WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
We catch up with Derby’s 1971-72 Division One winners
DERBY COUNTY were still living off their 1946 FA Cup final success against Charlton Athletic when Alan Durban arrived at the Baseball Ground.
The Rams had celebrated just a Division Three North title in 1957 since their thumping victory at the Twin Towers.
But that was about to change in May 1967 when a young manager confident in his own ability and his side-kick arrived.
Within two years, Brian Clough and Peter Taylor had led Derby to a Second Division title and three seasons after that they were champions of England.
Derby started the season like a house on fire and were unbeaten in their first 12 games, but Durban remembers that, even then, the title wasn’t a forgone conclusion.
“At the start of a season back then, any one of ten teams could win it. I think six or seven different sides had won it in the previous seasons.
“I thought we had a very good start. I felt the keeper had very little to do in those matches and we won very, very comfortably.
“I always felt we had enough. We could get goals without committing many people forward.
“The front three (Kevin Hector, John O’Hara and Alan Hinton) stayed up there and I was the first person to catch up. But nobody else needed to be bombing on,” he said.
The Rams plugged away and added the Texaco Cup to their trophy cabinet after seeing off Scottish side Airdrie 2-1 at the Baseball Ground after drawing 0-0 north of the border.
And they were flying in the FA Cup, as well, until being derailed by Arsenal in the fifth round following two replays, which Durban believes was a blessing in disguise.
A single goal from John McGovern that earned a 1-0 win over Liverpool in their last game meant they had one hand on the trophy.
But they had to wait a week for Liverpool, who needed a win at Arsenal, and Leeds, if they got a point at Wolves, to finish their fixtures.
All huddled around a telephone in Cala Millor on the east coast of Majorca, they listened on as Liverpool were held 0-0 and Leeds went down 2-1
“We listened to the game down a telephone line in the manager’s office in the hotel in Cala Millor, but Brian had gone to the Scilly Isles.
“Peter Taylor was hanging on to the phone and the phone was next to the radio back in Eng- land. And we gathered around. We had picked up loads of supporters because we had been there for two or three years. Pete was relating to us what was happening and that’s how it went for 90 minutes.
“I think we were actually 6/1 or 7/1 on the morning of the match to win the league and we went out to celebrate.
“It was absolutely remarkable because, all of a sudden, photographers started turning up from the mainland.
“The next morning, we were all jumping into the swimming pool with big Mexican hats on.
“By then, everyone in Cala Millor knew we were there with all of the celebrations.
“We had about three more days and it was absolutely fantastic,” Durban added.
1. Brian Clough: Went on to manage Nottingham Forest and won two European Cups. He died in September 2004, aged 69, after a battle with cancer. Son Nigel has also managed the Rams.
2. Terry Hennessey: Defender who managed in the United States before emigrating to Australia. He lived near Melbourne and worked as a sales manager for a firm selling clingfilm.
3. Ron Webster: Right-back and second on the Rams’ all-time appearance list. He minded cattle on a 100-acre beef farm then worked in a factory on Meadow Lane Industrial Estate in Alfreton. 4. Colin Boulton: Goalkeeper who twice won the Football League championship with Derby. He sold burglar alarms and then spent 27 years as a sales rep for Mitre Sports. 5. Colin Todd: Central defender and PFA Player of the Year in 1975. He entered management with Middlesbrough in 1990 and his last job was with Esbjerg in Denmark, ending in 2016. 6. John Robson: A defender who twice won the League Cup with Aston Villa but was forced to retire after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He ran a Birmingham newsagents but died in May 2004, aged 54. 7. Peter Taylor: Clough’s sidekick, who also managed Burton Albion, Brighton and Derby County. He died of a heart attack while on holiday in Majorca in October 1990, aged 62. 8. Jimmy Gordon: A wing-half either side of World War Two who coached under Clough and Taylor at a number of clubs. He died in August 1996, aged 80. 9. John McGovern: A midfielder who twice won the European Cup. He managed Bolton and Rotherham and was assistant manager of Plymouth. He also worked for local radio in Nottingham. 10. Archie Gemmill: A midfielder who won three League championship medals. He managed Rotherham United but is now retired after spells managing Scotland youth teams. 11. John O’Hare: A striker who twice won Division One honours. He ran a pub and sold insurance before going to work for Toyota in Derby as a chauffeur and has also been a Nottingham Forest host. 12. Roy McFarland: Central defender who twice won the First Division with the club. He managed a number of clubs including Derby. His last job was taking Burton Albion into the League. 13. Kevin Hector: England centre-forward who played in both of the Rams’ Football League title successes, making a record 589 appearances. He became a postman in Derby. 14. Alan Hinton: Winger who won two titles with Derby but settled in the United States where he went into coaching and worked in property. He has worked as a TV analyst for Seattle Sounders. 15. Alan Durban: Wales midfielder who also won a Second Division title with Derby. Managed Shrewsbury, Stoke City, Sunderland and Cardiff. Later scouted for Sunderland and Norwich City. NOT PICTURED Steve Powell: Midfielder who followed in the footsteps of his father, Tommy, in playing for the Rams. He managed Burton Albion and ran the fitness centre at Derby College. Frank Wignall: England forward who managed Qatar then settled in Nottingham and owned a garage and car showroom. Jim Walker: Full-back who became a physio at Blackburn Rovers and Aston Villa. He later became a senior physio at The Belfry in Sutton Coldfield.