3/1 To Win
Kevin Wilson played a key role in Derby County’s rapid rise from the Third Division to the top-flight under Arthur Cox – even if he wasn’t there to see the job through on the pitch.
The striker was sold to Ipswich Town for £150,000 in January 1985 and the money raised allowed manager Arthur Cox to build a side capable of achieving promotion.
Wilson’s move to Portman Road funded three important signings in the form of Trevor Christie, Gary Micklewhite and Geraint Williams.
With the building blocks firmly in place, Derby went on to achieve back-to-back promotions in the following two seasons.
While Wilson went on to enjoy life in the top-flight with the Tractor Boys, and later Chelsea, Cox’s side were transformed and made a sensational return to the top division.
Derby remained very much close to Wilson’s heart, understandably so after was plucked from the obscurity of non-league Banbury Town in 1979.
He was at the Baseball Ground to watch his former team-mates gain promotion from the Third Division as the Rams claimed a 2-1 victory over Rotherham United in May 1986.
Wilson, now 58, still has a connection with Derby to this day and has appeared in the RamsTV studio as a pundit on several occasions.
“I guess I did miss out on the promotions and what followed, but I try not to look at it like I was missing out as it was a positive move for me,” Wilson told RamsTV Meets.
“It was good for me to go to Ipswich and likewise for Derby as they managed to use the money to sign some players.
“They went on to get promoted and that was fantastic. I was there for the game against Rotherham United on the final day of the 1985/86 season.
“It worked well for both clubs. If I hadn’t left, who knows what would have happened.”
He added: “Derby County still has a place in my heart and is the club that set me on my way for my career.”
Wilson’s move to Ipswich in January 1985 came after he made a blistering start to the campaign.
He had only scored four times during the relegation season of 1983/84, but hit the ground running in Arthur Cox’s first season in charge in 1984/85.
He netted seven goals in the first 10 league games of the season, as well as a further six in four outings in the League Cup.
However, a broken arm forced him out of action from mid-October for two months.
Once he returned to fitness, he made three appearances before sealing a move to Ipswich.
“I think I ended up having one of my best years at Derby in the third tier,” Wilson admitted.
“We had endured a bit of turmoil before; we had financial issues, not being paid and players coming and going. They were tough years for the club and the fans. The year Arthur Cox came in things began to turn around.
“I had started really well and two hat-tricks inside a few days against Hartlepool in the League Cup (where Wilson scored four) and Bolton in the league. It was a great start and we steadily were building.
“They are nice memories, but I ended up breaking my arm and that put my season back to be honest. It was hard to take because I was on such a great run and one of the best of my career.
“Arthur told me on the Monday after I had sustained the injury that Ipswich had come in for me and they’d already accepted the bid. I wasn’t actually looking to leave but sometimes things happen for a reason.”
Wilson admits he had no desire to leave Derby, but the opportunity to play at the highest level was too good to turn down.
Particularly with international aspirations with Northern Ireland, who he went on to win 42 caps for, he was keen to grasp the opportunity to play top-flight football.
“I was a bit reluctant to go, Arthur was a great manager and I liked him,” he said.
“I also had a good relationship with Bobby Davison up front and we had a good understanding.
“We were similar in some ways but we gelled as a pair. If I didn’t score Bobby would get one, and vice versa.
“I wasn’t forced out, but every player wants to play in the top division, don’t they? It was a real opportunity for me to further my career.”
Wilson’s move to Derby in the late 1970s, for £20,000 from Banbury Town, gave him the opportunity in the professional game which he craved.
He felt his big chance had passed him by, however, prior to moving to the Baseball Ground.
A move to Sheffield United was seemingly done and dusted, but it fell though at the last moment.
Wilson explained: “I had signed for Sheffield United from Banbury for about £20,000 and played in three reserve games. I think I’d been there for about two and a half weeks and then I got a call to see the manager.
“I went to see him and I was told I had failed a medical on my knee. As you can imagine, my world was shattered and the dream of playing professional football was over before it had even begun.
“Every kid wants to be a professional footballer and I was no different. I was good at other sports, but football was the one I was the best at.
“I went back to play for Banbury and I was lucky that people were still talking about me. I got a second opinion on the knee, which was positive, and the opportunity to come to Derby gave me the chance to turn things around.”
He added: “I was training with Roy McFarland, Bruce Rioch, Kevin Hector, Steve Buckey and players of that calibre. When you look at that team, you just think ‘wow’. From there, the rest of history.
“When the contract was there it wasn’t about how much money I was getting, it was about playing professional football and it was a big achievement.”
Wilson’s career saw him rack up over 600 games as a professional in league football and score almost 150 goals.
Under Cox, his first full-time manager, he recalls one key piece of advice which stuck with him for the remainder of his playing days.
He said: “Arthur’s man-management was a huge influence on my career, so I have a lot to thank him for.
“He told me I did a lot of work outside the box and made it clear I needed to save my energy inside the penalty area to score the goals.
“I always remembered that and I think it really helped me in my career.”
Want to hear more from Kevin Wilson on his life at Derby County and his career since then, both as a player and a manager? Watch the full RamsTV Meets feature in the videos embedded within this article.
