Derby County will take on Carlisle United at a packed out Pride Park Stadium in their final game of the regular 2023/24 Sky Bet League One season on Saturday lunchtime (12:30pm kick-off).
The Rams know that just one point on the day will be enough to confirm automatic promotion back to the Sky Bet League Championship.
In the lead-up to the game getting underway, dcfc.co.uk has brought together all the key information you need to know...
Team News
Versatile right-sider Joe Ward (knee), right-back Ryan Nyambe (quad) and defender Jake Rooney (knee) remain out of action for the final game of the regular campaign
Forward duo Dwight Gayle and Tyreece John-Jules are both back in training along with defender Craig Forsyth and all three players could be involved on Saturday.
Pre-Match Thoughts
Head Coach Paul Warne spoke to RamsTV ahead of the final game of the regular league campaign.
He said: "The lads are in pretty good form, they are positive and upbeat. We are at home and it’s in our hands, that’s as much as we do know. We just have to look after our own performance and if we do then, hopefully, we’ll have enough. The lads told me at our pre-season training camp they wanted to go up automatically; they wanted to go up as champions. We’ve reiterated the point many times that we just need two points a game and if we win on Saturday, then we’ll reach that total."
Midfielder Korey Smith also spoke to RamsTV to preview Saturday's match at Pride Park Stadium.
He said: "We believe in ourselves. We believe we can win, but we are aware of what Carlisle can do because they've beaten some top teams away from home this season. We have full respect for them."
Ticket Information
Tickets in the home areas of Pride Park Stadium for Saturday afternoon's fixture have sold out.
Demand has been extremely high in the areas allocated for Rams fans and match tickets and corporate hospitality packages have quickly been snapped up.
Supporters that have secured their seats for the game are encouraged to arrive as early as possible to ensure they are inside the stadium in good time and don’t miss kick-off, as well as being able to enjoy the food and beverage offerings from the concourse kiosks.
Fans without a ticket are advised to not try to enter Pride Park Stadium on Saturday as they will be unable to gain access and are also asked not to try and purchase tickets in the away end.
Match Officials
Ben Toner will take charge of Saturday's game at Pride Park Stadium and he will be assisted by Steve Durnall and Danny Jarvis.
Darren Drysdale has been appointed as Fourth Official.
Toner has refereed 32 games so far this season and Saturday will mark the third time that he's been in the middle for a Rams game.
He was in charge for the 2-1 early season loss to Oxford United and the 3-2 victory over Burton Albion back in January.
He's distributed 155 yellow cards, one straight red and awarded 11 penalties.
Player Of The Year Presentation
Supporters have been
selecting their Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season for
the 2023/24 campaign in recent weeks.
The prestigious awards are handed out at the end of each season and will be done so once again this year with the presentations to be made to the winners on the Pride Park Stadium pitch prior to Saturday's game, at around 12:10pm.
The winners of the awards were announced at the club's End of Season Awards night on Tuesday with Curtis Nelson claiming the Player of the Year award and Eiran Cashin the winner of the Young Player of the Year award.
Derby County Women Presentation
Derby County Women got their hands on the FA Women’s National League Plate for the first time in their history with a 3-0 win over Cambridge United Women in the Final last Sunday.
Forward Eleanor Ashton opened the scoring just after the hour mark from the penalty spot before skipper Amy Sims doubled the advantage just before the break.
Midfielder Emily Joyce rounded off the scoring in the dying stages
with a stunning effort from distance to ensure Sam Griffiths’ side were
crowned of the winners of the competition.
The Ewes' players will step onto the Pride Park pitch at around 12pm to proudly hold aloft the National League Plate trophy to the Derby supporters.
Crowd Behaviour
As we approach the closing stages of another exciting season, there remains plenty to play for and a positive result on Saturday will see Derby secure automatic promotion to the Championship.
At a crucial stage of the campaign, it goes without saying that everyone associated with the club are hugely thankful for the support received from the stands this season, both in large numbers at Pride Park Stadium and on the road right across the country.
The noise and atmosphere created has played a fundamental part in the team competing for promotion back to the second tier and Head Coach Paul Warne, his backroom staff and all the players are hugely appreciative of the fantastic support they receive.
At this important stage of the season the club must remind all supporters, in the interests of safety for everyone inside Pride Park Stadium, that the pitch is for managers, coaching staff, players and match officials, while the stands are there for supporters to play their part and back the team.
At the end of last season, some clubs unfortunately witnessed unsavoury and unwelcome scenes with a small minority of people entering the field of play whilst other fans took to the pitch in celebratory mood.
Pitch incursions are dangerous and anyone who does encroach onto the playing surface will face strong sanctions that could include a ban from attending matches at Pride Park Stadium and across the country and police action.
It is a criminal offence to enter the pitch and the real-life consequences for these actions have been felt by many, with some fans receiving criminal records which can impact employment, education prospects and international travel.
It is not only yourself that can be disciplined. There could also be an impact on your family members and Derby County itself.
The club wishes to urge supporters to keep the pitch for players and the stand for spectators and avoid any unnecessary disruption at such a crucial point of the season.
Love Football, Protect the Game.
Matchday Programme
There is no more fitting accompaniment to a matchday than the club’s official programme.
Rammed with exclusive content and features, including insights from both Head Coach Warne and the dressing room, in-depth player interviews, opposition analysis, Derby County Women, an Academy round-up and historical dives, issues will be available for sale around the stadium - as always - with all sellers armed with contactless payments units.
If you can’t make every matchday this season though you can still make sure you keep your treasured collection up to date with a full season subscription.
This edition features:
* Review of the 2023/24 End of Season Awards night
* A look back at Derby's record-breaking 13 away wins in a season
* Head Coach Paul Warne's exclusive pre-match thoughts
* A closer look at Carlisle United and the test they'll pose
* A round-up of all the latest from Derby County Women following their National League Plate triumph
* A review of the latest Academy news from Moor Farm
* A round-up of the news from Derby County Community Trust
* A chance to test your knowledge with The Ram's Matchday Quiz
* And much, much more!
The treasured A5-size 52-page perfect-bound issues will be produced to a schedule that allows for a first-class mail out on the Friday before a weekend fixture, with midweek editions despatched on the day of the game, but this is not a pre-event delivery service.
Order your copy by clicking here or pick up The Ram in-and-around Pride Park Stadium ahead of kick-off.
RamsTV Details
Domestic Streaming
This match is NOT available for live domestic streaming under the EFL’s streaming rights for the 2023/24 season.
The domestic market comprises United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man.
International Streaming
All Sky Bet League One matches may be streamed outside of the domestic market irrespective of whether they have been selected for broadcast.
This means that they will be available both on a Match-by-Match basis and for monthly subscribers.
To buy the match as a Match-by-Match fixture, for £10 per match, or to subscribe to RamsTV on a monthly basis for £19.99 per month, click here.
Audio Commentary
Live audio commentary, provided by BBC Radio Derby, is available online ONLY on dcfc.co.uk.
A monthly audio subscription pass is available for £5 per month and purchases can be made by clicking here.
