FROM THE TOP: A Message From David Clowes

A new season. A new challenge. A new adventure. These are all the things that, as a football fan, get you so excited and which, as an owner, create a sense of anticipation for the next nine months.

Normally, I’d be writing these notes in the first programme of the season but given we start with two away matches, I thought it best to address you all on the eve of the campaign.

It barely seems like a minute since we were all at Pride Park Stadium, nerves slightly jangling on the last day of the season but leaving amidst a mood of relief and gratitude for a job well done by John Eustace, the players and everybody who contributed even the smallest part to our success in securing a Championship future.

I’m not going to gloss over the fact that last year was one of upheaval at the club. We had to take some tough decisions and, while many of them were uncomfortable, we achieved our aim which was hugely down to John’s arrival and his ability to galvanise a squad that had lost a little belief. We knew the talent was there, it just needed an opportunity to express itself - which John gave us.

He deserves our thanks and our support and that’s why we’ve worked hard in the transfer window so far to give him the combination of excitement and experience he needs to take another step forward in the history of this great football club.

There’s still time to go before the window closes and that means there’s still work to be done but I’m quietly pleased and confident that we’ve strengthened the squad in terms of what John might consider his starting XI and also in terms of depth.

There have been changes behind the scenes, too, in terms of staff structure, the advent of our B Team strategy and the changes in the Academy. That last point is vital for me, to see home-grown players breaking into the first team squad and keeping alive the proud tradition this club has of developing the highest quality of young talent who can grace the shirt. Nothing gets the heart beating faster for a fan than ‘one of our own’ making their mark at the club.

I think we’ve shown over the last three years that we are building something of true permanence at Derby County but without shouting about it from the rooftops. We go about things our way, with a degree of humility and determination that befits the fans who support us so magnificently every single week, home and away.

In everything we do, we always have in mind the values that make this club so special for thousands and thousands of people. I’ve been there in the stands with you, on the trains and up and down the motorways every week. I desperately never want to let you down.

Nobody knows exactly what the future holds but one thing is for sure, none of us will be here forever. But when it’s time to hand over the reins to the next steward of the club, I want above everything else to be able to say we left Derby County in a better place than where we found it.

Enjoy the season.

David Clowes