Derby County: The footballing city that could lose its club

As those within football work to secure a long-term future for Derby County, which has spent much of the season in administration, businesses in the city and surrounding areas are on tenterhooks.

For many, the trade associated with match days represents not just a regular source of income but also the chance to rub shoulders with some of the Rams' passionate supporters.

Steve Kirk, the landlord of The Neptune pub, in the city centre, said: "If Derby is doing well, the town does well."

He said he makes £80,000 to £100,000 more per year from custom associated with Derby County.

Mr Kirk also puts on coaches for fans on away match days, and said this makes another £1,000 to £2,000 from customers drinking at the pub before and after.

"The club is massive for me," he said.

"On average, a home match puts an extra £3,000 in turnover. An away game is an extra £1,500 in turnover.

"When the club is doing well, you get better weeks too. It reflects how people spend in town.

"I would just about scrape by if Derby went under but I would take a massive hit. It would put some businesses under."

Mr Kirk, who has been at the pub for 25 years, added: "If Derby win, they all come back. If Derby lose, I say to my staff, you may as well go home.

"It would be heartbreaking [if the club went under], not just for the pub but for the whole of Derby."

He said when Derby is at home "all the businesses are full".

"It brings thousands into the town," he said. "You can almost sense the buzz.

"It is incredible what a good football team does for a football town.

"The football club is the heartbeat of the town."

Ralf Edge and Anna Dyson-Edge run The Alexandra Hotel, near Derby railway station.

Mr Edge said: "We could take the same amount of money in a day as we would in a normal week, if the football is at home."

Match days, according to Mr Edge, are "always really busy".

"It is a great atmosphere. It is quite lively," he said.

"There is normally a mixture of home and away fans who get on well."

He said football was "people's lives" in the city.

"It is a big thing for a lot of people having a day out for the football," he said.

"For many of our staff, a lot of their hours are football-related.

"There would be fewer staff here if it was not for the football."

Mrs Dyson-Edge said a precedent for pub closures had already been set in the city when the club moved from its former home, at the Baseball Ground, to Pride Park in 1997.

"A lot of the pubs around the Baseball Ground closed," she said.

Alan Toop owns CHL catering, which has a burger van outside Pride Park stadium for home fixtures.

He said: "We are all on the edge.

"We all don't know where we stand. The staff need to know where they stand."

The 47-year-old, who has four vans and also sells food at other events, said: "What we make through Derby County pays the rent and pays for other jobs.

"I hope it gets resolved."

Iain Gibson, the landlord of The Three Horseshoes, in Ripley, said losing the club would affect businesses in the county too.

He said away fans often stop in Ripley for a couple of hours before heading to Derby.

"One of our best revenues is when we play Sheffield Wednesday or Sheffield United."

He said Derby County fans will also come in to watch the game on television or have a couple of pints and food before heading to the game and will return afterwards.

Mr Gibson said losing the club "would, without a shadow of a doubt, have a detrimental effect".

He added: "It is a big institution for Derby.

"If you took away something as big as the football team, it would leave a tremendous void that won't be filled anytime soon."

David Meredith owns a restaurant called Mezzo, in Pride Park, with his partner Skevy Ioannides.

"We don't even open at the weekends unless there is a match on or an event at Derby Arena," he said.

"If the matches were to disappear, that would be a shame.

"It is a nice add-on rather, than essential lifeblood, but we would definitely miss it."

He added lots of people associated with the club, including players, stopped by the restaurant during the week.

Mr Meredith, who is also a season ticket holder, said: "I have been a supporter of the club since birth and a season ticket holder for 35 years.

"It is very important to me personally.

"I am very keen to see things turn out hopefully for the better."

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