Escape from hell for Mel
MEL MORRIS knows what it means to be a Derby fan.
He stood on the packed Pop Side terraces at the Baseball Ground as a kid watching Brian Clough’s team win the League.
Now chairman, Morris went on a charm offensive around Pride Park yesterday to repair the damage of a week from hell which left the club in crisis.
The Rams had their third captain in three days when Curtis Davies took over.
Tom Huddlestone had the armband ripped off him after just two days when it emerged he had posted footage of teammate Mason Bennett being sick in a pub toilet after a team-bonding trip turned into carnage.
Bennett and Tom Lawrence were charged with drink-driving and previous skipper Richard Keogh suffered a seasonending knee injury in a car crash before being stripped of the captaincy.
Derby were desperate to make amends after one of the most turbulent weeks in the club’s recent history.
Prior to kick-off and in a gesture of apology to the fans, Morris and boss Phillip Cocu walked along the touchline and were applauded by home fans.
Morris also mingled in supporters’ areas before the game to say sorry for the turbulent week.
Cocu said: “The chairman knows how important the relationship is between the fans and the club. People make mistakes and you have to accept the consequences because you have to take responsibility, also outside in your life.
“We will take disciplinary action towards the players but we also have to continue forward in the game of football.”
As for handing the captaincy to Davies, 32, Cocu said: “I thought it was best to give Curtis the captaincy. It was related to all that happened, yes.”
Fresh from his last-gasp equaliser at Leeds, Derby’s Chris Martin swept home a Duane Holmes cross after just 86 seconds.
It was 2-0 when Martyn Waghorn slid the ball in.
Gary Gardner headed home Dan Crowley’s corner then Ivan Sunjic thundered in a Birmingham equaliser.
Derby were on their knees now but Lukas Jutkiewicz’s 70th-minute penalty was saved by Kelle Roos and the Rams won it thanks to Jamie Paterson.
Blues boss Pep Clotet said: “We deserved something – absolutely. But we were punished for the little mistakes we made.” DERBY BIRMINGHAM 4 ........ Shots on Target .........6 3 ........ Shots off Target .........4 2 ................Corners .................9 9 .................. Fouls .................. 18 3 ............... Offsides ..................1 76.3 ... Passing Success % .... 74.7 396 ...... Total Passes ........ 376 50........ Possession % ........ 50 38.3 .Territorial Adv % ... 61.7