Albion will welcome their local rivals to the Pirelli on August 27th, before travelling to the iPro in January.
Calum Butcher of Burton Albion (L) and Liam Kelly of Oldham Athletic in action
Burton Albion chairman Ben Robinson has told the Burton Mail that his team’s Championship meetings with Derby County were the first he looked out for when the season’s fixtures were released on Wednesday.
Having secured a historic promotion from League One last term, the Brewers are now preparing for their first ever season in the second tier of English football.
Burton Albion manager Nigel Clough spent four years at Derby
Derby County were beaten by Hull City in last season’s play-offs
But despite joining the likes of Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Leeds United in the Championship next season, it is the prospect of facing the Rams that has Robinson most excited.
The two sides have played a number of pre-season fixtures over the years, but will meet for the first time in a competitive fixture at the Pirelli Stadium on August 27th, before heading down the A38 for the return game at the iPro on January 28th.
Derby County will once again be hoping to mount a promotion challenge
For Albion chief Robinson, the chance take on Derby in a competitive league fixture is indicative of the progress made by the club, who only secured league football in 2009.
He told the Burton Mail: “It’s something that (we) never dreamed would happen and really it’s beyond a dream. I think that’s what has focused people when they have talked about our promotion and then they are saying ‘blimey, Burton Albion playing Derby County’, having had this assocation with them over all these years, all the pre-season friendlies going back 30 years in my time.
“So that’s going to be really special, those two games.”
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