For the first time since 1986, England’s traditional club Derby County has to be relegated to the 3rd league. Coach Wayne Rooney could not compensate for the 21-point relegation in sporting terms.
Heavily indebted Derby County lost 1-0 at Queens Park Rangers on Monday, the goal conceded in the 88th minute by midfielder Luke Amos. Derby’s relegation was also helped by a spectacular 4-4 draw between Reading and Swansea City, which saw the home side close the gap on the Rooney club to ten points with three matchdays to go.
21 points deduction
With just 31 points from 43 second division games, Derby are once again consigned to the English third division after 1986. Sportingly, Rooney’s side had picked up more points, but the club, founded in 1884, were deducted 12 points by the League Association on 22 September 2021 due to an application to open insolvency proceedings, followed by a further nine points deduction on 16 November. With the 21 points more on their account, the Rams would currently be in 17th place in the 24-team league.
Rooney: Saving the Rams in 2021 as player-coach
2008 Derby County, champions in 1972 and 1975, were relegated from the Premier League at the bottom of the table. Former international Rooney succeeded Philip Cocu as coach of the Rams after matchday 11 of the 2020/21 season, when they finished bottom of the table on six points. After his stint as player-coach, he was appointed directly as coach in mid-January.
In a dramatic season finale, Rooney kept Derby in the Championship as he and his team played out a 3-3 draw with bottom side Sheffield Wednesday on the final matchday, while fellow rivals Rotherham United could not go beyond a 1-1 draw in Cardiff.
