Whilst circumstances currently mean there’s no live football to enjoy, dcfc.co.uk is delving into the archives to feature a photograph from Derby County’s illustrious history.
Every day for the foreseeable future, we’ll provide you an image for supporters to enjoy and reminisce.
Rams Legends In Action During Glory Years
Pictured here are legendary Derby County duo Roy McFarland and Colin Todd in action during their playing days with Derby County.
Defenders McFarland and Todd were key members of Derby’s glory years during the late 1960s and 1970s.
McFarland was one of Brian Clough’s first signings in 1967 from Tranmere Rovers. He was a big hit during 15 years and two spells at the Baseball Ground over the course of the 1960s, 70s and 80s as a player and is considered one of the club’s all-time greats for his outstanding displays.
He was a key member of the Derby side which won the Second Division title in 1969, and he remained an important player in the title-triumphs in the First Division in 1972 and 1975, both on and off the field.
Capped by England on 28 occasions during his career, McFarland was the first-ever winner of Derby County’s Player of the Year Award, the Jack Stamps Trophy, and he amassed in excess of 500 appearances for the club in that time.
He later went on to act as assistant manager to Peter Taylor and Arthur Cox before taking over the reins himself in 1993. McFarland spent two seasons as Derby manager and in his first campaign his side were within a whisker of reaching the Premier League, but they lost 2-1 to Leicester City in the Play-Off Final at Wembley in May 1994.
Meanwhile, Derby paid £170,000 to Sunderland for Todd’s services and he immediately became a key player under Clough.
Todd played 40 out of Derby’s 42 league games in the 1971/72 title-winning campaign, as well as 39 out of the 42 under Dave Mackay when the Rams repeated the feat in 1974/75.
Todd was named as the PFA Player of the Year and in total he recorded 371 appearances and ten goals for Derby between 1971 and 1978.
Todd also gained 27 England caps during a long and successful career, all of which came during his time at Derby, and he also later went on to play for Everton, Birmingham City, Nottingham Forest, Oxford United, Vancouver Whitecaps and Luton Town before retiring in 1984.
He returned to Derby in November 2000 to become Jim Smith’s assistant after Steve McClaren had moved to Manchester United in a similar position alongside Sir Alex Ferguson.
Todd replaced Smith as the Rams’ manager in October 2001, but it was a shortlived period following four wins in 17 games and he parted company with the club in early 2002.
Look out for tomorrow’s Snapshot in Time across dcfc.co.uk – and remember you can suggest an image by getting in touch via the club’s social media channels.
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