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Derby County and Pride Park Stadium, in the East Midlands, featured in 1 episode of DT in Season 1 in March 1998.
Ian Coates, still early in the Harchester job, is a manager at the end of his tether. His team, in his own words, is mostly made-up of tired journeymen and inexperienced kids, his point proven when they are dumped out of the FA Cup Quarter Final by West Ham. Ian has had his eye on bringing in Derby County's Dean Sturridge, and gives boss Stephanie Jacobs the ultimatum that unless he gets a new striker by transfer deadline day he will be gone. Coates gets his wish when on the day, Stephanie informs him they will have enough money with the selling of Alan Law to Middlesbrough, and imminently Dean Hocknell to Nottingham Forest - something Coates is determined to stall on top of signing Sturridge on time.
Ian arrives at Derby County, where they are one season in their new home stadium Pride Park. Taking Harchester's club secretary, Coates puts in a request to Stephanie for an extra half million, and offers £5.5M for Sturridge, which manager Jim Smith takes to the board. After Ian watches Dean train with the team, he puts forward his terms of a £150K bonus if Harchester stay in the Premiership, wanting to build the team around him. Dean helps to keep the club in the top flight, before returning to Derby where he remained until 2001.
Derby are seen again for their away visit to Harchester's own new ground The Dragon's Lair in the 2000-01 season, still under Jim Smith for a 3-0 loss (4.16). They are relegated from the Premier League at the end of 2001-02, and while in the Championship for the 2004-05 season they have another away loss to HUFC, this time 1-0 under George Burley (8.11 A Contract Killing).
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