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Why the risk of 'doing a Derby' is worth every second for West Brom, Stoke and Co.

With the Rams providing the perfect example of what can happen to a newly-promoted Premier League team, is top-flight status REALLY worth all the embarrassment?

by Jason Willis on 24 May 2008

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Paul Jewell: Derby's boss will have the last laugh (gettyimages.com)

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One win in 38 Premier League games, only 11 points out of a possible 114, and several huge losses are not things that Paul Jewell and Derby County will be looking to remember.

The Permier League's worst-ever team suffered humiliation several times throughout season, conceding four or more goals 10 times, and avoiding defeat a mere nine times.

'Personally, I can think of 51,914,346 reasons why it's all worth it - that's how much money Derby will collect for their top-flight campaign'

After these astonishing statistics you have to ask yourself, why would anyone want to put themselves through something like that?

Personally, I can think of 51,914,346 reasons why it's all worth it - that's how much money Derby will collect for their top-flight campaign.

From TV revenue alone they pocketed £28,409,993, with a further £720,321 for their 20th-place finish. Additionally, they will collect £11,392,016 as a parachute payment back down to the Championship, with the same amount set to follow again next year should they fail in their bid for automatic promotionn.

Compare that to the £1-2million that a Championship team would collect in TV revenue and you suddenly understand why it makes all the difference when you’re having six goals scored against you come 3pm on a Saturday.

The money that Derby have collected will enable Paul Jewell to construct a team much stronger for the coming season in the Championship and put them in much better standing should they gain promotion back into the top flight than they were this time around.

Money aside, ask any player who they want to play against and they will all say that they want to go up against the best in the business. And, let's face it, there's no place better than the English Premier League for that.

Some of Derby’s players may well never see the lofty heights of the Premier League again, but they can take home stories of when they lined up against the likes of Ronaldo, Gerrard and Terry.

If you were to ask me who I think the best fans have been this season, there is only one team I would mention - Derby County's. Their support has been tremendous, turning up in their thousands every week to cheer on their side despite the inevitable thrashings. They did so simply because they were thankful to be there and thoroughly enjoying themselves amongst the elite.

So West Brom, Stoke and either of Hull or Bristol City can take solace in the fact that, if they somehow manage to surpass Derby’s remarkable record as the worst Premier League team ever, at least there are 51,914,346 reasons why it's all worth it.

Comments (8)

by Ste Calloway on May 24, 2008

There's absolutely no chance that West Brom will be breaking Derbys record

by Mike B on May 24, 2008

As a Derby fan, I have to admit, i really doubt nay team will be capable of beating our record, one win, 11 points, its pathetic and a beleive the likes of Hull and Stoke will most probably come back down, but on better points and with more dignity tha Derby did. I also think West Brom should do alright, they were definatly the best champ side this year, best of luck to them. But in the long run, it was all worht it!!

by Martin Taylor on May 24, 2008

Just remember a year ago when we were pointing downwards as you celebrated - was not too difficult to get that right. Think best you can expect next season, is top half of table, in what is going to be a very competitive league. Glad we are out of it - for the time being !!!!!!!!!!!!

on May 24, 2008 on May 24, 2008

Winning the championship is probably the best thing that is ever going to happen to west brom, i mean unless we get brought out by a millionaire we are never going to be able to compete properly with the likes of the mid table teams who spend 6-7m on one player. next season we will struggle along with hull stoke and others, i hope at the end of it we do survive, but it is a bit of a downside the fact that we'll probably only win 10 games max all season!

by Quagga on May 25, 2008

I think the only thing that may save Hull, Stoke and West Brom for a similar fate to Derby is that we still had large debts and so couldn't spend most of the money mentioned on players. However we also couldn't persuade playes to come and that I think especially for 'unfashionable' clubs like Stoke & Hull will be a problem Don't forget Fulham, Bolton, Sunderland, Wigan etc. will also receive this year's cash bonanza to go with last years - so whilst the 3 promoted teams get a lot of cash, they're still nowhere near a level playing field. And finally if you look at the points each promoted team got this year in the Championship, compared to previously promoted clubs, it says to me all three need to strengthen massively, and at least 2 wil be back down in the Championship next year albeit having got more than our abject display of 11 points

by DEREK WILLNESS on May 25, 2008

Lets get this straight, no one will ever, ever, ever `do a Derby` as you put it. Because no one can be that bad. Yes you`ve got more money than you had but it`ll take alot of years for the rest of the football world to stop laughing, if in fact they ever do. Not worth it in my book.

by Rob Barker on May 25, 2008

The only reason promotion was worth it for Derby was that we were still reeling, financially, from our last attempt at staying up 6 years previously where we "gambled" on big salaries and paid the price for relegation. Therefore, this season we have managed to clear the debt and go back to the Championship. I'd rather be in a league where all teams have a chance of winning anyway - the Prem has just become a closed shop where any team outside the top 4 can dream of maybe making 4th place if they have a great season and one of the "big 4" slip up. The teams that come up will be pretty much punchbags for the others (Stoke, Hull and West Brom) whilst hoping they can pick up enough points to finish 17th. I'd settle for us being a top 5 side in the Championship than going up and getting thrashed each week...

by Brian Clough on May 26, 2008

£60m in our back pockets, winning at Wembley in one of the greatest moments of my life, seeing the likes of Gerrard, Ronaldo and Lampard grace the Pride Park pitch, sell out gates of 33,000 (not too far behind Evertons!), attracting new investment and showing the footballing world our fantastic fans. Worth EVERY second. We will come back sooner or later (always a roller coaster) but would much sooner have that than having the aspirations to finish 5th, knocked out the UEFA cup in the first round and being a 2nd club in a large city (like Everton fans!)