1991–92 Derby County F.C. season

Despite the loss of key players like Mark Wright and Dean Saunders, Derby County emerged as genuine contenders for an automatic return to English football's top flight (which would be renamed the FA Premier League from the start of the next season) after the takeover by Lionel Pickering made Derby one of the richest clubs in the Second Division. Derby smashed their transfer record twice during the season, signing striker Paul Kitson for £1.3 million from East Midlands rivals Leicester City in March, followed by the signing of striker Tommy Johnson from First Division strugglers Notts County for the same fee. Club legend Bobby Davison was also re-signed, on loan from Leeds United; he scored 8 goals in 10 games to reach a century of goals for the Rams. However, in spite of this flurry of transfer activity and breaking the club's record for away wins (12) Derby were unable to gain automatic promotion, finishing two points adrift of second-placed Middlesbrough. Derby qualified for the playoffs, but were knocked out in the semi-finals by Blackburn Rovers on a 5–4 scoreline over two legs.

At the end of the season, Scottish winger Ted McMinn was named the club's player of the season.

November saw the death of former chairman Robert Maxwell, who had just sold the club to Lionel Pickering earlier in the year. Maxwell disappeared from his luxury yacht, the Lady Ghislaine, while it was cruising off the Canary Islands; his body was later found drifting in the Atlantic Ocean. His death was officially ruled as accidental drowning after he supposedly fell off the yacht, though commentators have alleged it was murder or suicide.

Derby's kit was manufactured by English company Umbro and were sponsored by Auto Windscreens.

:Squad at end of season{{Cite web|url=http://www.worldfootball.net/teams/derby-county/1992/2/|title = Derby County – Squad 1991/1992}}

{{fs start}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=GK|name=Peter Shilton}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=GK|name=Steve Sutton}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=GK|name=Martin Taylor}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Simon Coleman}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Andy Comyn}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Steve Cross}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Jonathan Davidson}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Michael Forsyth}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Jason Kavanagh}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Shane Nicholson}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Mark Patterson}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Steve Round}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Mel Sage}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Paul Williams}}

{{fs mid}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Martin Chalk}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Tom Curtis}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Steve Hayward}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Gary Micklewhite}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Craig Ramage}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Paul Simpson|other=from February}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=WAL|pos=MF|name=Geraint Williams}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=SCO|pos=MF|name=Ted McMinn}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=Marco Gabbiadini}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=Tommy Johnson}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=Paul Kitson|other=from March}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=Mark Stallard}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=Dean Sturridge}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=Jason White}}

{{Fs end}}

{{Fs start}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Nick Pickering|other=to Darlington}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=Phil Gee|other=to Leicester City}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=Mick Harford|other=to Luton Town}}

{{Fs mid}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=Ian Ormondroyd|other=to Leicester City}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=Bobby Davison|other=on loan from Leeds United}}

{{Fs end}}

• {{flagicon|ENG}} Marco Gabbiadini – {{flagicon|ENG}} Crystal Palace, £1,000,000
• {{flagicon|ENG}} Paul Simpson – {{flagicon|ENG}} Oxford United, £500,000, February
• {{flagicon|ENG}} Paul Kitson – {{flagicon|ENG}} Leicester City, £1,300,000, March
• {{flagicon|ENG}} Tommy Johnson – {{flagicon|ENG}} Notts County, £1,300,000, March
• {{flagicon|ENG}} Bobby Davison – {{flagicon|ENG}} Leeds United, loan

• {{flagicon|ENG}} Mark Wright – {{flagicon|ENG}} Liverpool, £2,500,000, 15 July (national record for defender)
• {{flagicon|WAL}} Dean Saunders – {{flagicon|ENG}} Liverpool, £2,900,000, 19 July (national record for any player)
• {{flagicon|ENG}} Phil Gee – {{flagicon|ENG}} Leicester City, part-exchange for Kitson, March
• {{flagicon|ENG}} Ian Ormondroyd – {{flagicon|ENG}} Leicester City, part-exchange for Kitson, March

{{:1991–92 Football League|transcludesection=Second Division|showteam=DER|only_totals=y}}

• 4–6 January: Burnley 2–2 Derby County (Chalk, Comyn)
• 14–15 January: Derby County 2–0 Burnley (replay; abandoned 75' due to freezing fog) (Gee, Patterson)
• 25 January: Derby County 2–0 Burnley (replay) (Williams, Ormondroyd)
• 25–27 January: Derby County 3–4 Aston Villa (Gee 2, P. Williams)

• Blackburn Rovers 4–2 Derby County
• Derby County 2–1 Blackburn Rovers

{{reflist}}

{{Derby County F.C. seasons}}

{{1991–92 in English football}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1991-92 Derby County F.C. season}}

Category:Derby County F.C. seasons

Derby County F.C.