Rams in the Blood

by ‘Mick’

(published in ‘We.Are.Derby: a tribute to an historic football club, ‘ eds. J. Thrasivoulou & S. Spraham, Writing East Midlands, 2023)

I’m 75 and living in Scotland, and now only very occasionally get to Pride Park.

I was born and raised in Derby and The Rams were an important part of my childhood. My dad was back from the war in time to see Derby win the cup at Wembley. He saved the programme for me, though at that time I was only a gleam in his eye, being born the following year.

My grandad worked at the LMS Carriage & Wagon Works, but he was also a talented self-taught masseur who was often consulted by the players in the 30s and 40s. My mother said almost every chair in the house was broken-backed from players straining backwards as my grandad worked on their legs. (Her favourite was Raich Carter).

I started in The Boys Enclosure (admission 9 pence) in 1958/59. The Baseball Ground was such a tight ground that the front of The Boys Enclosure was only about five/six feet from the pitch. I was close enough to smell the embrocation of Stanley Matthews (then in his forties) taking corners for Stoke. That season , in the cup, we drew Preston North End (then a top First Division side with the great Tom Finney). We were winning 2-1 before conceding a daft penalty (and lost the replay). George Darwin and Jack Parry were the two inside forwards and scored 26 goals between them when we finished 7th.