Chris looking forward to ‘better and brighter days’
PROSPECTIVE OWNER URGES FANS TO SHOW APPRECIATION OF PLAYERS’ FIGHTING SPIRIT
DERBY County’s prospective new owner Chris Kirchner says he is looking forward to “better and brighter” days for the club.
The Rams have been in administration since September and the American businessman’s takeover of the club is nearing completion.
In a statement released on Thursday evening, the EFL said that evidence of source and sufficiency has been provided as Kirchner inches closer to a deal but the biggest obstacle is the Pride Park stadium which is owned by the club’s former chairman Mel Morris with talks continuing between the relevant parties in a bid to find a solution.
Kirchner has praised the efforts of those at the club during what has been a difficult time.
“With any business I am a part of or own, or any team I have been a part of, there is a whole lot of people that go into getting anything done,” he said in an interview with Ramstv.
“Here at this club through a very difficult time everyone knows the players on the pitch and they know Wayne but there is a massive organisation behind it and a lot of people that go into every day success – people at the stadium, people at the training ground and people at Ramstv.
“There is a massive group of support who have gone through this tough time as well and so we look forward to better days, brighter days ahead and I am excited to be a part of that community and that family.”
Kirchner was asked in the interview on Ramstv what his message would be to Rams fans, and said: “Come and support the team.
“At the end of the day this is the last game of the season for these guys from this group.
“It won’t be the same group next year, it never is, there is always some turnover, so I think Saturday is more about appreciating that and showing them the support for the fight they put in this year against all of the odds in a very dire and frankly terrible situation to play professional sport.
“I think Saturday is about them and a thank you to them.”
Kirchner has also spoken of his fondness for the Rams.
“I have invested a lot of personal money in looking at all the clubs, it is expensive when you have accountants and legal teams and other people,” he added.
“I want to get this done, I have grown fond of this, I want this to be the club.
“We came into this searching for a club, now we have an idea which club we want it to be and it is this one. Now we have to get some of the parties involved on the same page so we can get it done.”
And Kirchner is hoping superstition can pay off again for the Rams’ final Championship game of the season today.
He will be at Pride Park Stadium for the Championship clash against Cardiff City.
The Rams beat Fulham 2-1 last month on the American businessman’s previous visit to Pride Park for a fixture.
Kirchner attended a squad training session at Moor Farm prior to the Fulham game and he did so again on Thursday as the Rams prepared to face the Bluebirds.
Derby have been relegated and will play in League One next season but Kirchner says the Rams do not look like a team that has been relegated.
“It is funny, you go and watch the guys at training, like I was out today (Thursday) again and, mainly out of superstition because I watched it before the Fulham match so I said I’ve got to go and see it again because
it worked,” Kirchner told Ramstv.
“It doesn’t look like a team that has been relegated, it doesn’t look like a team that is going into their last game that you can say is meaningless, they are not that way.
“The competition is still there. There is so much character in this group and Wayne (manager Rooney) of course, that is another big reason why I am here.”