1974–75 Derby County F.C. season

The 1974–75 season was Derby County's 75th in the Football League and their 48th season in the top flight. They won their second league title in four years to qualify for the 1975–76 European Cup.

Derby County
1974–75 season
ChairmanSam Longson
ManagerDave Mackay
StadiumBaseball Ground
First Division1st (Champions)
FA CupFifth Round
League CupThird Round
UEFA CupThird Round
Top goalscorerLeague: Bruce Rioch (15)
All: Kevin Hector (21)
Highest home attendance38,000 v Carlisle United (26 April 1975)
Lowest home attendance17,716 v Servette FC (18 September 1974)
Average home league attendance26,719

Season review

Whereas Brian Clough built his 1971–72 Championship winning team on discipline and a solid defence, Dave Mackay's 1974–75 side relied on attacking power to overwhelm its opponents. Midfielder Bruce Rioch bagged 15 goals to finish as the club's top league scorer, and the front three of Kevin Hector, Francis Lee and Roger Davies all contributed 12 or more. In March, Davies scored all the goals in a 5–0 win over Luton Town, becoming the first Derby player to net five times in a match since Hughie Gallacher in 1934. The Rams also put five past Queens Park Rangers and Burnley to finish the season as the league's leading scorers, though such abandon often left the side defensively frail and there were several heavy defeats along the way.

The season started in worrying fashion, with just one win in the club's opening seven fixtures, and despite a brief rally of six wins in 10 between September and November, a 1–0 defeat at Luton just before Christmas 1974 left them in 10th place. However, a run of just three defeats in their last 20 games, which saw them take 30 points from a possible 40, helped Derby surge up the table. A 0–0 draw away to Leicester City on the penultimate Saturday, combined with Ipswich Town drawing at Manchester City a few days later, confirmed the Rams as champions for the second time in four years.

Although domestic cup progress was limited (reaching the third round of the League Cup and the fifth round of the FA Cup), Derby's UEFA Cup debut proved relatively fruitful. A 6–2 aggregate victory over Servette FC was followed by a 4–4 aggregate draw with Atlético Madrid in the Second Round, both ties finishing 2–2. As a result, Derby took part in the club's first ever penalty shootout and overcame their opponents, winning 7–6. However, that was to be as good as it got for the Rams as Velež Mostar were able to overturn a 3–1 first league deficit to win 5–4 on aggregate and reach the quarter-finals.

Peter Daniel won the club's Player of the Season award after stepping in for Roy McFarland, who suffered an Achilles tendon injury whilst on international duty and missed all but the last five matches. Ron Webster became only the fifth player to break 500 appearances for Derby during his appearance in the defeat at Luton, while Colin Boulton broke the club record for goalkeeping appearances during the campaign on his way to a total of 344 appearances for the club. Colin Todd received the PFA Players' Player of the Year award, the only Derby County player ever to do so.

Squad

Substitute appearances indicated in brackets
Pos. Nat. Name League League Cup European Cup Winners' Cup FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK  ENG Colin Boulton 42 0 2 0 6 0 4 0 54 0
GK  ENG Graham Moseley 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DF  ENG Peter Daniel 37 3 2 0 6 1 4 0 49 4
DF  ENG Roy McFarland 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
DF  ENG David Nish 38 2 2 0 5 1 4 0 49 3
DF  WAL Rod Thomas 22 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 25 0
DF  ENG Colin Todd 39 0 2 0 5 0 4 2 50 2
DF  ENG Ron Webster 24 1 2 0 6 0 2 0 34 1
MF  SCO Archie Gemmill 41 0 2 0 6 0 3 0 52 0
MF  ENG Alan Hinton 8(5) 2 0 0 0(4) 1 0(2) 0 8(11) 3
MF  SCO Jeff King 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
MF  ENG Henry Newton 35(1) 3 1(1) 0 6 0 4 0 46(2) 3
MF  ENG Steve Powell 12(3) 2 1 0 1 0 1 0 15(3) 2
MF  SCO Bruce Rioch 42 15 2 1 6 2 4 2 54 20
FW  ENG Jeff Bourne 7(10) 2 0(1) 0 4(1) 2 3(1) 0 14(13) 4
FW  SCO Eric Carruthers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
FW  ENG Roger Davies 39(1) 12 2 0 2(1) 0 3(1) 0 46(3) 12
FW  IRE Chris Egan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
FW  ENG Kevin Hector 38 13 2 2 6 5 2 1 48 21
FW  ENG Francis Lee 34 12 2 1 6 2 4 1 46 16
FW  ENG John Sims 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

League table

PWDLFAGAPts
1Derby County4221111067491.36753
2Liverpool4220111160391.53851
3Ipswich Town422351466441.50051
4Everton421618856421.33350
5Stoke City4217151064481.33349
6Sheffield United4218131158511.13749
7Middlesbrough4218121254401.35048
8Manchester City4218101454541.00046
9Leeds United4216131357491.16345
10Burnley4217111468671.01545
11Queens Park Rangers4216101654541.00042
12Wolverhampton Wanderers4214111757541.05639
13West Ham United4213131658590.98339
14Coventry City4212151551620.82339
15Newcastle United421591859720.81939
16Arsenal4213111847490.95937
17Birmingham City421491953610.86937
18Leicester City4212121846600.76736
19Tottenham Hotspur421382152630.82534
20Luton Town4211112047650.72333
21Chelsea429151842720.58333
22Carlisle United421252543590.72929

Results

First Division

Date Opponents H / A Result
F – A
Scorers Attendance
17 August 1974 Everton A 0–0 42,193
21 August 1974 Coventry City H 1–1 Lee 25,717
24 August 1974 Sheffield United H 2–0 Hector, Davies 23,088
27 August 1974 Coventry City A 1–1 Davies 18,586
31 August 1974 Tottenham Hotspur A 0–2 20,770
7 September 1974 Newcastle United H 2–2 Davies, Lee 21,197
14 September 1974 Birmingham City A 2–3 Rioch, Davies 27,345
21 September 1974 Burnley H 3–2 Hector, Rioch (pen), Lee 21,377
25 September 1974 Chelsea H 4–1 Rioch, Webster, Daniel, Hector 22,036
28 September 1974 Stoke City A 1–1 Lee 23,589
5 October 1974 West Ham United A 2–2 Lee, Hector 32,900
12 October 1974 Leicester City H 1–0 Rioch 24,753
15 October 1974 Sheffield United A 2–1 Lee 2 21,882
19 October 1974 Carlisle United A 0–3 13,353
26 October 1974 Middlesbrough H 2–3 Hector, Hinton 24,036
2 November 1974 Leeds United A 1–0 Lee 33,551
9 November 1974 Queens Park Rangers H 5–2 Rioch, Lee, Hector 3 23,339
16 November 1974 Arsenal A 1–3 Rioch (pen) 32,286
23 November 1974 Ipswich Town H 2–0 Hector, Rioch 24,341
7 December 1974 Liverpool A 2–2 Bourne, Davies 41,058
14 December 1974 Everton H 0–1 24,991
21 December 1974 Luton Town A 0–1 12,862
26 December 1974 Birmingham City H 2–1 Bourne, Rioch 26,121
28 December 1974 Manchester City A 2–1 Newton, Lee 40,188
11 January 1975 Liverpool H 2–0 Newton, Lee 33,463
18 January 1975 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 1–0 Newton 24,515
1 February 1975 Queens Park Rangers A 1–4 Rioch 20,686
8 February 1975 Leeds United H 0–0 33,641
22 February 1975 Arsenal H 2–1 Powell 2 24,002
25 February 1975 Ipswich Town A 0–3 23,078
1 March 1975 Tottenham Hotspur H 3–1 Rioch, Daniel, Davies 23,000
8 March 1975 Chelsea A 2–1 Daniel, Hinton 22,644
15 March 1975 Stoke City H 1–2 Hector 29,985
22 March 1975 Newcastle United A 2–0 Nish, Rioch 31,010
29 March 1975 Luton Town H 5–0 Davies 5 24,619
31 March 1975 Burnley A 5–2 Rioch, Nish, Davies, Hector 2 24.276
1 April 1975 Manchester City H 2–1 Rioch 2 32,966
5 April 1975 Middlesbrough A 1–1 Hector 30,066
9 April 1975 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 1–0 Lee 30,109
12 April 1975 West Ham United H 1–0 Rioch 31,336
19 April 1975 Leicester City A 0–0 38,943
26 April 1975 Carlisle United H 0–0 38,000

Football League Cup

Date Round Opponents H / A Result
F – A
Scorers Attendance
11 September 1974 Second Round Portsmouth A 5–1 Hector 2, Lee, Rioch, Roberts (og) 13,582
8 October 1974 Third Round Southampton A 0–5 14,911

FA Cup

Date Round Opponents H / A Result
F – A
Scorers Attendance
4 January 1975 Third Round Orient A 2–2 Todd 2 12,490
8 January 1975 Third Round Replay Orient H 2–1 Lee, Rioch 26,501
27 January 1975 Fourth Round Bristol Rovers H 2–0 Hector, Rioch (pen) 27,980
18 February 1975 Fifth Round Leeds United H 0–1 35,298

UEFA Cup

Date Round Opponents H / A Result
F – A
Scorers Attendance
18 September 1974 First Round 1st Leg Servette FC H 4–1 Hector 2, Daniel, Lee 17,716
2 October 1974 First Round 2nd Leg Servette FC A 2–1 Lee, Hector 9,600
Derby County win 6–2 on aggregate
23 October 1974 Second Round 1st Leg Atlético Madrid H 2–2 Nish, Rioch (pen) 29,347
6 November 1974 Second Round 2nd Leg Atlético Madrid A 2–2 (aet) Rioch, Hector 35,000
4–4 on aggregate, Derby County win 7–6 on penalties
27 November 1974 Third Round 1st Leg Velež Mostar H 3–1 Bourne 2, Hinton 26,131
11 December 1974 Third Round 2nd Leg Velež Mostar A 1–4 Hector 15,000
Velež Mostar win 5–4 on aggregate

References

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