Sometimes you have to take a little time to reflect on
disappointment. Obviously the last 48 hours have seen us all come to terms with
the end of a season we hoped would go on just that bit longer.
But once that disappointment subsides, we can look back on the last 10 months with a sense of perspective. We have a strong, healthy football club which, while not in the play-offs, still has so much to celebrate.
The evening of July 1, 2022 seems a lifetime away now, yet that date stands as probably the most memorable of my life – obviously alongside my wedding anniversary given my wife, Cath will be reading these notes!
Cath and I were on the Tube in London when the news came through that the deal for the Club had been completed. It was rush hour on the train and I’m sure there were some confused commuters watching us as we both shed a tear at the end of what had seemed an eternal – and frustrating – process. Our lives have not been the same since and that’s why I owe a thank you.
To the fans who have welcomed us into the heart of the Club, thank you.
To the astonishing support the team have received home and away this season, thank you.
To every single staff member who has given such dedication to Derby County, thank you.
To Paul, his staff and the players who have given every ounce of effort in every game, thank you.
I always knew, from the first moment I stepped foot in the Baseball Ground, that Derby County was going to play an enormous part in my life, that the love I had for the football club was going to be what helped forge me as a person.
But these last 10 months have also made me realise exactly what the Club means to so many thousands of other people. My matchday rituals might have changed yet I still experience the same thrill walking up to the stadium and taking my seat for the game, that same buzz as the players run out and that first tingle of tension when the ref blows his whistle.
Now, though, I also have a huge responsibility to every single supporter who comes to a game or follows the Club in this country or around the globe. It’s a responsibility that can be daunting at times but one which I relish with all my heart.
I believe we have made massive strides in EVERY element of the Club. Shortly after we bought the club, I identified the three pillars by which we had to be judged in everything we do. Stability. Integrity. Progress.
It’s not always easy to live and work to those high standards but we’ve tried to ensure this wonderful football club and all the people employed by it strive to be better every day in everything they do. If that is always our ambition, then we won’t go too far wrong.
So, while the season has come to an end, the hard work continues. We are focusing on the future and building something of lasting excellence that will be a source of huge pride for every fan and the generation of fans who will follow.
Thank you again for everything you mean to this Club we all love.
David Clowes
