2006–07 Derby County F.C. season

During the 2006–07 English football season, Derby County competed in the Football League Championship.

Derby County
2006–07 season
ChairmanPeter Gadsby
ManagerBilly Davies
StadiumPride Park Stadium
Championship3rd (qualified for play-offs)
Play-offsWinners
FA CupFifth round
League CupSecond round
Top goalscorerLeague: Steve Howard (16)
All: Steve Howard (19)[1]
Highest home attendance31,920 (vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers, 26 December 2006)
Lowest home attendance21,295 (vs. Barnsley, 1 November 2006)
Average home league attendance25,944[2]

Season summary

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Derby County finished the season in third place in the Championship, four points behind champions Sunderland and two points behind runners-up Birmingham City. With new ownership, Derby had been able to compete in the transfer market for the first time in a number of years, with Luton Town's Steve Howard becoming the club's first £1 million signing since François Grenet six years previously and, alongside captures from Premiership clubs such as West Ham United's Stephen Bywater and Fulham's Dean Leacock, manager Billy Davies began shaping a side capable of competing at the right end of the table. This wasn't apparent from the off, however, and a return of just five points from the club's opening six fixtures did not hint at instant success for Davies, leaving influential and creative players such as Tommy Smith and Iñigo Idiakez to depart the club prior to the closing of the August transfer window. However, a 1–0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers on 12 September proved a catalyst as the club lost only four of its next 27 fixtures (a run which included winning all six league fixtures in November and an eight-match winning streak of six league and two FA Cup games from 30 December to 10 February). After a 2–2 draw at home to Hull City on 10 February, Derby were six points clear at the top of the table[3] and had strengthened for the promotion run-in with the signing of Tyrone Mears, Jay McEveley, Gary Teale, David Jones, Craig Fagan, Stephen Pearson and Jon Macken for a combined £5 million. However, a 2–0 defeat away to Plymouth Argyle in the fifth round preceded a notable wobble in results and the club recorded a return of just six points from the next five games, conceding top spot to Birmingham City after a 1–0 defeat at St. Andrews on 9 March.[4] A resounding 5–1 win against Colchester United (by far the biggest win of a campaign which saw victory by a two-goal margin or greater on just six occasions) looked to have put the club back on track, but, after taking just 12 points from the next ten fixtures, the club slipped out of the automatic promotion places altogether and a 2–0 defeat at Crystal Palace in the penultimate game of the season confirmed a 3rd-placed finish and entry into the 2006–07 Championship playoffs.

Derby defeated West Bromwich Albion 1–0 in the play-off final with a goal from Stephen Pearson to return Derby to the top flight of English football for the first time in five seasons.

Striker Steve Howard, who was also Derby's top scorer that season, was awarded the Jack Stamps Trophy as Derby's player of the season. Defender Darren Moore was named in the PFA's Championship Team of the Year.

Spanish company Joma remained Derby's kits manufacturers, and introduced a new home kit for the season, the first time since 1998 that Derby had not used the same kit for two seasons running. The Derbyshire Building Society continued sponsoring the kits.[5]

Final league table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 Sunderland (C, P) 46 27 7 12 76 47 +29 88 Promotion to the Premier League
2 Birmingham City (P) 46 26 8 12 67 42 +25 86
3 Derby County (O, P) 46 25 9 12 62 46 +16 84 Qualification for Championship play-offs
4 West Bromwich Albion 46 22 10 14 81 55 +26 76
5 Wolverhampton Wanderers 46 22 10 14 59 56 +3 76
Source: RSSSF
Rules for classification: In the Football League goals scored (F) takes precedence over goal difference (GD).
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted

Results

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Derby County's score comes first[6]

Legend

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Win Draw Loss

Football League Championship

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Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
6 August 2006 Southampton H 2–2 21,939 S Johnson, Peschisolido
8 August 2006 Stoke City A 0–2 20,013
12 August 2006 Hull City A 2–1 15,261 Oakley, Smith (pen)
19 August 2006 Norwich City H 0–0 22,196
26 August 2006 Colchester United A 3–4 4,574 Lupoli (2), Peschisolido
9 September 2006 Sunderland H 1–2 26,502 Oakley
12 September 2006 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 1–0 21,546 Howard
16 September 2006 Preston North End H 1–1 22,220 Howard (pen)
23 September 2006 Sheffield Wednesday A 2–1 23,659 Peschisolido, Howard
30 September 2006 Southend United H 3–0 22,395 Lupoli (2), M Johnson
15 October 2006 Plymouth Argyle A 1–3 13,622 Lupoli
17 October 2006 Queens Park Rangers A 2–1 10,882 Bisgaard, Howard
21 October 2006 Birmingham City H 0–1 25,673
28 October 2006 Cardiff City A 2–2 17,371 Howard, Barnes
1 November 2006 Barnsley H 2–1 21,295 Barnes (2)
4 November 2006 West Bromwich Albion H 2–1 25,342 Oakley, Barnes
11 November 2006 Coventry City A 2–1 19,701 Stead, Howard
18 November 2006 Luton Town A 2–0 9,708 Stead, Howard
25 November 2006 Leicester City H 1–0 28,315 Stead
29 November 2006 Ipswich Town H 2–1 22,606 Howard, Lupoli
2 December 2006 West Bromwich Albion A 0–1 20,494
9 December 2006 Leeds United A 1–0 20,087 Barnes
16 December 2006 Crystal Palace H 1–0 23,875 Jones
23 December 2006 Burnley A 0–0 12,825
26 December 2006 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 0–2 31,920
30 December 2006 Plymouth Argyle H 1–0 25,775 Bisgaard
1 January 2007 Preston North End A 2–1 19,204 Howard (2, 1 pen)
13 January 2007 Sheffield Wednesday H 1–0 28,936 Jones
20 January 2007 Southend United A 1–0 10,745 Howard
30 January 2007 Burnley H 1–0 23,122 Howard
3 February 2007 Southampton A 1–0 27,656 Howard
10 February 2007 Hull City H 2–2 28,140 Teale, Moore
21 February 2007 Stoke City H 0–2 24,897
24 February 2007 Sunderland A 1–2 36,049 Barnes
2 March 2007 Colchester United H 5–1 26,704 Jones, Lupoli, Barnes, Howard (pen), Barker (own goal)
6 March 2007 Norwich City A 2–1 23,462 Jones (2)
9 March 2007 Birmingham City A 0–1 20,962
13 March 2007 Queens Park Rangers H 1–1 27,567 Moore
17 March 2007 Cardiff City H 3–1 27,689 Howard (2, 1 pen), Barnes
31 March 2007 Barnsley A 2–1 17,059 Jones, Oakley
6 April 2007 Leicester City A 1–1 24,704 Fagan
9 April 2007 Coventry City H 1–1 29,940 Oakley
14 April 2007 Ipswich Town A 1–2 24,319 Oakley
20 April 2007 Luton Town H 1–0 28,499 Nyatanga
29 April 2007 Crystal Palace A 0–2 19,545
6 May 2007 Leeds United H 2–0 31,183 Currie, Mears

Championship play-offs

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Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers
SF 1st Leg 12 May 2007 Southampton A 2–1 30,602 Howard (2, 1 pen)
SF 2nd Leg 15 May 2007 Southampton H 2–3 (won 4–3 on pens) 31,569 Moore, Best (own goal)
F 28 May 2007 West Bromwich Albion N 1–0 74,993 Pearson

FA Cup

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Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers
R3 6 January 2007 Wrexham H 3–1 15,609 Lupoli (3)
R4 27 January 2007 Bristol Rovers H 1–0 25,033 Peschisolido
R5 17 February 2007 Plymouth Argyle A 0–2 18,026

League Cup

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Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers
R1 22 August 2006 Stockport County A 1–0 3,394 M Johnson
R2 20 September 2006 Doncaster Rovers A 3–3 (lost 7–8 on pens) 5,598 Howard, Moore, Lupoli

Players

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First-team squad

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Squad at end of season[7]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK   ENG Lee Camp[notes 1]
2 DF   ENG Marc Edworthy
3 DF   GUI Mo Camara
4 DF   SCO Jay McEveley[notes 2]
5 DF   ENG Dean Leacock
6 DF   JAM Michael Johnson[notes 3]
7 MF   ENG David Jones
8 MF   DEN Morten Bisgaard
9 FW   ENG Steve Howard[notes 4]
10 FW   ENG Craig Fagan
11 FW   CAN Paul Peschisolido
12 FW   IRL Jon Macken[notes 5]
13 GK   ENG Lee Grant
14 DF   ENG Richard Jackson
15 MF   ENG Ryan Smith
16 FW   ITA Arturo Lupoli (on loan from Arsenal)
17 DF   ENG Paul Boertien
No. Pos. Nation Player
18 MF   ENG Seth Johnson
19 MF   ENG Darren Currie (on loan from Ipswich Town)
20 FW   ENG Lee Holmes
21 DF   SCO Bob Malcolm
22 MF   ENG Matt Oakley (captain)
23 DF   JAM Darren Moore[notes 6]
24 DF   ENG Tyrone Mears[notes 7] (on loan from West Ham United)
25 MF   SCO Stephen Pearson
27 MF   SCO Gary Teale
28 FW   ENG Giles Barnes[notes 8]
29 FW   ENG Lionel Ainsworth
30 DF   WAL Lewin Nyatanga[notes 9]
31 DF   AUS James Meredith
32 MF   ENG Tom Cumberworth
34 MF   BEL Jeremy Bossekota
35 GK   WAL Steven Cann[notes 10]
43 GK   ENG Stephen Bywater

Left club during season

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
4 MF   ENG Adam Bolder (to Queens Park Rangers)
7 FW   ENG Tommy Smith (to Watford)
10 FW   ENG Jon Stead (on loan from Sunderland)
12 MF   ENG Paul Thirlwell (to Carlisle United)
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 MF   ENG Nathan Doyle (to Hull City)
27 FW   ESP Iñigo Idiakez (to Southampton)
33 DF   ENG Theo Streete (to Rotherham United)

Notes

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  1. ^ Camp was born in Derby, England, and represented them at U-21 level, but also qualifies to represent Northern Ireland internationally and would make his full international debut for Northern Ireland in March 2011.
  2. ^ McEveley was born in Liverpool, England, and represented them at U-20 and U-21 level, but also qualified to represent Scotland internationally and represented them at B level before making his international debut for Scotland in August 2007.
  3. ^ Johnson was born in Nottingham, England, but also qualified to represent Jamaica internationally and made his international debut for Jamaica in 1999.
  4. ^ Howard was born in Durham, England, but also qualified to represent Scotland internationally and would later represent them at B level.
  5. ^ Macken was born in Blackley, England, and represented them at U-20 level, but also qualifies to represent the Republic of Ireland internationally and made his international debut for the Republic of Ireland in August 2004.
  6. ^ Moore was born in Birmingham, England, but also qualified to represent Jamaica internationally through his parents and made his international debut for Jamaica in 1999.
  7. ^ Mears was born in Chadderton, England, but represented Jamaica in February 2009, apparently qualifying through his father. It was later discovered that his father was actually from Sierra Leone and Mears was ineligible to represent Jamaica.
  8. ^ Barnes was born in Barking and Dagenham, England, and represented them at U-19 level, but also qualifies to represent Jamaica internationally through his paternal grandparents and would make his international debut for Jamaica in May 2015.
  9. ^ Nyatanga was born in Burton upon Trent, England, but also qualifies to represent Wales internationally through his mother and Zimbabwe through his father, and represented Wales at U-17 and U-21 level before making his international debut for Wales in March 2006.
  10. ^ Cann was born in South Africa, but also qualifies to represent both Wales and England internationally, and has represented Wales at U-17, U-19, and semi-professional level.

References

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  1. ^ "Derby County | Match | Club Statistics | Goalscorers". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  2. ^ "Derby County | Match | Club Statistics | Attendance". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  3. ^ "Coca-Cola Football League Championship – Updated 10/02/2007". dcfc.co.uk. 10 February 2007. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  4. ^ "Coca-Cola Football League Championship – Updated 09/03/2007". dcfc.co.uk. 6 March 2007. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  5. ^ "Derby County - Historical Football Kits".
  6. ^ "Derby County results for the 2006-2007 season - Statto.com". Archived from the original on 6 September 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
  7. ^ "FootballSquads - Derby County - 2006/07".