1991–92 Derby County F.C. season

Derby County

1991–92 season
Chairman	Lionel Pickering
Manager	Arthur Cox
Stadium	Baseball Ground
Second Division	3rd
Playoffs	Semi-finals
FA Cup	Fourth round
League Cup	Third round
← 1990–91 1992–93 →

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.

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 sponsored by British media company Maxwell Communications.

First-team squad

Squad at end of season

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

• Marco Gabbiadini - Crystal Palace, £1,000,000
• Paul Simpson - Oxford United, £500,000, February
• Paul Kitson - Leicester City, £1,300,000, March
• Tommy Johnson - Notts County, £1,300,000, March
• Bobby Davison - Leeds United, loan

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

[1]

Second Division

October

• 19 October: Derby County 2-0 Portsmouth

November

• 6 November: Port Vale 1-0 Derby County

February

• 1 February: Portsmouth 0-1 Derby County

March

• 11 March: Derby County 3-1 Port Vale

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

FA Cup

• 4–6 January: Burnley 2-2 Derby County
• 25 January: Derby County 2-0 Burnley (replay)
• 25–27 January: Derby County 3-4 Aston Villa

Playoffs

• Blackburn Rovers 4-2 Derby County
• Derby County 2-1 Blackburn Rovers