Chance to let the hair down on team trip
DERBY County are still basking in the glow of promotion from League One.
As the Rams now prepare for life in the Championship, here is the latest from Pride Park Stadium:
■■Celebrations continue
Derby County players will let their hair down following promotion back to the Championship.
Pre-season will soon appear on the horizon and before that there is plenty of work to be done regarding the retained list and possible transfer deals.
But for now Rams players want to celebrate and relax – and that is what they intend to do.
“We’ve got a team trip away coming up and we’re certainly going to enjoy it,” defender Sonny Bradley told Rams TV.
“That’s what it’s about as well. We spend a lot of time together but we aren’t a team who necessarily go out and socialise a lot together.
“I’m stating the obvious a bit but the priority was getting the football club up and by doing that, between us, we’ve sacrificed the social side a little bit.
“We’ve saved a few tokens for this off-season!
“Throughout the team we’ve been professional all season, got the job done and now it’s time to unwind and celebrate a little.”
■■Pride Park festival
Paul Warne says Pride Park Stadium resembled the Glastonbury Festival after the final game of the season against Carlisle United, when promotion was secured.
After going inside following the final whistle, the Rams head coach Warne was urged to check out what was happening on the pitch as jubilant fans celebrated. Warne was quite taken aback.
And the Rams boss also revealed that owner David Clowes thanked him for helping the club return to the Championship at the second attempt.
“It was quite humbling,” said Warne.
“He (Clowes) just thanked me, which I’d never had. It was like ‘thanks for what you’ve done.’
“He didn’t need to thank me. He does pay me, it’s not full charity.
Then I saw Cath, his wife, who I see after every home game and she’s lovely.
“They’re so not football owners. They don’t want the limelight – they do it because they want to see their team play.
“On Sunday they watched the women play. Then we watched the under-21s.
“If right now it was Derby dogs against the Burton animals, he’d come down and watch.
“He just loved it and the joy on his face was a real gift. He said the same to the coaching staff – ‘the owner’s just said thanks to me, it’s weird!’ That was the honest conversation. He was so proud to see Pride Park like that.
“It was a bit like Glastonbury. I
went into the tunnel for my 15th nervous wee, my goalie coach said ‘gaffer come and look down the tunnel.’
“It was just black and white smoke. It was like Oasis were out there!
“David came down, into the dressing room, we gave out the trophy and had photos with the players. That’s how football should be.
“It shouldn’t be so stiff and everything’s in boxes – you should enjoy the day and have the best fun.”
■■Fixtures release date revealed
Derby County’s fixture list for the 2024-25 Championship season will be revealed at 9am on Wednesday, June 26.
The new season will begin on the weekend of August 10-11, after the Euros in Germany finish.
It has also been confirmed that the play-off finals will take place at Wembley over the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of May 2025.
The Rams know they will face Sheffield United next season but the other two relegated teams from the Premier League have not yet been confirmed.
And the Rams will be reunited with League One champions Portsmouth next season, as Bolton Wanderers and Oxford United have the chance to claim the final promotion spot when they meet in the League One play-off final on Saturday, May 18.