Manager Brian Clough First Division 7th League Cup Third round | Stadium Baseball Ground FA Cup Sixth round European Cup Semi-finals | |
During the 1972–73 English football season, Derby County F.C. competed in the Football League First Division. As the reigning champions of the First Division, Derby would represent England in the European Cup.
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Season summary
Derby County were unable to retain their title and slumped to seventh place, just one point off qualification for the UEFA Cup. This slump was in part due to Derby's poor away form, winning only four matches away from home all season - one of the matches lost was a 5-0 defeat at Leeds United, the loss only serving to intensify the rivalry between Clough and United manager Don Revie. The club had better success in the European Cup, reaching the semi-finals before being knocked out by Juventus: in this circumstance Clough accused the rivals to have bribed the match officials (apostrophizing the Italians "cheating bastards" at the end of the first leg match in Turin), despite the bianconeri they will prove later unrelated to any attempt to combine.
At the end of the season, Kevin Hector was voted Derby's Player of the Year.
Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
In
Derby broke the English transfer record with the signing of half-back David Nish, from Midland rivals Leicester City, for £225,000.