Derby County owner David Clowes lauded - "He's got full backing" | OneFootball

David Clowes is looking to progress Derby County forward after initially saving the club from extinction

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Derby County supporters have become accustomed to enduring plenty of mixed fortunes over the course of recent history, but there is a belief that the club is now on a stable footing whilst looking to make eventual progress.

The Rams are, undoubtedly, one of the biggest sides when it comes to stature that currently reside in the Championship, having spent the past 17 years in the EFL.

That, of course, came off the back of what is still, statistically, the worst season in Premier League history, as the East Midlands side accumulated a dismal total of 11 points under the management of Billy Davies and Paul Jewell in 2007/08.

In recent times, Derby have only threatened to end their lengthy exile from the top tier of English football on a handful of occasions in 2014, 2016 and 2019, with all three seasons under Steve McClaren, Darren Wassall and Frank Lampard ending in play-off heartbreak against Queens Park Rangers, Hull City and Aston Villa - the former and latter of which also came through defeats in the final at Wembley Stadium.

However, it emerged later down the line that the latter two of those failed promotion attempts would come at almost the most significant of costs, with former owner Mel Morris left with no choice to put the club into administration after losing in excess of £200m over a six-year period.

This, ultimately, led to relegation to League One through a 21-point penalty in the 2021/22 season, before lifelong supporter David Clowes rescued the club from the brink for an initial £33m.

Since then, the Rams have made steady progress, and as a result, supporters such as FLW fan pundit, Shaun Woodward, believe he will continue to take the club forward, even if it means searching for external investment.

David Clowes praised for 'realistic' long-term Derby County vision after £33m acquisition

The Rams are currently in their fourth season under Clowes' ownership, having spent two seasons rebuilding in League One, before preserving their Championship status on the final day of last season.

Prior to the first of those campaigns, the 56-year-old also parted with £55m to take the club out of administration and pay off various debts, further endearing himself to those on the terraces at Pride Park.

After achieving consolidation, the aim for Derby is to make progress under John Eustace following his February appointment, and that was showcased through an extremely active maiden transfer window in DE24 which saw 13 signings made, including a £7.3m deal for USMNT striker, Patrick Agyemang.

This also comes at a time when Clowes continues to seek external investment in order to aid said progression. However, Woodward believes every decision he makes has the best interests of the club at the forefront.

"You won't find a single fan bad-mouthing David Clowes," Shaun told FLW. "He's got the backing of all the fans.

"Whatever he decides to do moving forward, I'm sure he'll do it for the best of Derby County.

"He's a fan, first and foremost. But, taking emotion out of it, he's done what's best for the club. He's thinking long-term and is realistic," Woodward stated.

"He knows at some point he's going to need investment to come into the club to take it to the next level. But, whatever he does, he's got the full backing of the fanbase.

"I'm sure whatever he does, it'll be in the best interests of the club."

Derby County will hope David Clowes and John Eustace are at the club for the long haul

Of course, Derby may need fresh cash injections which enable them to be a dominant Championship force again. However, supporters will hope that the duo of Clowes and Eustace remain committed to the long-term project.

As a former player, the 45-year-old is fully aware of the demands supporters in this part of the world set, albeit the club is in a different predicament compared to those days.

It has been a rather slow start to the season for the Rams, with results littered with draws. However, the feeling is that there's still time for the Rams to turn things around and climb the table with a popular manager and owner combination.