DERBY COUNTY
Emirates FA Cup fourth round, Monday 30 January 2023, 7.45pm GMT
West Ham United’s Emirates FA Cup run makes its fourth round stop at Pride Park Stadium, home of EFL League One club Derby County.
The Rams have endured tough times of late, with financial problems leading to points deductions and, ultimately, relegation from the Championship last season.
However, a takeover and the purchase of Pride Park Stadium by local businessman and Derby supporter David Clowes in the summer of 2022 put the club back on a firm footing.
Former Rotherham United manager Paul Warne was appointed in September and, since then, the Rams have put together a consistent run of results that have propelled them into the League One Play-Off places and saw them push Liverpool to a penalty shootout in the EFL Cup third round.
Victories over Torquay United, Newport County and Barnsley set up this FA Cup fourth round tie and just a second-ever meeting with West Ham in the competition. The first took place 100 years ago, in March 1923, when the Hammers blitzed the Rams 5-2 at Stamford Bridge to reach the first-ever final played at Wembley.
How to get there…
Driving to Pride Park Stadium is pretty simple.
Take the northbound M1, exit at Junction 25 and take the A52 towards Derby. Pride Park Stadium is signposted off the A52 after about five-and-a-half miles.
There is a designated away fans car park located at the Derby Conference Centre on the A6 London Road (DE24 8UX), which costs £8 per car in advance, or £10 per car on matchday. Click here to book your space now.
The Centre is handily located near to the Navigation Inn, which is a popular pub for visiting supporters. It is around a ten-minute walk to the away turnstiles.
If you are taking the train, East Midlands Trains operates high-speed trains to and from London St Pancras, with journey times of around 90 minutes in each direction. Derby station is just a ten-minute walk from both Pride Park Stadium and the city centre.
Where to stay…
As a sizeable city, Derby has the usual range of accommodation, from budget to high-end, hotels to BnBs.
Derby County themselves recommend two partner hotels – Leonardo Hotel Derby and Morley Hayes Golf Course.
What to do…
Derby has numerous pubs, bars and restaurants for supporters to feed and water themselves before and after the game.
For those seeking more cultural pursuits, the city has a Museum and Art Gallery and a 16th century Cathedral to visit. For families, Bluebell Dairy Farm is worth a visit, if only to taste their famous artisan ice cream!
The East Midlands Aeropark aviation museum is closed until Easter.
What’s happened there before…
Opened by HM Queen Elizabeth II in July 1997, Pride Park Stadium replaced Derby County’s former home of 102 years, the Baseball Ground.
West Ham United made their first visit to the 33,500-capacity ground in December 1997, losing 2-0 in the Premier League.
The Hammers’ first victory at Pride Park Stadium came the following season, when goals from John Hartson and Marc Keller secured a 2-0 top-flight win for Harry Redknapp’s side in November 1998 (pictured).
The Irons’ most memorable visit came in November 2007, when two goals from Lee Bowyer, one each from Nolberto Solano and Matty Etherington and an own-goal from Eddie Lewis scored the east Londoners’ record Premier League victory, 5-0.
Our most-recent trip was on New Year’s Eve 2011, when Sam Allardyce’s side were beaten 2-1 in the EFL Championship.
