Derby County finished the season in third place in the Championship, four points behind championsSunderland and two points behind runners-upBirmingham City. With new ownership, Derby had been able to compete in the transfer market for the first time in a number of years, withLuton Town'sSteve Howard becoming the club's first £1 million signing sinceFrançois Grenet six years previously and, alongside captures from Premiership clubs such asWest Ham United'sStephen Bywater andFulham'sDean Leacock, manager Billy Davies began shaping a side capable of competing at the right end of the table. This wasn't apparent from the off, however, and a return of just five points from the club's opening six fixtures did not hint at instant success for Davies, leaving influential and creative players such asTommy Smith andIñigo Idiakez to depart the club prior to the closing of the August transfer window.
However, a 1–0 win atWolverhampton Wanderers on 12 September proved a catalyst as the club lost only four of its next 27 fixtures (a run which included winning all six league fixtures in November and an eight-match winning streak of six league and two FA Cup games from 30 December to 10 February). After a 2–2 draw at home toHull City on 10 February, Derby were six points clear at the top of the table[3] and had strengthened for the promotion run-in with the signing ofTyrone Mears,Jay McEveley,Gary Teale,David Jones,Craig Fagan,Stephen Pearson andJon Macken for a combined £5 million. However, a 2–0 defeat away toPlymouth Argyle in the fifth round preceded a notable wobble in results and the club recorded a return of just six points from the next five games, conceding top spot to Birmingham City after a 1–0 defeat atSt. Andrews on 9 March.[4] A resounding 5–1 win againstColchester United (by far the biggest win of a campaign which saw victory by a two-goal margin or greater on just six occasions) looked to have put the club back on track, but, after taking just 12 points from the next ten fixtures, the club slipped out of the automatic promotion places altogether and a 2–0 defeat atCrystal Palace in the penultimate game of the season confirmeda 3rd-placed finish and entry into the2006–07 Championship playoffs.
Derby defeatedWest Bromwich Albion 1–0 in the play-off final with a goal fromStephen Pearson to return Derby to the topflight of English football for the first time in five seasons.
Striker Steve Howard, who was also Derby's top scorer that season, was awarded the Jack Stamps Trophy as Derby's player of the season. DefenderDarren Moore was named in the PFA's Championship Team of the Year.
Spanish companyJoma remained Derby's kits manufacturers, and introduced a new home kit for the season, the first time since 1998 that Derby had not used the same kit for two seasons running. TheDerbyshire Building Society continued sponsoring the kits.[5]
Source:RSSSF Rules for classification: In the Football League goals scored (F) takes precedence over goal difference (GD). (C) Champions;(O) Play-off winners;(P) Promoted
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
^Camp was born inDerby,England, and represented them atU-21 level, but also qualifies to representNorthern Ireland internationally and would make his full international debut forNorthern Ireland in March 2011.
^McEveley was born inLiverpool,England, and represented them atU-20 andU-21 level, but also qualified to representScotland internationally and represented them atB level before making his international debut forScotland in August 2007.
^Johnson was born inNottingham,England, but also qualified to representJamaica internationally and made his international debut forJamaica in 1999.
^Howard was born inDurham,England, but also qualified to representScotland internationally and would later represent them atB level.
^Moore was born inBirmingham,England, but also qualified to representJamaica internationally through his parents and made his international debut forJamaica in 1999.
^Mears was born inChadderton,England, but representedJamaica in February 2009, apparently qualifying through his father. It was later discovered that his father was actually fromSierra Leone and Mears was ineligible to representJamaica.
^Barnes was born inBarking and Dagenham,England, and represented them at U-19 level, but also qualifies to representJamaica internationally through his paternal grandparents and would make his international debut forJamaica in May 2015.
^Nyatanga was born inBurton upon Trent,England, but also qualifies to representWales internationally through his mother andZimbabwe through his father, and represented Wales at U-17 and U-21 level before making his international debut forWales in March 2006.
^Cann was born inSouth Africa, but also qualifies to represent bothWales andEngland internationally, and has represented Wales at U-17, U-19, and semi-professional level.
