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Puzzling times at Derby

The Athletic has run a feature on Derby County, but even their investigative journalists have found it difficult to establish what is happening there.   With any football story there are usually at least two contradictory accounts of what is going on and clubs are not the most transparent institutions.

The online journal asks, 'Why would a club owned by an English multimillionaire not pay their players on time for the second December in a row? Or, why are Derby almost a year late in publishing their accounts for the 2018-19 season? Or, most bafflingly of all, why hasn’t a man as wealthy as Sheikh Khaled is meant to be bought the club yet?'

[The impact of the pandemic] 'explains both why Morris, who was already £100 million down on his investment in his hometown club two and a half years ago, is so eager to sell and why that sale is getting harder with each passing day. Harder, but not impossible. And this is where we should probably start to think about a takeover at Derby, as opposed to the takeover.'

'Simply put, The Athletic has not spoken to a single accountant, agent, banker, broker, football finance expert, former investor or potential investor who still thinks BZI will complete this deal.'

Rams fans can take some encouragement from this concluding comment: 'What everyone agrees on is that Morris, who turns 65 this month, will not let Derby die. During his seven-year involvement, he has shown that when the club needs his support he will provide it.'


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