1991–92 Derby County F.C. season

During the 1991–92 English football season, Derby County F.C. competed in the Football League Second Division, following relegation from the First Division the previous season.

Derby County
1991–92 season
Chairman Lionel Pickering
Manager Arthur Cox
StadiumBaseball Ground
Second Division3rd
PlayoffsSemi-finals
FA CupFourth round
League CupThird round

Season summary

Despite the loss of key players like Mark Wright and Dean Saunders, Derby County emerged as genuine contenders for an automatic return to English football's top flight (which would be renamed the FA Premier League from the start of the next season) after the takeover by Lionel Pickering made Derby one of the richest clubs in the Second Division. Derby smashed their transfer record twice during the season, signing striker Paul Kitson for £1.3 million from East Midlands rivals Leicester City in March, followed by the signing of striker Tommy Johnson from First Division strugglers Notts County for the same fee. Club legend Bobby Davison was also re-signed, on loan from Leeds United; he scored 8 goals in 10 games to reach a century of goals for the Rams. However, in spite of this flurry of transfer activity and breaking the club's record for away wins (12) Derby were unable to gain automatic promotion, finishing two points adrift of second-placed Middlesbrough. Derby qualified for the playoffs, but were knocked out in the semi-finals by Blackburn Rovers on a 5–4 scoreline over two legs.

At the end of the season, Scottish winger Ted McMinn was named the club's player of the season.

November saw the death of former chairman Robert Maxwell, who had just sold the club to Lionel Pickering earlier in the year. Maxwell disappeared from his luxury yacht, the Lady Ghislaine, while it was cruising off the Canary Islands; his body was later found drifting in the Atlantic Ocean. His death was officially ruled as accidental drowning after he supposedly fell off the yacht, though commentators have alleged it was murder or suicide.

Kit

Derby's kit was manufactured by English company Umbro and were sponsored by Auto Windscreens.

First-team squad
Squad at end of season[1]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
GK Peter Shilton
GK Steve Sutton
GK Martin Taylor
DF Simon Coleman
DF Andy Comyn
DF Steve Cross
DF Jonathan Davidson
DF Michael Forsyth
DF Jason Kavanagh
DF Shane Nicholson
DF Mark Patterson
DF Steve Round
DF Mel Sage
DF Paul Williams
No. Position Player
MF Martin Chalk
MF Tom Curtis
MF Steve Hayward
MF Gary Micklewhite
MF Craig Ramage
MF Paul Simpson (from February)
MF Geraint Williams
MF Ted McMinn
FW Marco Gabbiadini
FW Tommy Johnson
FW Paul Kitson (from March)
FW Mark Stallard
FW Dean Sturridge
FW Jason White

Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
MF Nick Pickering (to Darlington)
FW Phil Gee (to Leicester City)
FW Mick Harford (to Luton Town)
No. Position Player
FW Ian Ormondroyd (to Leicester City)
FW Bobby Davison (on loan from Leeds United)

Transfers

In

Out
  • Mark Wright – Liverpool, £2,500,000, 15 July (national record for defender)
  • Dean Saunders – Liverpool, £2,900,000, 19 July (national record for any player)
  • Phil Gee – Leicester City, part-exchange for Kitson, March
  • Ian Ormondroyd – Leicester City, part-exchange for Kitson, March

Results

Football League Second Division
Date Match
No.		 Opponents Home/
Away		 Result
F – A		 Derby Scorers Attendance Pos
17 August 1991 1 Sunderland A 1–1 11

Second Division

August

September

October

November

December

January

February
  • 1 February: Portsmouth 0–1 Derby County

March
  • 11 March: Derby County 3–1 Port Vale

April

Unknown date
  • Derby County 1–1 Barnsley
  • Derby County 0–2 Blackburn Rovers
  • Derby County 3–1 Brighton & Hove Albion
  • Derby County 4–1 Bristol City
  • Derby County 1–0 Bristol Rovers
  • Derby County 0–0 Cambridge United
  • Derby County 1–2 Charlton Athletic
  • Derby County 0–0 Grimsby Town
  • Derby County 1–0 Ipswich Town
  • Derby County 1–2 Leicester City
  • Derby County 2–0 Middlesbrough
  • Derby County 0–2 Millwall
  • Derby County 4–1 Newcastle United
  • Derby County 2–2 Oxford United
  • Derby County 2–0 Plymouth Argyle
  • Derby County 1–2 Southend United
  • Derby County 1–2 Sunderland
  • Derby County 2–1 Swindon Town
  • Derby County 0–1 Tranmere Rovers
  • Derby County 3–1 Watford
  • Derby County 1–2 Wolverhampton Wanderers
  • Barnsley 0–3 Derby County
  • Blackburn Rovers 2–0 Derby County
  • Brighton & Hove Albion 1–2 Derby County
  • Bristol City 1–2 Derby County
  • Bristol Rovers 2–3 Derby County
  • Cambridge United 0–0 Derby County
  • Charlton Athletic 0–2 Derby County
  • Grimsby Town 0–1 Derby County
  • Ipswich Town 2–1 Derby County
  • Leicester City 1–2 Derby County
  • Middlesbrough 1–1 Derby County
  • Millwall 1–2 Derby County
  • Newcastle United 2–2 Derby County
  • Oxford United 2–0 Derby County
  • Plymouth Argyle 1–1 Derby County
  • Southend United 1–0 Derby County
  • Sunderland 1–1 Derby County
  • Swindon Town 1–2 Derby County
  • Tranmere Rovers 4–3 Derby County
  • Watford 1–2 Derby County
  • Wolverhampton Wanderers 2–3 Derby County

League Cup

FA Cup
  • 4–6 January: Burnley 2–2 Derby County (Chalk, Comyn)
  • 14–15 January: Derby County 2–0 Burnley (replay; abandoned 75' due to freezing fog) (Gee, Patterson)
  • 25 January: Derby County 2–0 Burnley (replay) (Williams, Ormondroyd)
  • 25–27 January: Derby County 3–4 Aston Villa (Gee 2, P. Williams)

Playoffs
  • Blackburn Rovers 4–2 Derby County
  • Derby County 2–1 Blackburn Rovers

References
  1. http://www.worldfootball.net/teams/derby-county/1992/2/
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