From: archer@hsi86.hsi.com (Garry Archer)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.soccer
Subject: Re: Derby County??
Date: 9 Apr 92 16:27:27 GMT
Reply-To: archer@hsi86.hsi.com.com (Garry Archer)
Organization: 3M Health Information Systems, Wallingford

In article <1992Apr8.123414.9464@axion.bt.co.uk> kfolan@zaphod.axion.bt.co.uk writes:
>From article <5361@hsi86.hsi.com>, by archer@hsi86.hsi.com (Garry Archer):
>> In article <u906789.702623898@bruny> u906789@bruny.cc.utas.edu.au (Mark Julian Turner) writes:
>>>
>>>Does Derby County mean the same thing as Derbyshire? Or is it just another
>>>"funny" word on the end of a teams name (like Albion,Villa,Wednesday etc.).
>>>Also does Notts County mean Nottinghamshire also?
>> 
>> Yes.  Derby County FC are a team that represents the county of Derbyshire,
>
>Sorry Garry. Thought you'd have got this one right. Derby County have
>a ground in the city of Derby and so represent that city (and the
>surrounding area). 

Aha!  But, as has been pointed out to me (thank you, Peter Hemmings) Derby
County are one of the 12 founding members of The Football League in 1888
and thereby, at that time, represented the county of Derbyshire.  But your
point is taken (see more below).

Anyway, you're asking me to explain the name of a team that plays
football at a "baseball ground".  But thats another story...


>> Same for Notts County.

And... funnily enough, Notts County are also one of the 12 founding members,
so the explanation still seems reasonable.  I haven't forgotten, though,
that Nottingham Forest were also around at the time and applied to join
the League at this time.  However, the details of the League had been
finalised on 17 April 1888 and only 22 fixture dates were available.  So
Forest and a small number of other clubs had their applications turned down.


>Many Derbyshire based people are closer to
>Notingham and so support either Forest or County, ...

I'll never understand how Derbyshire folks would support a team
in Nottingham.  It ain't natural! :-)


> ... and further north
>the real football aficianados follow the Spireites :-). 

Well, I can hardly blame them.  Anyone from North Derbyshire (God's Country)
should be supporting Chesterfield.  Not teams from Sheffield nor Manchester.
Argh... I shudder the thought!  Anyway, some poor blighters have to
support Chesterfield  ;-)


>I suppose in
>the north west of Derbyshire there are many United and City supporters
>(Manchester that is), and possibly Stockport etc.

Oh my God, no!!!  This can't be!  Surely they support teams from Glossop,
Matlock, Belper, Bakewell, etc!?!  Ooo, me skin just crawled...


>> just like Manchester City FC represents the city of Manchester.
>
>Oh I see, you're joking. Still we wouldn't want people to take this
>seriously would we ?

Oh, I see, Kevin's trying to get me into trouble with the Mancurians.
I thought we Derbyshire lads could stick together?


Kevin also wrote in an earlier response:
>
>No doubt Garry Archer will have some more detailed information about
>this but I can tell you that the name Derby County is not the same
>thing as Derbyshire.  There are two football league teams in
>Derbyshire:  Derby County and Chesterfield. Derby are currently
>attempting to make the 2nd division playoffs, while Chesterfield are
>going through a re-adjustment period in division 4.

Well, lets try and dispell the confusion.  I was not trying to explain
that "Derby County" and "Derbyshire" are transposable as far as team
names go, just why the city Derby had a team are called County.  (Only
a few short years ago, Derby was only a town and was made a city by
HM The Queen).  I don't think the team name was a big issue in 1888.


>Derby tend to think they are the only football team in Derbyshire
>although their supporters should remember that the last time both
>teams were in the same division (div 3 about 5 years ago),
>Chesterfield came out on top, with a draw at the Baseball Ground and a
>win at Saltergate.

Kevin has the right to feel a bit narked because Chesterfield were
actually formed, in 1866, before Derby County, in 1884.  However, as
I pointed out, Derby County were one of the original League members in
1888.  Chesterfield didn't join the League until 1900.  (They were known
as Chesterfield Town from 1905 to 1909.  Hey, this was in the days
when Glossop NE were in the second division!)  In 1909 they disappeared 
from the League until their return in 1921-22 season.

But Kevin is right.  Too many Derby County supporters are vain enough
to think they're the only "important" team in the county.  And thats
not right.  Why, even Gresley Rovers (another Derbyshire team!) were
formed before them, in 1882!

Don't worry, Kevin, I love anything about Derbyshire.  Even Chesterfield!

>Kevin Folan  BT Software Technology			Tel: 0473 645692
>G23/SSTF BTL Martlesham Heath Ipswich



-- 
|     Garry Archer Esq.	{yale, uunet}!hsi!archer  -OR-  archer@hsi.com         |
|                                                                              |
=========| Gresley Rovers Football Club ("The Moatmen"), founded 1882 |=========
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