DERBY COUNTY FC SUING FORMER CHIEF EXECUTIVE, PLUS...

Derby County to sue former chief executive Sam Rush over unauthorised contracts


Wednesday 28th March 2018


Derby County are to sue their former club president and chief executive Sam Rush for £6.84m over unauthorised contracts, reports BBC Radio Derby.


The club have revealed that High Court proceedings were issued on 22 December against Rush, who was dismissed for alleged gross misconduct in May 2017.

Details emerged in a club statement on their accounts for the 2016-17 season.

Rush denies doing anything wrong and plans to counter-sue for unfair dismissal and breach of contract.

In the statement issued by the club, Derby say the claim by their parent company Sevco 5112 Limited relates to 'certain contracts entered into by the club', including:

Scouting and consultancy agreements not authorised by Derby's board of directors.

Transfer fees for players above the figure agreed by the board.

Wages in excess of what was agreed by the board.

Excessive fees to agents unauthorised by the board.

The accounts show a loss of £7.9m - but that is an improvement on the £14m loss in the previous financial year.

And the Rams reported a best-ever Championship turnover of £29m helped by their significantly increased television deal, a £6.4m increase on 2015-16, although owner Mel Morris says they still need to cut costs.


Rush's time at Derby

Rush joined the club in January 2013 from global sports and entertainment agency Wasserman Media Group.

He signed a new five-year deal in October 2015, shortly after playing a major role in bringing Derby-born entrepreneur Morris to the club.

He was dismissed with immediate effect in May 2017 "on the grounds of gross misconduct and breach of fiduciary duty".

With nine games left this season, play-off hopefuls Derby are currently fifth in the Championship, under manager Gary Rowett.



Sam Rush (on left of picture)

Part Two:
By Steve Nicholson

What Derby County chairman Mel Morris said about investment this summer if Rams miss out on promotion

The Rams are currently fifth in Sky Bet Championship with just nine games of the season remaining


Chairman Mel Morris remains confident in Derby County's ability to win promotion this season but he has hinted at a different strategy moving forward if the club is in the Championship next season.

Derby's accounts for 2016-17 revealed a loss of £7.9m - down on the £14.7m of the previous year - but the club's wage bill increased by £1.5m to £34.6m.

Morris highlighted the size of the wage bill in his comments on the financial results.

"It is something we need to get under control - we have to get the cost base under control," he said.

The Rams are in the promotion mix with nine games left. Which division they will be in next season - Championship or Premier League - remains to be seen but Morris admits the club has plans for the different scenarios.

He has also talked about the level of investment next season if Derby are not promoted.

"We’ve been working hard over the past couple months on a three-year forecast for the club, taking all those different models into consideration," said Morris.

"But it’s fair to say that if we don’t pull it off this year, we will not be making significant investment in the summer to try and have another season like this one, if we don’t pull it off.

"I firmly believe in what we’ve got now, I think it’s good enough to get over the line, but we’ve got to deliver that now.


"I still have very strong feelings about our ability to get promoted this season. They are shared by Gary (Rowett), I know they’re shared by the squad and I’m sure the fan base would be very supportive of that ambition."

This is the fourth time in the last five seasons that Derby have been in the hunt for promotion, but they have missed out on each occasion.

They lost to Queens Park Rangers in the play-off final of 2014.

The following season, 2014-15, they were top going into March only to crumble and finish eighth.

In 2015-16, Derby lost to Hull City in the play-off semi-finals and now they find themselves fifth with a promotion run-in ahead of them.

Morris has on a number of occasions spoken about sustainability and the challenge of life on and off the pitch in the Championship.

"Let's look at where the club is at, and there's a number of scenarios here," said Morris.

"We still feel we are in with a chance to get promoted this season and that’s a slightly different challenge in terms of how you gear the squad for next season.

"We have then got the other one (scenario) which says we make the play-offs and don’t get promoted. That’s another scenario which we will look at.

"And the final one is we don’t even make the play offs, and that’s a completely different situation.

"The key thing is that you either are a club that is going to buy your way to success or you are going to be a club that is going to have to build your way to success, or some hybrid of those two models.

"I think we are going to have to be one of those hybrid models, that's the reality of it.

"The question mark is what is the right paste to do that?

"In some ways you could see a scenario where if you said we will just build then that is a much easier model, but if we get through to the play-off final and lose I know a lot of fans will be thinking we only need a little bit for next season.

"That’s a very different plan than if you don’t make the play-offs.

"We have to be responsible."

Awwww what a shame couldn't have happened to a nicer club!!! All we need now is for them to stay down.

Awwww what a shame couldn't have happened to a nicer club!!! All we need now is for them to stay down.

What goes around comes around. Instant Karma. Can't wait till April 24th.

Doesn't sound like a very happy club I'm with Alan #Awwww couldn't of happened to a nicer club

Part Two:
By Steve Nicholson

What Derby County chairman Mel Morris said about investment this summer if Rams miss out on promotion

The Rams are currently fifth in Sky Bet Championship with just nine games of the season remaining


Chairman Mel Morris remains confident in Derby County's ability to win promotion this season but he has hinted at a different strategy moving forward if the club is in the Championship next season.

Derby's accounts for 2016-17 revealed a loss of £7.9m - down on the £14.7m of the previous year - but the club's wage bill increased by £1.5m to £34.6m.

Morris highlighted the size of the wage bill in his comments on the financial results.

"It is something we need to get under control - we have to get the cost base under control," he said.

The Rams are in the promotion mix with nine games left. Which division they will be in next season - Championship or Premier League - remains to be seen but Morris admits the club has plans for the different scenarios.

He has also talked about the level of investment next season if Derby are not promoted.

"We’ve been working hard over the past couple months on a three-year forecast for the club, taking all those different models into consideration," said Morris.

"But it’s fair to say that if we don’t pull it off this year, we will not be making significant investment in the summer to try and have another season like this one, if we don’t pull it off.

"I firmly believe in what we’ve got now, I think it’s good enough to get over the line, but we’ve got to deliver that now.


"I still have very strong feelings about our ability to get promoted this season. They are shared by Gary (Rowett), I know they’re shared by the squad and I’m sure the fan base would be very supportive of that ambition."

This is the fourth time in the last five seasons that Derby have been in the hunt for promotion, but they have missed out on each occasion.

They lost to Queens Park Rangers in the play-off final of 2014.

The following season, 2014-15, they were top going into March only to crumble and finish eighth.

In 2015-16, Derby lost to Hull City in the play-off semi-finals and now they find themselves fifth with a promotion run-in ahead of them.

Morris has on a number of occasions spoken about sustainability and the challenge of life on and off the pitch in the Championship.

"Let's look at where the club is at, and there's a number of scenarios here," said Morris.

"We still feel we are in with a chance to get promoted this season and that’s a slightly different challenge in terms of how you gear the squad for next season.

"We have then got the other one (scenario) which says we make the play-offs and don’t get promoted. That’s another scenario which we will look at.

"And the final one is we don’t even make the play offs, and that’s a completely different situation.

"The key thing is that you either are a club that is going to buy your way to success or you are going to be a club that is going to have to build your way to success, or some hybrid of those two models.

"I think we are going to have to be one of those hybrid models, that's the reality of it.

"The question mark is what is the right paste to do that?

"In some ways you could see a scenario where if you said we will just build then that is a much easier model, but if we get through to the play-off final and lose I know a lot of fans will be thinking we only need a little bit for next season.

"That’s a very different plan than if you don’t make the play-offs.

"We have to be responsible."

Chairman Mel Morris remains confident in Derby County's ability to win promotion this season but he has hinted at a different strategy moving forward if the club is in the Championship next season.

Whats that Mel, call off games have injuries ???

I hope we batter them

All sounds a bit "slushy" to me.

Chairman Mel Morris remains confident in Derby County's ability to win promotion this season but he has hinted at a different strategy moving forward if the club is in the Championship next season.

Whats that Mel, call off games have injuries ???

I hope we batter them

The best post on this forum today

All sounds a bit "slushy" to me.

It's snow joke!

I don't just want to beat them I want them to lose every game and I would rather the worzels go up instead of them and I don't like them

"We’ve been working hard over the past couple months on a three-year forecast for the club....," said Morris.

Three year forecast from Deby eh? They can't even deal with a three day weather forecast. Lickers.