It’s a crossover week for RamsWeek from ClubFanzine and all-change as RamZone switches site platforms to the great new Fans' Network facility - but it was a slow news week at Pride Park Stadium.

The quiet start to June at Pride Park Stadium was in stark contrast to the heightening anticipation of the World Cup for football fans everywhere, though the Rams have signed another player.

Derby confirmed that winger Dave Martin had completed his permanent move from Millwall. He believes he learned a lot from his loan spell at Derby at the end of last season and wants to prove he can make the step up.

Full-back Paul Connolly looked closer to a move to Leeds United and with Jason Beckford sold, the newly-promoted Yorkshire club are looking to gear up for the Championship. They haven’t yet made a move for Rams striker Rob Hulse and have secured the services of Swindon striker Billy Paynter.

From Derby’s point of view, and perhaps for the two players, (as with RamZone!) it’s ‘time for a change’ because Connolly is surplus to requirements at Pride Park Stadium whilst Hulse is perhaps approaching the autumn of his career.

As he’s in the last year of his contract at Derby too, it’s our last chance to cash in on him to put the fee received toward squad development. Both players have been central to Derby’s starting line-up over the past two years but events move on.

The Rams are still keen on adding a striker to the squad come what may in regard to Hulse, with Scunthorpe’s Gary Hooper and others still in the frame but the club are stressing that patience in pursuing targets is a key requirement.

Ex-Rams' defender Jay Mc Eveley has been released without charge subsequent to enquiries concerning an incident at a Derby nightclub earlier this year. There were allegations of assault at the Nono8 club on February 14th; McEveley had been in attendance on his night out after the Rams' home FA Cup defeat by Birmingham City.

The main email update I received from DCFC was an offer to book my place at £22.50 to the Xmas disco at Pride Park Stadium - yes, that time of year soon rolls around again, doesn’t it, Tom?!

The advert showed a dizzy blond disco diva twizzling her night away in a foggy haze of self-possession on the dance floor - however, I won’t be booking it as the Rams ruined my Christmas last year with atrocious consecutive home defeats, and you can have too much of a good thing.

Besides, I’ve already bought my season ticket and so I’ll be able to see our resident dizzy blond Robbie Savage strutting his stuff on a matchday, if he is selected.

Derby missed out again in the major international football stakes, after the failure of the World Cup 2018 host city bidding, as Coventry City’s Ricoh Arena was chosen for games taking place in the 2012 Olympics. It seems like our global penetration is faltering even before we’ve got very far, doesn’t it?

The high-profile stories of the week included Fabio Capello’s final selection for his 23-man England squad. Ex-Ram Tom Huddlestone missed out on a World Cup place but is young enough to get two or three future tournaments Cups under his belt.

The main news items from the Three Lions’ training camp however were the immediate injury to Rio Ferdinand (which let in Michael Dawson as his replacement), and the conjecture over which goalie would start...I’m saying David James. Debate rattled on over players left behind, such as the speedy but out-of-form Theo Walcott.

The Gunners’ wonder-kid was a shock inclusion in Sven Goran Eriksson’s squad in the last tournament. However, he doesn’t at the moment seem to deliver the killer ball or take enough of his goalscoring chances - so it was a straightforward decision for Capello to omit him in my opinion.

Aaron Lennon has developed further and is more of a threat to the opposition on his recent performances for Spurs and England. Walcott, like Tom H, has youth in his favour and can book his place in future squads as long as he improves his final product and scoring consistency.

Domestically, the Rafael Benitez saga finally came to an end at Liverpool with his severance from the club. No doubt he left with about £10m under his belt so he won’t go hungry. He could soon be on another hefty contract too, as Inter Milan is mooted to want him.

The media circus surrounding the possible replacements at Liverpool is in full cry, and perhaps Kenny Dalglish will make a dramatic return to Anfield. Aston Villa won’t thank the press for linking their manager Martin O’Neill with yet another top job.

The Rams took place in the Masters 5-a-side tournament last week, with Inigo Idiakez notching a couple of goals before Derby were eliminated by Notts County. The Trees won the tournament. Pah!

Inigo wants to coach in England so it will be interesting to see how his post-playing career progresses. He’s probably down the pecking order in terms of the ex-Rams that fans would like to see coaching at Derby, behind Stefano Eranio and Igor Stimac in my book - but I’m sure he’ll make a success of things, as one of the few Derby midfielders worth watching in recent times.

Craig Short took the manager’s seat at ambitious-but-unstable Notts County. Hurry up, Craig - we were waiting for County to overtake Nothingham Forest as the city’s top club, before the whole Sven, Sol Campbell and financial fiasco overtook the club!

Craig was a big tough centre half whom the Rams bought for £2.5m in the 90s and he’s progressed in coaching to lead Ferencvaros to 7th in the Hungarian league, and now he’s come ‘home’ to build on the Magpies’ progress. Good luck, Craig!

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RamsWeek 23 last year observed that it was ‘time to ring some changes’ though there was little tangible transfer activity to report.

Derby were looking to sign Exeter defender Dean Moxey and were still in the hunt for Crewe’s right back John Brayford.

Managerial changes and speculation dominated the news pages elsewhere in football with troubled Newcastle United rumoured to be courting for another Keegan-type talismanic hero from their past in Alan Shearer, whilst West Brom boss Tony Mowbray was set to join Glasgow Celtic.

Reading, Coventry and Watford were making changes, Premier League Wigan Athletic nabbed Swansea City boss Roberto Martinez and the quirky Ian ‘Olly’ Holloway came back into the fray as Blackpool FC manager.

Plenty of financial wranglings were afoot too; Ipswich Town and Plymouth Argyle were set for takeovers and the ill-fated and shambolic Munto Finance took the reins over at Notts County.

Such a damaging fiasco was to unfold at Meadow Lane during the following months!

Photo: Action Images

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