2004–05 Derby County F.C. season

During the 2004–05 English football season, Derby County F.C. competed in the Football League Championship.

Derby County
2004–05 season
Chairman John Sleightholme
Manager George Burley
StadiumPride Park
Championship4th
FA CupFourth round
League CupFirst round
Top goalscorerLeague: Grzegorz Rasiak (16)
All: Rasiak (17)
Average home league attendance25,219

Season summary

With little money to spend, Burley played the markets and made two key free signings in Iñigo Idiakez and Grzegorz Rasiak. Idiakez was voted the club's Player of the Season and Rasiak finished top scorer (with 17 goals) as Derby confounded their form of the last 5 years to grab a fourth-placed finish in the newly rebranded Football League Championship and entrance into the 2004–05 play-offs. With a more settled side than he was previously allowed – Burley only used 24 players, 7 of whom were involved in 10 or less games – and a strong mix of academy graduates (Lee Grant, Pablo Mills, Tom Huddlestone, Marcus Tudgay) and inspired purchases (Rasiak, Idiakez, Tommy Smith) Derby enjoyed a splendid second half to the season, recording just 6 defeats in their final 24 fixtures, including a run of 1 defeat in 14, and equalled the club record for away wins in a season and setting a club record of 6 consecutive away victories. However, the club entered the play-offs without the presence of key duo Rasiak and Idiakez – both unavailable through injury – and a 2–0 defeat in the first leg away to Preston North End proved impossible to overturn in the second leg at Pride Park, which finished 0–0 in front of a crowd of over 31,000. Behind the scenes, circumstances were deteriorating, and Burley left his position, citing interference from football agent turned Director of Football Murdo Mackay, and the sale of Huddlestone, to Tottenham Hotspur, against his wishes. Financial circumstances were worsening as the debt spiralled to over £30m, despite Burley building success on the pitch without any transfer funds. A refinancing scheme was put in place which saw Pride Park sold to the "mysterious"[1] Panama-based ABC Corporation and the club paying rent of £1m a year to play there, which local journalist Gerald Mortimer described as "an affront . . . to those who put everything into building (the ground)."[1]

Final league table
Main article: 2004–05 Football League
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
2 Wigan Athletic (P) 46 25 12 9 79 35 +44 87 Promotion to the FA Premier League
3 Ipswich Town 46 24 13 9 85 56 +29 85 Qualification for Championship play-offs
4 Derby County 46 22 10 14 71 60 +11 76
5 Preston North End 46 21 12 13 67 58 +9 75
6 West Ham United (O, P) 46 21 10 15 66 56 +10 73
Updated to match(es) played on 9 December 2011. Source: Football League Tables
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(O) Play-off winner; (P) Promoted.

Results

Derby County's score comes first

Legend
Win Draw Loss

Football League Championship
DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
7 August 2004Leeds UnitedA0–130,459
11 August 2004Leicester CityH1–226,650Tudgay
14 August 2004Ipswich TownH3–222,234Reich (2), Idiakez
21 August 2004Queens Park RangersA2–015,295Smith, Tudgay
28 August 2004Crewe AlexandraH2–424,436Tudgay, Idiakez
30 August 2004Stoke CityA0–118,673
11 September 2004ReadingH2–122,096Smith, Tudgay
18 September 2004Cardiff CityA2–023,422Reich, Taylor
22 September 2004MillwallA1–39,132Reich
25 September 2004Wigan AthleticH1–126,113Smith
29 September 2004West Ham UnitedH1–123,112Johnson
2 October 2004SunderlandA0–029,881
16 October 2004WatfordH2–223,253Smith, Rasiak
19 October 2004Wolverhampton WanderersA0–226,465
22 October 2004BurnleyA2–013,703Tudgay, Reich
30 October 2004Rotherham UnitedH3–225,096Rasiak, Peschisolido, Vincent
3 November 2004Brighton & Hove AlbionH3–022,480Smith, Rasiak (2)
6 November 2004WatfordA2–213,689Taylor, Peschisolido
13 November 2004GillinghamA2–08,015Rasiak, Taylor
20 November 2004Sheffield UnitedH0–125,725
27 November 2004Preston North EndA0–312,702
4 December 2004Coventry CityH2–222,648Rasiak, Peschisolido
11 December 2004Nottingham ForestH3–030,793Smith, Rasiak (2)
18 December 2004Plymouth ArgyleA2–015,335Coughlan (own goal), Peschisolido
26 December 2004Wigan AthleticA2–112,420Rasiak, Smith
28 December 2004MillwallH0–327,725
1 January 2005Cardiff CityH0–122,800
3 January 2005ReadingA1–015,491Smith
16 January 2005SunderlandH0–222,995
23 January 2005West Ham UnitedA2–130,347Rasiak (2)
26 January 2005Leeds UnitedH2–025,648Smith, Bolder
5 February 2005Brighton & Hove AlbionA3–26,587Bisgaard, Tudgay (2)
19 February 2005Rotherham UnitedA3–17,937Rasiak, Tudgay, Idiakez (pen)
23 February 2005BurnleyH1–123,701Peschisolido
26 February 2005Nottingham ForestA2–226,160Rasiak (2)
2 March 2005Wolverhampton WanderersH3–324,109Idiakez (2, 1 pen), Reich
5 March 2005Plymouth ArgyleH1–027,581Idiakez
16 March 2005Queens Park RangersH0–024,486
2 April 2005Ipswich TownA2–328,796Tudgay, Idiakez
5 April 2005Crewe AlexandraA2–18,026Rasiak, Smith
9 April 2005Stoke CityH3–127,640Rasiak, Bisgaard, Idiakez
15 April 2005Sheffield UnitedA1–020,794Bisgaard
23 April 2005GillinghamH2–027,481Bisgaard, Peschisolido
26 April 2005Leicester CityA0–125,762
30 April 2005Coventry CityA2–622,728Bolder, Peschisolido
8 May 2005Preston North EndH3–131,237Idiakez, Smith, Peschisolido

Championship play-offs
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
SF 1st Leg15 May 2005Preston North EndA0–220,315
SF 2nd Leg19 May 2005Preston North EndH0–031,310

FA Cup
Main article: 2004–05 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R38 January 2005Wigan AthleticH2–114,457Idiakez, Júnior
R429 January 2005FulhamH1–122,040Tudgay
R4R12 February 2005FulhamA2–415,528Rasiak, Peschisolido

League Cup
Main article: 2004–05 Football League Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R124 August 2004Lincoln CityA1–34,982Idiakez

Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  ENG Kevin Miller (on loan from Bristol Rovers)
2 DF  BIH Muhamed Konjić
3 DF  ENG Jamie Vincent
4 DF  ENG Chris Makin (on loan from Leicester City)
5 DF  IRL Jeff Kenna
6 DF  ENG Pablo Mills
7 MF  ENG Ian Taylor (captain)
8 MF  DEN Morten Bisgaard
9 FW  BRA José Júnior
10 DF  JAM Michael Johnson[notes 1]
11 FW  CAN Paul Peschisolido
12 FW  ENG Tommy Smith
13 GK  ENG Lee Grant
14 DF  ENG Richard Jackson
No. Pos. Nation Player
15 MF  ENG Adam Bolder
16 MF  ENG Tom Huddlestone
17 DF  ENG Paul Boertien
18 FW  POL Grzegorz Rasiak
19 MF  ENG Nathan Doyle
20 MF  ENG Lee Holmes
21 DF  NIR Chris Turner
22 FW  GER Marco Reich
23 FW  ENG Marcus Tudgay
24 GK  ENG Lee Camp[notes 2]
25 MF  IRL David Cassidy
26 GK  ENG Liam Richardson
27 MF  ESP Iñigo Idiakez

Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  ENG Andy Oakes (to Walsall)
4 MF  NGA Blessing Kaku (on loan from Bolton Wanderers)
4 DF  ENG Jason Talbot (on loan from Bolton Wanderers)
No. Pos. Nation Player
21 FW  PER Gianfranco Labarthe (released)
26 MF  FIN Kris Weckström (released)

References
  1. Mortimer, Gerald (2006). Derby County: The Complete Record. Breedon Books. p. 39. ISBN 1-85983-517-1.

Notes
  1. Johnson was born in Nottingham, England, but also qualified to represent Jamaica internationally and made his international debut for Jamaica in 1999.
  2. Camp was born in Derby, England, and represented them at U-21 level, but also qualifies to represent Northern Ireland internationally and would make his full international debut for Northern Ireland in March 2011.
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