropping points in drawing 0-0 with the U’s.
Beginning the month of October with a midweek clash on the road to Blackpool with a very convincing and dominant Rams performance with The Rams come out as 1-3 away victors with goals from Korey Smith, James Collins & Martyn Waghorn.
The joy did not last long, as The Rams were on the road once again with a very poor 1-1 draw against a Cheltenham Town side who were yet to score a goal during the 23/24 campaign as they sat bottom of the table with only 1 point.
The bad form continued with a absolutely shocking performance on the road once again this time to Shrewsbury and fans called for Warne out.
In midweek once again with a must win for The Rams and a must win for Paul Warne with angry supporters wanting him gone, The Rams pulled a brilliant performance out the bag with a very dominant 2-0 win against Exeter City, however once again… the joy did not last long.
The Rams then went on to lose 1-3 on the road to newly promoted side Stevenage who continued their good form.
There was then more angry supporters and fans once again wanted Warne out, but it was the turning point for The Rams… Back at home in midweek for Halloween matchday battering newly promoted Northampton Town 4-0 which boosted confidence into this Derby County side.
Back in cup action seeing The Rams come from 0-2 down on the road to drawing 2-2 in the FA Cup first round against League Two side Crewe Alexandra, and back in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy again in midweek seeing The Rams come from 0-1 down to continue a good start to the Bristol Street Motors trophy in being 4-1 victors over Wolves U-21s.
Back to league action on the Saturday which saw The Rams pull out another outstanding league performance against promotion rivals Barnsley coming out as 3-0 victors thanks to a goal from Craig Forsyth and a brace from James Collins.
Midweek action once again as The Rams took on Crewe once again for the FA Cup 1st round replay, saw a poor performance from The Rams crashing out of the FA Cup losing 1-3 to the League Two side.
Back to League action as The Rams picked up back-back league wins against Bristol Rovers and on the road to Port Vale showing their class and moving up the League One table.
Back to the Bristol Street Motors Cup as The Rams came up against fellow League One side Fleetwood being dominant 3-0 winners.
As the league continued to progress The Rams had a very strong December winning 0-3 on the road to newly-promoted Leyton Orient, a frustrating midweek draw back at home to Wycombe but the wins kept on coming with wins against Lincoln & Wigan Athletic and a superb 2-3 comeback against promotion rivals Oxford United!
Beginning the new year The Rams lead 1-0 & 2-1 against Peterborough United but threw the lead away in a 2-3 home defeat to promotion rivals Peterborough.
After defeat on New Years Day The Rams wanted a bounce back against strugglers Fleetwood, it wasn’t an overall convincing display but The Rams came out as 1-3 victors on the road to The Cods.
Back in the Bristol Street Motors Cup to Bradford City at home and The Rams crashed out of the cup with a very poor 0-1 home defeat to The Batams.
Back to league action as The Rams came out as 3-2 victors against fairly local side and League One strugglers Burton Albion, bottling a 2-0 lead as Burton came from behind to draw 2-2 but a late strike from Conor Hourihane sealed 3pts for The Rams.
Saturday came against Lincoln City and The Rams had to settle for a boring 0-0 on the road to Lincoln.
Back on the road again to Reading as The Rams pulled out a dismal away performance against Reading seeing The Rams losing 1-0 at home to The Royals, rounding off the month with Cheltenham (H) The Rams needed a bounce back, they came from 0-1 down against The Robins
With wonder goals from Max Bird & James Collins, was a very unconvincing home win but was a much needed bounce back to secure a crucial +3!
February began with The Rams going into winning 3 of their next 4 league matches.
Form started to drop again seeing back to back defeats to Charlton & Barnsley going into the month of March with The Rams needing wins going into the run in.
In the month of March The Rams went onto win 5 of their 6 league fixtures, one of them against big promotion contender Bolton Wanderers.
Going into the final month of the season in April The Rams picked up draws on the road to fierce promotion rivals Portsmouth and to Wycombe Wanderers.
Final 3 games against Leyton Orient, Cambridge United & Carlisle United all 3 games The Rams needed to win for automatic promotion, The Rams went onto win 3-0 at home to Orient and 0-1 away to Cambridge United, One Final Push against Carlisle was all that was needed now…
Final Day:
Derby County v Carlisle United
As The Rams came out as 2-0 winners and sealed promotion to the championship on the final day of the season!
A big day for all involved with the club, the supporters, the players, the staff and our main man the man who saved us David Clowes!
What a team, history is made at Pride Park Stadium!🖤🤍🐏