Fri 19 Sep - Posted in Breaking News
Time to read: 6mins
Derby County will return to Pride Park Stadium for their first Sky Bet Championship home fixture in nearly a month when they host Preston North End on Saturday (3pm kick-off).
The Rams’ clash with the Lilywhites comes a week after Head Coach John Eustace’s side claimed their first league win of the 2025/26 Championship season, with a 1-0 success against West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns - thanks Andi Weimann’s 84th-minute goal.
A 1-1 draw against Bristol City saw Derby register their first point of the season on home turf towards the end of August, and they’ll be hoping to build on that in front of the Pride Park crowd against Preston.
Tickets for the Rams' latest home game are still available and can be purchased online, over the phone or in person from the Ticket Office.
The Ticket Office will be open from 10am until kick-off on Saturday and supporters are urged to buy tickets in advance to avoid the matchday price increase.
Find out more ticket details for Saturday's match by clicking here.
Like Derby, Preston went into the final game of last season with the sword of relegation hanging above their heads. And, like Derby, a last-day draw proved more than enough to secure another crack at the Championship.
For North End, a 2-2 draw at play-off hopefuls Bristol City ended the 2024/25 season. Of course, as things turned out, Luton Town’s heavy defeat at West Bromwich Albion that afternoon rendered results at both Ashton Gate and Pride Park irrelevant.
Preston’s brush with the drop was their first since coming up more than a decade ago. The Deepdale club are now in their eleventh consecutive campaign in the second tier of English football and, while never making the play-off places during the previous ten seasons, they hadn’t finished below 14th before last term.
Manager Paul Heckingbottom had his first full summer of recruitment at Deepdale, having joined the Lancashire club in August 2024 after previous boss Ryan Lowe stepped down.
The Lilywhites have made eight permanent signings and four loan additions in the summer as they look to push on in the new campaign.
Right-back Odeluga Offiah arrived for a fee from Brighton and Hove Albion, while a wealth of Championship experience arrived with free deals for goalkeeper Daniel Iversen, right-back Pol ValentÃn, midfielder Jordan Thompson and striker Michael Smith, amongst others.
Heckingbottom’s side will come into the weekend’s action in eighth place after five games, with two wins and two draws so far this season and the Lilywhites will head to Pride Park following a 2-2 draw at home to Middlesbrough last weekend.
Young midfielder Harrison Armstrong spent the second half of last season on loan with the Rams from parent club Everton.
He joined on deadline day of the mid-season transfer window and went on to play a vital role in Derby’s mission to retain Championship status, including scoring a sensational volley in the 3-2 win against Plymouth Argyle in March.
Armstrong made 15 appearances in total as Eustace’s squad completed their goal and finished in 19th, above the drop zone.
He now finds himself on loan in the second tier again this season, with Heckingbottom’s Preston his destination, where he has so far made one appearance since joining towards the end of the summer transfer window.
Another player loaned out to the Deepdale club this season is Lewis Dobbin. On loan from parent club Aston Villa, the 22-year-old has made two appearances and netted one goal for Preston so far this term.
Dobbin also had time on loan at Pride Park in the 2022/23 season, when he was on the books of Everton. The attacker made 54 appearances, scored five goals and provided six assists as he featured in Sky Bet League One in black and white.
Head Coach John Eustace spoke to RamsTV to review his side's first win of the season last Saturday and preview the weekend's action against Preston.
RamsTV also caught up with goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström ahead of Saturday's meeting with the Lilywhites on home turf to discuss his time with the club so far and the start to the new campaign.
Get your Derby County matchday programme, 'The Ram' - including an exclusive interview with summer signing Max Johnston - at Pride Park Stadium on Saturday!
The Ram is sold around the stadium ahead of the game for £4 or can be ordered for home delivery.
Find out more by clicking here.
Lewis Smith will take charge of the fixture at the Pride Park Stadium - his third Championship contest of the 2025/26 campaign. Last season, he oversaw 16 Championship matches, handing out 46 yellow cards and one red.
Smith has held the whistle in a Rams game on four previous occasions, last officiating Derby in New Year’s Day 2025’s second-tier clash with Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.
Hugh Gilroy and Daniel Leach will be the assistant referees, while Simon Mather will take on the fourth official role.
Live audio commentary for all of Derby County’s first team matches in the 2025/26 season - both league and cup fixtures - is available to RamsTV Audio subscribers based both in the UK and internationally.
Information about RamsTV's Video Live Streaming and other services for this game can be found here.
RamsTV's Match highlights will be available on dcfc.co.uk and the Derby County App shortly after the game.
Pride Park Stadium's turnstiles have been upgraded during the summer and as a result, this will mean a slight change in process for those supporters using a Season Ticket Card on a home matchday.
Find out more by clicking here.
Is it your first time visiting Pride Park Stadium to watch Derby County in action? Here's a handy guide to help you along the way with all you need to know!
If you're a Derby County supporter attending the fixture at Pride Park Stadium, you can find a wide range of details in our Matchday Hub by clicking here.
If you are a fan of our opposition at Pride Park Stadium, full information on visiting Derby County can be found in our Away Supporters Hub by clicking here.
Pride Park Stadium
Middlesbrough
Hull City
Wrexham
Derby County
Norwich City
Birmingham City
Swansea City
Bristol City
