Everything You Need To Know About Derby's Friday Night Clash Against Stoke

Derby County will round off the first month of 2020 with a home fixture against Stoke City at Pride Park Stadium in the Sky Bet Championship on Friday night (7:45pm kick-off).

Phillip Cocu’s side will be looking to maintain their impressive home form and record a fourth successive home victory, having defeated Charlton Athletic, Barnsley and Hull City in their last three home fixtures.

Here, dcfc.co.uk has gathered all the information you will need ahead of the clash with the Potters.

TEAM NEWS…

Defender Max Lowe will miss the clash with Stoke as he begins a three-match ban following his sending off in the 3-2 loss at Luton Town on Tuesday night.

Either Scott Malone or Craig Forsyth will come in for the left-back, who will also sit out the FA Cup Fourth Round replay against Northampton Town and also the trip to Swansea City next weekend.

Tom Huddlestone has missed the Rams' last two matches with a calf issue and while it was hoped that he could return to the fold against the Potters, the game will come too soon for the midfielder.

Striker Chris Martin is also pushing for a start after he came off the bench to score in the midweek loss at Luton to take his tally for the season to six goals.

Midfielder Graeme Shinnie has been an unused substitute in Derby's last two matches after two months out with a hamstring injury and is likely to be in the matchday squad once again, meaning he is in contention to start.

Krystian Bielik (knee) and George Evans (calf) remain sidelined, although Evans is making good progress in his rehabilitation work after being sidelined for just over a month.

PRE-MATCH THOUGHTS…

Speaking to RamsTV ahead of Friday night's home fixture, manager Phillip Cocu said: “We perform very well at Pride Park.

“The feeling, as players and staff, when you play at Pride Park and with the fans supporting us is only a positive one.

“It gives us a great connection with the team and maybe influences the opponents too.

“In the last home game against Hull City we played some very good football, so we will try to continue to combine the football we play with results and hopefully we can win the game.”

More pre-match thoughts from the Derby boss in the lead-up to Friday's clash with the Potters can be found across dcfc.co.uk and RamsTV.

HOW TO SECURE YOUR SEAT…

Tickets are still available for Friday night's game at Pride Park Stadium.

Supporters are advised to avoid the matchday ticket price increase, which comes into play at 10am on the day of the game.

Match Tickets for Home Members start at:

* £8.80 Child (Age 2-12)

* £14.40 Youth (Age 13-17)

* £19.20 Young Adult (Age 18-21)

* £26.40 Adult (Age 22-64)

* £17.60 Senior (Age 65+)

Important! Home Membership benefits include: 20% Discount on General Public Match Ticket pricing; free ticket to a club selected match; early access to tickets prior to general public on-sale; and zero online booking fees. Click here for more information.

Match Tickets for General Public start at:

* £11.00 Child (Age 2-12)

* £18.00 Youth (Age 13-17)

* £24.00 Young Adult (Age 18-21)

* £33.00 Adult (Age 22-64)

* £22.00 Senior (Age 65+)

Tickets can be purchased without a booking fee from the Derby County Ticket Office, presented by SeatGeek, but are subject to £1 per ticket booking fee if purchased online or via phone 0871 472 1884 (calls cost 13p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge); and an additional £1 per transaction delivery fee is applicable for tickets posted. Buy your match tickets here.

And have you tried this season’s brand new matchday experience, the Captain's Club?

Offering one of the best views in the stadium from only £60 (+ VAT) including match ticket and unlimited chef’s buffet table, the Captain’s Club is a relaxed informal matchday hospitality experience in contemporary surroundings with regular visits from captains, past and present. Book the Captain’s Club here.

For more matchday hospitality options, please email [email protected] or call 01332 821073.

Match Tickets and Matchday Hospitality subject to availability. Terms & Conditions apply.

WHO’S THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE…

Robert Jones will be the man in the middle for the Rams' final home fixture of the first month of 2020.

The match will be Jones' second Derby fixture of the season after he oversaw the Carabao Cup First Round tie at Scunthorpe United in August.

He has overseen 22 matches so far this season, in all competitions, producing 72 yellows and no reds

Jones will be assisted by Akil Howson and Adam Crysell on the lines, whilst Oliver Langford has been appointed as the fourth official.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE ACTION…

Fans in select countries can watch the game LIVE on RamsTV.

RamsTV’s Matchday Live pre-match show will begin from 7:15pm on Friday night with Owen Bradley and Shane Nicholson building up to kick-off with the help of stats, analysis, pre-match interviews and lively discussion.

The pair will then provide expert commentary as RamsTV provides full multi-camera coverage of all the action at Pride Park Stadium.

As this fixture has been selected for live international TV coverage, RamsTV will only be able to broadcast the match live in select countries. A list of these selected countries referred to as ‘dark markets’ can be found here.

Fans based in these dark market countries will be able to stream the game as part of their RamsTV subscription, or for the one-off pay-per-view price of £5.

A live audio stream of the game will be available for fans outside of the dark market countries, including the UK.

Full streaming options can be found here.

As always, all of RamsTV’s pre-match and post-match content, including Facebook Live shows ‘The Warm Up’ and ‘Added Time’, will be available to watch for FREE across the club’s website, official app, YouTube Channel and social media platforms.

PICK UP A PROGRAMME…

In the 16th edition of the 2019/20 season, The Ram sat down with Derby defender Andre Wisdom.

Spanning across six pages, we spoke to the former England Under-21 international about his return to the team after a long journey back from injury, switching roles in the Rams’ backline and the aims for the rest of the season.

As ever, The Ram will be jam-packed with news and features and retails at just £3 from around Pride Park Stadium.

Here’s a brief review of what else you can expect from our #DCFCvSCFC edition of The Ram…

Exclusive Columns: Back in the Pride Park dugout, Phillip Cocu pens his exclusive column, whilst Match of the Day commentator Martin Fisher reflects on his second away day of the season at Luton Town.

Introducing… Stoke City: Want to know more about Michael O’Neill’s side? We have you covered with an extensive opposition guide and we take a look at a historic meeting between the clubs.

Back in the Big Time: Our season-long historical feature takes us back 50 years as we look back on Brian Clough and Peter Taylor’s first season in Division One.

Academy In Focus: We spoke to Derby County Under-23s’ leading scorer, Jahmal Hector-Ingram who has made an instant impact since joining the Rams in the summer.

Ewe Rams: Derby County Ladies’ extended their winning streak to rise to second in the league and we review with latest victory.

Around The League: We conclude the programme with a look at all the weekend’s action from around the Sky Bet Championship.

With all that in mind, written and designed in-house, in partnership with Ignition Sports media, The Ram, our award-winning official programme, really is the essential matchday purchase.

TACKLING DISCRIMINATION…

Derby County and fellow EFL clubs are united in tackling discrimination and prejudiced behaviour in all its forms and are reminding supporters that no forms of abuse will be tolerated.

Everyone attending or taking part in a football match has the right to feel safe, valued and included and supporters are therefore being reminded of the positive steps that can be taken on matchdays.

Work is continuing with the Premier League and the Football Association to improve processes and procedures in place to address discrimination in stadiums, with commitments made to review how clubs sanction and educate offenders, tackle under-representation across all levels of the game and improve training provisions for stewards to ensure they are best equipped to recognise and respond to issues as they arise.

However, there is no room for complacency and the EFL and its clubs are reinforcing the collective approach to be taken under the header ‘Not today or any day’, if anyone experiences, or is subject to, discriminatory behaviour.

The EFL recommends the following methods:

1. Report it to a steward or Police Officer. Reporting incidents early helps Clubs to take immediate action.

2. Confidentially report it via the Kick It Out App, available on iPhone and Android

3. Report it to Kick it Out on Social media (@KickItOut), phone (0800 169 9414) or email ([email protected])

4. Via the Kick It Out website form at kickitout.org/forms/online-reporting-form.

In addition, clubs, players, managers and officials were also reminded of a matchday protocol introduced to domestic football ahead of the 2019/20 season, alongside The Football Association and the Premier League, in an attempt to ensure the matchday environment provides a positive experience for all.

The protocol is designed to ensure that incidents of abuse are effectively addressed, perpetrators are identified and dealt with, while at the same time make sure that the match is not unduly interrupted with a step by step guide mapped out to support participants take the right course of action in such a scenario.

Further details regarding the matchday protocol are available here: efl.com/news/2019/october/matchday-protocol---abusive-behaviour.