Mon 06 Oct - Posted in Breaking News
Time to read: 8mins
Derby County is joining the football world in celebrating Black History Month throughout October.
To mark Black History Month in 2025, Derby County is one of a number of clubs to link up with Show Racism the Red Card for a special campaign.
Show Racism the Red Card is the UK’s leading anti-racism charity, established in January 1996, to use education to combat racism.
The charity is collaborating on an education programme with several clubs, including Derby County, which will extend the anti-racism programme they already undertake with them to highlight the untold history of Black Footballers and produce a physical exhibition commemorating the first 11 Black players to play for each club.
Each club will have 11 individual backdrops which will then form a
mobile display that can be used at their home stadium and also in local
community facilities like libraries, town halls, schools, youth clubs
and community centres.
These displays will then be used as part of Show Racism the Red Card’s Education Days at each club, with a programme of workshops for young people incorporated into the day, while the backdrops can also be used by individual partner clubs in their own Equality, Diversity and Inclusion work.
Derby County’s Chief Operating Officer, Simon Carnall, said: “We are delighted to be working with Show Racism the Red Card during Black History Month.
“Highlighting the importance of diversity is very much part of Derby County’s values, and we are keen to celebrate the untold stories and show the contributions of Black athletes, and others, to not just sport but our wider society.
“We want everyone associated with the club to feel a sense of pride in their community by celebrating diversity and understanding the benefits of a diverse society.”
Tewfik Abdullah
Born in Egypt in 1896, reports suggest that he had played against Derby County’s Tommy Barbour during World War One, whilst Barbour had served in Egypt. After the war, Abdullah was given a trial by Derby manager Jimmy Methven and impressed him enough to earn himself a place in the squad.
He made his Derby bow on 9th October 1920 and made an immediate impact by scoring the opener in the side’s 3-0 win over Manchester City. He went on to make 15 appearances between 1920 and 1922.
Born: Egypt
Joined club: 1920
Left club: 1922
Legacy number: 296
Tony Parry
Tony Parry was Brian Clough’s first-ever signing as a manager when he was snapped up by Hartlepool United in 1965 - and Parry became a Derby County player when Clough signed him once again in January 1972. The defender made his debut for the Rams against Airdrieonians in the 1972 Texaco Cup Final First Leg. The First Leg was played in Scotland at Broomfield Park on 26th January 1972, with the game ending 0-0. Derby won the Second Leg 2-1, although Parry didn’t feature. He made seven appearances in total before departing in 1974.
Born: Burton-on-Trent
Joined club: 1972
Left club: 1974
Legacy number: 594
Calvin Plummer
Calvin Plummer was born in Nottingham and came through the youth system at Nottingham Forest, where he made his senior debut under the great Brian Clough in 1982. The skilful winger then moved to Chesterfield for one season before signing for Derby County in 1983. He made his debut for the Rams on 27th August 1983 against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Plummer went on to score his first Derby goal in the return fixture against the Blues and went on to make 33 appearances and score four goals before moving to Barnsley.
Born: Nottingham
Joined club: 1983
Left club: 1984
Legacy number: 674
Charlie Palmer
Under the guidance of Graham Taylor, Charlie Palmer came through Watford’s youth system and made his senior league debut in September 1983 at the age of 20. He played at right-back or in central defence and moved to Derby County in the summer of 1984, aged 21, under the management of Arthur Cox. He made his Rams bow on the opening day of the 1984/85 season against AFC Bournemouth and was part of the promotion-winning Derby side from Division Three in 1985/86. He played 61 games in total, scoring twice, before leaving for Hull City in 1986 and eventually ending his career with spells at Notts County and Walsall.
Born: Aylesbury
Joined club: 1984
Left club: 1986
Legacy number: 685
Floyd Streete
Floyd Streete was born in Jamaica and, as a central defender, he made his professional debut for Cambridge United in the 1976/77 season. He spent seven seasons at the Abbey Stadium before moving to Holland, where he played for Utrecht and Cambuur. He returned to England a few years later and was signed by Arthur Cox’s Derby County in 1984. He made his debut on 22nd September 1984 in a 0-0 draw at Reading. Streete made 41 appearances for Derby between 1984 and 1986 and appeared five times in the 1985/86 promotion-winning side from Division Three.
Born: Jamaica
Joined club: 1984
Left club: 1986
Legacy number: 691
John Chiedozie
John Chiedozie was born in Owerri State, Nigeria. He joined Leyton Orient as an apprentice in 1977 and made his senior debut for the O’s. A skilful and fast winger, he enjoyed early career success, which resulted in a £600,000 move to Notts County in 1981. He joined Tottenham Hotspur in 1984 and later made the switch to Derby County in the summer of 1988. Signed by Arthur Cox, he made his debut on the opening day of the 1988/89 First Division season as the Rams secured a 1-0 win against Middlesbrough at the Baseball Ground. Unfortunately, a number of injuries restricted him to just two appearances between 1988 and 1990.
Born: Nigeria
Ancestry: Nigerian
Joined club: 1988
Left club: 1990
Legacy number: 717
Kevin Francis
Kevin Francis was born in Birmingham to parents from Saint Kitts and Nevis. His career began in non-league football for Mile Oak Rovers before he was signed by Derby County in early 1989. He made his professional debut on 29th November 1989 in the Full Members Cup, aged 21, as he came off the bench as a substitute in Derby’s 5-0 win at West Bromwich Albion. Francis scored his first competitive goal for Derby in their FA Cup Third Round replay against Port Vale on 10th January 1990. He made 17 appearances in total for Derby before leaving for Stockport County in 1991, followed by spells at Birmingham City, Oxford United, Exeter City and Hull City in the league prior to returning to non-league football.
Born: Birmingham
Ancestry: Saint Kitts and Nevis
Joined club: 1989
Left club: 1991
Legacy number: 723
Paul Williams
Burton-on-Trent-born Paul Williams joined the Derby County youth set-up as a youngster and signed as a professional in 1989. He made his senior debut whilst on loan at Lincoln City in November 1989, with his Rams debut coming later in the 1989/90 season as a substitute in a 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park against Crystal Palace. He was initially a midfielder and scored two senior hat-tricks for Derby, in a 6-2 victory over Southampton in May 1991 and a 3-1 success against Watford in February 1992, before moving to central defence. Williams made 195 appearances for Derby between 1990 and 1995 and scored 33 goals, while he was the Rams’ top scorer with 16 goals in the 1991/92 season. He transferred to Coventry City for £750,000 in the summer of 1995 and later went on to play for Southampton and Stoke City.
Born: Burton-on-Trent
Ancestry: Jamaican
Joined club: 1989
Left club: 1995
Legacy number: 729
Dean Sturridge
Dean Sturridge became a youth trainee at Derby County in the 1980s and developed into a brilliant goalscorer at the senior level. He was given his competitive debut by Arthur Cox at the age of 18 on 11th January 1992, where he was named in the starting line-up for a Division Two fixture at Southend United. He became Derby’s main striker a few years later and scored 20 goals in the 1995/96 promotion-winning season under Jim Smith, firing the club into the Premier League in the process. He then scored the Rams’ very first Premier League goal in August 1996 in a 3-3 draw against Leeds United at the Baseball Ground. In total, he made 214 appearances for Derby and scored 59 goals - and remains the club’s top Premier League goalscorer with 32 goals. He left for Leicester City in 2001 and later played for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Sheffield United and Queens Park Rangers.
Born: Birmingham
Ancestry: Jamaican
Joined club: 1992
Left club: 2001
Legacy number: 740
Gary Charles
Gary Charles was initially signed by Nottingham Forest, and Brian Clough gave him his senior debut at the age of 18 in 1988. He developed his game under Clough and turned into one of the country’s best right-backs, winning his first England cap in 1991. Charles was signed by Derby County for £750,000 ahead of the 1993/94 season, and he made his debut on 14th August 1993, starting in a 5-0 rout against Sunderland at the Baseball Ground. He went on to make 77 appearances for the Rams between 1993 and 1995, scoring three times, and was voted into the PFA’s First Division Team of the Year in his first year at the club. He went on to play for Aston Villa, Benfica, West Ham United and Birmingham City after leaving Derby.
Born: Newham, London
Joined club: 1993
Left club: 1995
Legacy number: 752
Darryl Powell
Darryl Powell came through the schoolboy ranks at Portsmouth after being scouted by one of England’s 1966 World Cup winners in Alan Ball. Jim Smith later signed him for Derby County in the summer of 1995 after also managing him at Portsmouth. He made his debut for the Rams on 13th August 1995 in a 0-0 draw against Port Vale at the Baseball Ground. In his first season, the dynamic midfield leader helped Derby gain automatic promotion to the Premier League. In total, he made 227 appearances for Derby between 1995 and 2002, scoring 11 goals - as well as becoming a full Jamaica international. He played 170 matches in the Premier League for Derby, which makes him the club’s leading appearance holder in the competition. He represented Birmingham City, Sheffield Wednesday, Colorado Rapids and Nottingham Forest after leaving Derby.
Born: Lambeth, London
Ancestry: Jamaican
Joined club: 1995
Left club: 2002
Legacy number: 770
Find out more about Show Racism the Red Card by visiting theredcard.org.
