Derby County Football Club are based in Derby, England, and were one of the twelve founder members of the English Football League. They are one of 11 clubs to have competed in every season of the league, from 1888 to this day. The club was founded in 1884 as an affiliate of Derbyshire County Cricket Club, and has links to the First Regiment of the Derby Militia, which has a ram as its mascot- hence the nickname of the club, the Rams. A ram features on the club crest.
Derby's competitive summit came in the 1970s, after the legendary Brian Clough had taken over as manager (in 1967), leading them to promotion to the First Division in his second season, with Derby becoming league champions in 1972. The following season, they lost a controversial European Cup semi-final tie to Juventus, who had to weather subsequent allegations of bribing the match officials. Derby won the league for a second time in 1975 under the leadership of Dave Mackay following Clough's resignation, but hit a decline in the latter part of the 1970s. |