DON’T LET DERBY DIE
Stuart Webb, who rescued the Rams in ‘84, says fans and community need club
AROUND 11am on April 2, 1984, Stuart Webb raced up the steps of the High Court, his heart pounding.
Derby’s managing director was clutching a cheque made out to HM Revenue and Customs for £127,000, a cheque which, at the 11th hour, was about to save the club from liquidation.
“I met the Revenue solicitor in the toilets and handed him the cheque,” Webb recalls.
“The message was relayed to Judge Mervyn Davies, who by then was sick of the sight of me.
“We’d been in front of him twice before to plead our case and he’d knocked us back.
“He’d told me the reserves couldn’t make the short journey to Stoke because there was no money for the bus on the second visit.
“He’d said, ‘You’re living on borrowed time. You have 14 days to come back with the cheque and that’s it’.
“When it was handed over, he said, ‘Well done, Derby. Now I don’t want to see you again’.
“It was frightening, but somehow we did it and kept the club alive.”
Nearly four decades on, the Rams are back on the brink oblivion with debts this time of around £80million.
Little wonder, then, that after all the hard work of the early 1980s, Webb is experiencing many emotions as Wayne Rooney’s side are all but doomed to League One next season.
He added: “There’s anger, sadness, frustration and hurt, without a doubt.
“I think about that sense of belonging and pride we had when we put that package together and rescued the club.
“We were lucky because we had a board of directors who were supporting me with money to stave off the evil day.
“They were local businessmen and we used to pay the wages out of our own cash, and when we got through we were lucky we got Robert Maxwell involved.
“Alright, it was short term, but with the money he put in we paid off our debts, restructured and got a solid board. I was allowed to get a new manager, Arthur Cox, and three seasons later we’d climbed out of Division Three and were back in Division One.
“It sounds easy when put like that but it was a tough challenge, no shortcuts, just the hard work of a dedicated group all working together.
“What that shows, though, is that it will take the new owner several years to get back to the normality of running a successful business.”
Administrator Quantuma hopes a deal to bring Derby
I was allowed to get a new manager, Arthur Cox, and three seasons later we’d climbed out of Division Three and were back in Division One out of administration will be sealed by February at the latest.
But key to any agreement, according to Webb, will be ensuring Pride Park Stadium is part of any deal and doesn’t remain in the hands of previous owner Mel Morris.
Webb said: “The new owner has to throw a lot of money at it and I just hope he knows a football club has to own its own stadium or there will be all sorts of problems down the line.
“Let’s hope that gets sorted. The fans need a sense of belonging and pride, and we know that 25,000 loyal fans deserve better.
“Clubs are the golden thread of the tapestry in any community and Derby, remember, were founder members of the Football League.
“They have their place in history so you just can’t let that go.”