Derby County

Bywater to contest conduct charge
Derby goalkeeper Stephen Bywater is to contest a Football Association charge of improper conduct. After being sent off in the weekend game against Ipswich, Bywater and Town defender Bruce clashed on their way to the tunnel. The players' appeals against their red cards were upheld by the FA, but improper conduct charges over the tunnel incident were laid against them. Bywater's case will be heard by an FA disciplinary panel on Wednesday. Rams manager Billy Davies said: "Neither player deserved a red card and common sense prevailed when the appeals were upheld. "Now we will appeal against the second charge because all Stephen did was grab Alex Bruce by the arm." Bruce has also denied a Football Association charge of improper conduct.

Boertein returns from loan spell
Derby defender Paul Boertein has returned to Pride Park by mutual consent after completing a short loan spell with Chesterfield. The 28-year-old joined the Spireites on loan in March and played four games. Caretaker boss Lee Richardson told Chesterfield's website: "For the last two games of the season I am not able to guarantee Paul a place in the side. "As his main objective was to get some match practice I fully understand his wish to return to his club."

Bywater gets one-match suspension
Derby goalkeeper Stephen Bywater has been handed a one-match ban after admitting a charge of improper conduct. Bywater was charged by the Football Association after an altercation with Ipswich's defender Alex Bruce after both were sent off earlier in April. They had the red cards overturned but were then hit with the charge, which Bywater admitted. Bywater was fined £2,000, while Town defender Bruce escaped a ban - but was fined £1,500.

Rams star ruled out of play-offs
Derby midfielder Giles Barnes has been ruled out of the play-offs after sustaining a knee injury. The 18-year-old was helped from the pitch during Sunday's 2-0 defeat against Crystal Palace. "Giles has damaged the tissue that holds the kneecap in place," boss Billy Davies told the club's website. "There is no ligament damage and no operation is needed so it will be a case of treatment and rehabilitation work. He should be fit for pre-season."

Currie extends loan deal at Derby
Derby have extended the loan deal of Ipswich winger Darren Currie until the end of May. The 32-year-old has made seven appearances for the Rams since arriving from Portman Road in March. Currie scored his first goal for Derby when he came on as a substitute as they defeated Leeds 2-0 last weekend. Before joining Derby he had made 519 starts in all competitions, with a further 114 substitute appearances and had scored 79 goals.

Derby and West Brom eye big prize
Derby and West Brom go head to head at Wembley on Monday in a Championship play-off final dubbed the £60m match. As well as increasing television money, promotion to the Premiership will boost sales, sponsorship and merchandising. "We have shown we can live with the best this division has to offer and we're looking forward to the battle," said Derby manager Billy Davies. Baggies boss Tony Mowbray added: "Let's hope we've got a hero in the ranks who can step forward and do the business." Derby finished third in the table and booked their Bank Holiday trip to Wembley with a penalty shoot-out victory over Southampton in the play-off semi-finals. Meanwhile, West Brom, who ended the season in fourth spot, beat Midlands rivals Wolves to reach the final and are looking to return to the top flight after a season in the second tier. Henk Potts of Barclays Stockbrokers believes the gulf between the Championship and Premiership is wider than ever and likely to increase, piling further pressure on clubs aiming to reach the top flight. "I think it's fair to say it is simply the biggest money game in football," he stated. "People talk about how important the Champions League is and the fact it is the showcase of European football. The Champions League is for show; the play-off is the big-money game - the dough, so to speak. "And one would suspect that gulf is going to get bigger and bigger as time moves on and we see the effects of the international investment that has gone into a number of Premiership clubs. "It shows if you fall at the final hurdle it has dramatic consequences for your club. It's just going to become harder and harder to get back into it and more money will be required to bridge that gap." Mowbray is concerned by the financial divide between the top two divisions. "The money at stake is massive and I think there is probably a discussion to be had and points to be made about the gulf in money between the Premiership and the Championship," he said. "That debate is for another time though - my job, and the job of my players, is to win a football match. "We cannot allow considerations like that to affect our preparations, which have been the same as they would be for any other game. "It could be an open game because that is the way we play and we are not going to change our philosophy for this match. "There is a lot at stake and that fear sometimes results in a negative game and it's important your big players turn up on the big day. "But we will set out without fear and be positive. We have to go and grasp the reward, not wait for a mistake. "I will give the team the same message I give them every week. "They have got to trust each other's abilities, trust each others jobs and when they go out they have got to look each other in the eye, know they are out there together and try to achieve. "When you win you come in, you throw your sweat-sodden shirts on the floor, get in the bath and celebrate. "You need that camaraderie in the dressing room to know that when you are out on the field you are not only doing it for yourself, you are doing it for your mates and for the team. "That's what football is about - doing it together and achieving together." Honours are even between the sides so far this season. The Rams beat West Brom 2-1 at Pride Park in November but the Baggies hit back with a 1-0 win at The Hawthorns less than a month later. "We have proved this season that we can match them. In our first game, at home, we did not play particularly well but won," conceded Davies. "That was with a very different team from the one we have now. "In the second game at their place, we were very unfortunate to lose 1-0 to a very late goal when we deserved to take something from the match. "It will be an open game because of the teams involved. "They are a very offensive side but we certainly will not be going there to contain or admire them. "We want to contribute to a game of football and we have got players who can hurt them, make life difficult, create chances and score goals. "I'm delighted with the preparation. We will go to enjoy it and give it our best shot. If we play to our best we've got a good opportunity."

Derby chairman seeks Davies talks
Derby chairman Peter Gadsby is to stage urgent talks with boss Billy Davies to clarify the Scot's Pride Park future. Davies refused to guarantee he would be at Derby next season, despite guiding them into the top flight with a play-off final win against West Brom. The Scot hinted at a rift with the board over the failure to appoint David Kelly as his assistant at Derby. Gadsby told SSB: "He is going to take the club on but there are a few things we need to sort out." He added: "We had a debt of £50m, we put substantial funds in and wrote that off, we have a very high wage bill because we backed the manager, we have also brought in 12 players in total. "To deal with that all in six months - and we backed him again in January when we were top - do you honestly think, given all that, we would not have not brought in a number two, who would have been on half the wages of a player, if it wasn't just about money? "There are issues and things that have gone on that really we can't talk about." Davies signed a three-year contract when he left his post at Preston to take charge of the Rams in June 2006. There have been reports that his relationship with Derby's managing director Mike Horton has become strained but Davies refused to go into details about his situation. Davies said he intended to see out his contract - but again stressed he would not guarantee he would be at Pride Park next term. He stated: "There is nothing guaranteed in life other than that one day we will all pass away. "I'm not looking for an exit clause. I have signed a three-year contract, I have two years left of that contract. It's my intention to see out the remainder of those two years. "I always said that the focus was on the remainder of the games and after that I would sit down with the board and have a discussion and see what happens from there. "Hopefully in the next couple of weeks there will be discussions taking place and we can sort out a few things. "It is my intention to see out the remainder of my two-year contract and continue with the rebuilding and development of Derby County Football Club." On the situation surrounding Kelly, Davies added: "A manager relies on his assistant manager. "A manager's number two is a crucial, crucial appointment and especially such a good one like David Kelly. It's a massive, massive loss."

Men held over Derby County probe
Two men have been arrested over financial irregularities in a takeover of Derby County Football Club. The club, which has just been promoted to the Premiership, was bought for £3 by a consortium in October 2003. Following the takeover by the current board just over a year ago, police began investigating the original deal. Now SSB has learned that two men, aged 54 and 46, have been questioned in connection with suspected financial irregularities. They have been released on police bail while further inquiries are made. The police investigation is continuing.

Derby keen to increase Pride Park
Derby County's board are to discuss plans to increase the capacity of Pride Park following the demand for tickets for next season. The Rams have sold all 23,000 season tickets for Pride Park, which has a capacity of over 33,000 but can be increased to 44,000. "The board will be sitting down to think through the plan to increase the capacity," a spokesman told SSB. If the increase is approved it would be for the start of the 2008-09 season. The stadium, which opened in 1997, was built with plans for a potential increase in capacity in mind. The club secured a return to the Premiership by beating West Brom in the Championship play-off final. Promotion to the top flight is worth £60m to clubs, according to financial experts.

Kallon confirms approach by Derby
Monaco striker Mohamed Kallon is considering a move to Derby County. The 27-year-old Sierra Leone captain is also being tracked by Middlesbrough, Wigan and Fulham and is interested in the prospect of playing in England. "I can confirm that Derby have approached my club Monaco as they are keen for me to move to the Premier League," Kallon told SSB. "So far I'm yet to respond but I do find the opportunity of playing in the Premier League next season attractive." Kallon, captain of the Leone Stars, still has six-months remaining on his four-year contract with Monaco. The Rams are reported to have offered £1.5m ($US3m), although manager Billy Davies has previously dismissed speculation linking the striker with a move to the top-flight newcomers. "Other English clubs such as Wigan, Middlesbrough and Fulham have also shown interest in me," added Kallon. "I hope and pray that I make the right decision." Prior to joining Monaco, Kallon spent eight years in Italy, playing for Genoa, Cagliari, Reggina, Vicenza and Inter Milan. While at Inter, where he scored 19 goals in 54 games, he tested positive for the banned performance-enhancing steroid nandrolone after a match against Udinese and was suspended for eight months. The sentence was reduced to six months on appeal. He has also played for clubs in Lebanon, Sweden and Saudi Arabia.

Price completes transfer to Derby
Derby have completed the signing of goalkeeper Lewis Price from Ipswich Town for an undisclosed fee. The 23-year-old Wales international has put pen to paper on a three-year deal, becoming the Premier League newcomers' sixth summer signing. Derby manager Billy Davies said after completing the deal: "Lewis is a young player with very good potential. "I have signed him in the first instance to provide back-up and competition for our keepers." Price came through the ranks at Portman Road and made his senior debut while still a teenager. He made his international debut in 2005 against Cyprus and he has three Wales caps to his name. Price follows Robert Earnshaw, Andy Todd, Tyrone Mears, Claude Davis and Ben Hinchliffe to Pride Park this summer.

Derby turn down offer for Barnes
Derby have turned down a bid for highly-rated midfielder Giles Barnes. The 19-year-old, linked with West Ham and Tottenham, is valued at £5m by Premier League new boys Derby. "We have had a bid for Giles Barnes but it is nowhere near our valuation for the player - in fact the bid is miles away." said boss Billy Davies. "We have also had enquiries about him from one or two other clubs but my preference is that Giles Barnes does not leave us." Barnes came through the ranks at Derby but has yet to play this season after breaking a bone in his foot in last season's Championship play-off final victory over West Brom. Davies added: "He needs to mature and develop as a player and I feel he is already in the perfect environment to do that. "However, every player around the world has a price and it is all about valuation, whether the bidding club can meet the valuation at the player's existing club."

Derby's Fagan hit with FA charge
Derby County's Craig Fagan has been charged with violent conduct in relation to an incident involving Liverpool's Alvaro Arbeloa. During Derby's 6-0 defeat at Anfield on Saturday 1 September Fagan appeared to step on Arbeloa's leg, but it went unseen by referee Alan Wiley. Fagan has until 1800 BST on Wednesday 5 September to admit or deny the charge, with the case to be heard the next day. If found guilty, Fagan faces an automatic three-match suspension.

Fagan denies FA misconduct charge
Derby County's Craig Fagan has denied a Football Association charge of misconduct in relation to an incident involving Liverpool's Alvaro Arbeloa. During Derby's 6-0 defeat at Anfield on Saturday 1 September Fagan appeared to step on Arbeloa's leg, but it went unseen by referee Alan Wiley. Fagan's case will be heard by a regulatory commission on Thursday. If he is found guilty, the 24-year-old former Hull City striker faces an automatic three-match suspension.

Ex-Rams chief faces fraud charge
The former chief executive of Derby County, Jeremy Keith, has been charged following an inquiry into alleged financial irregularities. The 43-year-old is accused of conspiracy to defraud and conceal criminal property. The charges relate to an on-going police investigation into the takeover of the club in October 2003. The club's former finance director Andrew Mackenzie, 53, was charged with similar offences last week. The allegations are not connected to the current board, Derbyshire Police said. Both men are scheduled to reappear in Derby Magistrates Court on 27 November.

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