# 1990–91 Derby County F.C. season

During the 1990–91 English football season, Derby County F.C. competed in the Football League First Division.

## Season summary

In the 1990–91 season, the Rams endured an even worse season than the one before. Between December 1990 and April 1991, Derby went a club record 20 games without a win and equalled the worst ever home league defeat when they crashed 7–1 at home to Liverpool. Gates dropped to 11,000 from an opening match crowd of 18,011 against Sheffield United and the team looked a shadow of the one that had finished fifth two years before as they were relegated and finished bottom of the table with just 5 wins and 24 points from 38 games, a massive 13 points from safety.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 16 | Coventry City | 38 | 11 | 11 | 16 | 42 | 49 | −7 | 44 | |
| 17 | Aston Villa | 38 | 9 | 14 | 15 | 46 | 58 | −12 | 41 | |
| 18 | Luton Town | 38 | 10 | 7 | 21 | 42 | 61 | −19 | 37 | |
| 19 | Sunderland (R) | 38 | 8 | 10 | 20 | 38 | 60 | −22 | 34 | Relegation to the Second Division |
| 20 | Derby County (R) | 38 | 5 | 9 | 24 | 37 | 75 | −38 | 24 | Relegation to the Second Division |

## Results

Derby County's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League First Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 25 August 1990 | Chelsea | A | 1–2 | 24,652 | Saunders |
| 29 August 1990 | Sheffield United | H | 1–1 | 18,011 | Saunders |
| 1 September 1990 | Wimbledon | H | 1–1 | 12,469 | Saunders (pen) |
| 8 September 1990 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 0–3 | 29,614 | |
| 15 September 1990 | Aston Villa | H | 0–2 | 19,024 | |
| 22 September 1990 | Norwich City | A | 1–2 | 13,258 | Patterson |
| 29 September 1990 | Crystal Palace | H | 0–2 | 15,202 | |
| 6 October 1990 | Liverpool | A | 0–2 | 37,076 | |
| 20 October 1990 | Manchester City | H | 1–1 | 17,884 | Saunders |
| 27 October 1990 | Southampton | A | 1–0 | 16,328 | Harford |
| 3 November 1990 | Luton Town | H | 2–1 | 15,008 | Callaghan, Saunders (pen) |
| 10 November 1990 | Manchester United | H | 0–0 | 21,115 | |
| 17 November 1990 | Leeds United | A | 0–3 | 27,868 | |
| 24 November 1990 | Nottingham Forest | H | 2–1 | 21,729 | Ramage, Saunders |
| 1 December 1990 | Sunderland | A | 2–1 | 21,212 | Saunders, Harford |
| 15 December 1990 | Chelsea | H | 4–6 | 15,057 | Hebberd, Micklewhite, Saunders (2) |
| 23 December 1990 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 1–1 | 16,429 | Saunders |
| 26 December 1990 | Arsenal | A | 0–3 | 25,538 | |
| 29 December 1990 | Everton | A | 0–2 | 25,361 | |
| 1 January 1991 | Coventry City | H | 1–1 | 15,741 | Harford |
| 12 January 1991 | Wimbledon | A | 1–3 | 4,724 | Harford |
| 20 January 1991 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 0–1 | 17,747 | |
| 26 January 1991 | Sheffield United | A | 0–1 | 18,390 | |
| 2 February 1991 | Aston Villa | A | 2–3 | 21,852 | Harford, Sage |
| 23 February 1991 | Norwich City | H | 0–0 | 14,102 | |
| 2 March 1991 | Sunderland | H | 3–3 | 16,027 | Saunders (3, 1 pen) |
| 16 March 1991 | Crystal Palace | A | 1–2 | 14,752 | Micklewhite |
| 23 March 1991 | Liverpool | H | 1–7 | 20,531 | Saunders |
| 30 March 1991 | Arsenal | H | 0–2 | 18,397 | |
| 1 April 1991 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 1–1 | 12,036 | Harford |
| 10 April 1991 | Nottingham Forest | A | 0–1 | 25,109 | |
| 13 April 1991 | Coventry City | A | 0–3 | 11,961 | |
| 16 April 1991 | Manchester United | A | 1–3 | 32,776 | P Williams |
| 20 April 1991 | Manchester City | A | 1–2 | 24,037 | Harford |
| 23 April 1991 | Leeds United | H | 0–1 | 12,666 | |
| 4 May 1991 | Southampton | H | 6–2 | 11,680 | Phillips, Saunders (2), P Williams (3, 1 pen) |
| 8 May 1991 | Everton | H | 2–3 | 12,403 | Saunders, Harford (pen) |
| 11 May 1991 | Luton Town | A | 0–2 | 12,889 | |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R3 | 5 January 1991 | Newcastle United | A | 0–2 | 19,584 | |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R2 1st Leg | 26 September 1990 | Carlisle United | A | 1–1 | 7,628 | Saunders |
| R2 2nd Leg | 10 October 1990 | Carlisle United | H | 1–0 (won 2–1 on agg) | 12,253 | Saunders |
| R3 | 31 October 1990 | Sunderland | H | 6–0 | 16,422 | Harford (3), Bennett (own goal), Ramage (2) |
| R4 | 28 November 1990 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 1–1 | 25,649 | Saunders |
| R4R | 12 December 1990 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 1–2 | 17,050 | Micklewhite |

### Full Members Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| NR2 | 19 December 1990 | Coventry City | H | 1–0 | 7,270 | Callaghan |
| NQF | 22 January 1991 | Leeds United | A | 1–2 | 6,642 | Saunders |

## Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | GK | ENG | Scott Cooksey |
| — | GK | ENG | Peter Shilton |
| — | GK | ENG | Martin Taylor |
| — | DF | ENG | Robbie Briscoe |
| — | DF | ENG | Jon Davidson |
| — | DF | ENG | Michael Forsyth |
| — | DF | ENG | Jason Kavanagh |
| — | DF | ENG | Mark Patterson |
| — | DF | ENG | Justin Phillips |
| — | DF | WAL | Mel Sage |
| — | DF | ENG | Alex Watson (on loan from Liverpool) |
| — | DF | ENG | Paul Williams |
| — | DF | ENG | Mark Wright |
| — | MF | ENG | Nigel Callaghan (on loan from Aston Villa) |
| — | MF | ENG | Martyn Chalk |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | ENG | Steve Cross |
| — | MF | ENG | Steve Hayward |
| — | MF | ENG | Trevor Hebberd |
| — | MF | SCO | Ted McMinn |
| — | MF | ENG | Gary Micklewhite |
| — | MF | ENG | Nick Pickering |
| — | MF | ENG | Craig Ramage |
| — | MF | WAL | Geraint Williams |
| — | MF | SCO | Ian Wilson |
| — | FW | ENG | Bobby Davison (on loan from Leeds United) |
| — | FW | SKN | Kevin Francis |
| — | FW | ENG | Phil Gee |
| — | FW | ENG | Mick Harford |
| — | FW | WAL | Dean Saunders |
| — | FW | ENG | Jason White |

## Transfers
### Out

| Date | Pos | Name | To | Fee |
| 18 July 1990 | DF | Paul Blades | Norwich City | £700,000 |
| 7 February 1991 | GK | Scott Cooksey | Shrewsbury Town | Free transfer |
| 21 February 1991 | FW | Kevin Francis | Stockport County | £45,000 |
    Transfers in: £0
    Transfers out: £745,000
    Total spending: £745,000