With Derby County and Queens Park Rangers both back in the Championship, it is time to look back at their play-off final.
Back in 2013, Wembley experienced one of its biggest crowds since re-opening for the 2013 Championship play-off final.
When Derby County and Queens Park Rangers graced the home of English football, nobody was quite sure as to who was going to come away with the victory and a place in the Premier League.
When the game stared, it looked more and more likely that it would be the Rams who would triumph on the day. They controlled the majority of the game and following Gary O’Neil’s red card for a late challenge, it seemed like a matter of time before they would get the goal they needed.
But that is not how football works. Bobby Zamora’s late goal broke Derby hearts, and looking back on that day is certainly interesting given the fortunes of both sides. Many people were expecting QPR to come straight back down meanwhile Derby were tipped for promotion the following year, yet somehow they both find themselves in the second tier to this day.
Both teams have had great expectations on their shoulders for years now. Neither have really seemed to cope with that very well, and despite their stature seemingly suited for the top flight they just cannot seem to take that next step.
QPR may have been the winners on that day back in 2013, but in the grand scheme of things neither team are where they thought they would be. If anyone is likely to change that, it is Steve McClaren’s Derby.
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