Derby County told why they are "geared up for the Premier League" | OneFootball

FLW's Derby County fans pundit issues verdict on where the Rams rank among the Championship's biggest clubs

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 are a club with a rich history who are in the search for a return to the top flight of English football after a 17-year absence.

When it comes to the debate about who are the Championship’s biggest clubs, it is certainly a conversation that sparks passion, pride, and no small amount of bias amongst EFL fans.

In a league filled with fierce competition from fallen giants to rising upstarts, Derby County have a strong claim to being one of the division’s heavyweights due to its rich heritage and ongoing unwavering support around Pride Park.

However, the Championship is a battleground where almost every fan believes their club belongs in that conversation. Ultimately, supporters' perceptions of size come from emotion as much as evidence, as many fans see their club as special, and sometimes bigger than the league table may suggest.

Claim made on Derby County being the "biggest" club in the Championship

We asked our Football League World Derby County fan pundit, Shaun, where Derby ranks among the biggest clubs in the Championship. He believes his beloved club is right at the top of that list or certainty in the conversation at least.

Shaun said: "I know most fans will say their club is the biggest, and I'm no exception to that. I think Derby are the biggest, if not top three, four in that league.

"You look at our crowds, they're consistently in the late twenties, regardless of what league we're in. I don't think many teams can compete with that. Even in League One, we were averaging 28,000/29,000, so I don't think there are many better-supported clubs in the league. I would say we rank in the top couple there.

"History, I think that team we had in the 70s is one of the best teams to have come out of English football with [Roy] McFarland, [Colin] Todd, [Alan] Hinton, [Francis] Lee, Charlie George, [David] Nish — we just had utter class going through the whole team. It's a shame that we obviously didn't get to keep Cloughy [Brian Clough] because that team could've gone on to win multiple trophies, and it's a shame because they got won by [Nottingham] Forest, which I don't want to talk about, but I honestly believe, our history as well.

"We've won the FA Cup, we've won the league twice, we've won the Charity Shield, we've had semi-finals of the European Cup, lots of good times in those 70s. Starved a bit of late, but I still think the size of Derby, we're still up there with a lot of the top clubs in the Championship.

"The infrastructure at the club, the stadium, the training facilities, it's all geared up for the Premier League.

"If we can get it right on the pitch, then we've got it all there. I do genuinely think Derby are top three or four in that league."

When delving back into the archives, many Championship clubs can make a case of being the 'biggest' due to past periods of success even earlier than the 70s. But what sets Derby apart is, as Shaun mentioned, their consistency of support regardless of how their team are performing on the pitch year-on-year. The Rams have a blend of heritage and loyalty which ensures they remain to be in the conversation about who really stands among the Championship’s giants.

Derby County are on the right track for a return to the top-flight

In recent season, Derby County have had steady progression as they look to reach the heights once seen in their club's history. Promotion to the Championship the season before last was followed up by flirting with the idea of relegation, which they narrowly escaped.

As for the here and now, this season's aim for the Rams was very much a case of cementing their place in the second tier for the second year running. However, in the midst of a five-game winning streak, Eustace looks set to have his side aiming for higher than merely mid-table as the Midlands outfit are just two points off the play-off places with a third of the season played.

Very few could've predicted Derby to be just outside the play-offs at this time, but their rapid progression from last season to now has raised eyebrows and could even achieve a spot in the Premier League as soon as the 2026/27 season.

Only time will tell whether Derby's future lies in the Premier League once again, but under Eustace, the Rams are progressing nicely, much to the delight of their legacy supporters, who will be longing to relive those glory days in the 70s, as aforementioned by FLW's Derby County fan pundit, Shaun.