This article has been take from the current edition of the DCSCWCB publication – “WEST COUNTRY RAM”, our clubs newsletter.  This particular article is entitled :

Loyal Supporter - No.7

Name : Neil Giianoni

Born:  Basildon, Essex, 1962. Arrived in Jersey in 1963. My family on my father’s side was Italian immigrants who arrived here in 1929, before the occupation of the island by the Germans. My Grandfather being alien was firstly locked up by the British, once Italy had joined the war on the side of the Nazis then released once the Germans arrived. He was locked up again by the Nazis for refusing to work for them and after a short time released. When the island was liberated he was once again unfortunate to be locked up by the British Liberation Force. On appeal he was sent to the Isle of White to cater for the Italian internees there. When the authorities came to give him his passage he hid next door and they never came back.

Profession: Head Chef, Jersey General Hospital 

My First Game: First Tower (Jersey) 1 Crystal Palace 2. (Jack Walker of Blackburn is the Patron and Honorary Life Vice President of First Tower). 

Other Games/Venues: Besides Pride Park I have watched football at many other venues – the best being White Hart Lane in 1975 and the worst being the “Track” in Guernsey where I have been on many occasions. Like the Island it’s a dump – I apologise to Gary Du Cateret who I know to be a fine man and loyal Derby County Supporter but it’s still a dump and he is a donkey (there is no love lost between the islands when it comes to sport). 

My First Football Memory:  In 1970 near the end of the season I remember watching Match of the Day with my older brother (Newcastle supporter) when it showed the tables. The Rams were lying 4th and that’s when I remember saying to Keith – “that’s my team!”

 My first memory of Derby was the pre-season Watney Cup victory over Man Utd.

 Derby have never visited Jersey (Brian Clough and many players with their families have though) but have played in Guernsey in 1970. I met Dave Mackay in the Baseball Bar and Grill after the last game of the season against Liverpool in 1998. He told me that he had played in Jersey, but I had to correct him and tell him that unfortunately, it was not beautiful Jersey but the “dump hole” called Guernsey.

Being in the Channel Islands we are a little isolated when it comes to soccer. Besides our local Leagues (which do include ex- professionals Mark Ward, Chris Jones, Peter Jones –father of Rob Jones, Peter McGovern – Newcastle, plus many others who have played half a dozen games for the likes of Raith Rovers etc.) we have to rely on visiting our beloved teams on the mainland or relying on the radio and TV. There are also competitions arranged which the likes of Man Utd U21’s, Benfica, Celtic, Blackburn, Sporting Lisbon, Rangers and Chelsea enter – which do bring out the crowds. Also many Premiership teams visit when they have been knocked out of the FA Cup – the last being Coventry City and Everton. 

The majority of local born fans are glory hunters and follow Man Utd and Liverpool etc. There is a big supporters club here for Manchester United. Also there are many people for the mainland or who have set up home here from Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds, Celtic and Rangers. These people I admire, as they are true supporters who like me love their Clubs and do not follow the “big boys”. I remember watching a game between Jersey and Guernsey about 5 years ago when all you could see in the 4,000 ground were Man Utd shirts and may I add 2 Auto Windscreen Derby shirts – one being mine. So I am quite a novelty with my friends here – if we have a bad game I am mocked by them – but at least I can say I have watched my team live and felt the passion and if we were poor, at least I know for a fact that we were poor.

 My First Visit to Derby: 1998 to watch us beat Liverpool 1-0 (last game of the season). Since then I have been 7 times – unfortunately I only managed one victory last season which was against Wimbledon – luckily my daughter was with me and it was her birthday.

 Club Hates: Are players who Derby buy and turn out to be dreadful - Mikkel Beck (now Lille), Vic Moreland, John Robertson, John “miss an open goal at Wembley” Harkes, Darren Wassall, Matt Carbon, David Preece, Mick Harford and Martin Kuhl to name some. Also I find we sell many players who in my opinion we should keep, Gary Rowett (recent 3M pounds signing by Leicester from Birmingham), Bobby Davison, Mark Patterson and Paul Trollope to name some.

 Hopes for 2000/01: Firstly that it starts off better than last time. The likes of Sturridge and Burton to be sold and some fresh legs in defence (written before the £2M pound signing of Danny Higginbotham) and another striker who can feed off Christie and Strupar. A ball winner in midfield alongside the excellent Burley needs to be added. Kinkladze should show us what he is really made of and we may see how good Lee Morris from Sheff Utd is. With our younger players perhaps getting the opportunity to perform – whatever happens, surely it cannot be anything like last season. Believe me I feel the pain as much as you lot do!

 My Favourite Team: Mart Poom, David Nish, Roy McFarland (best centre half ever), Mark Wright, Chris Powell, Archie Gemmill (midfield general), Robbie van der Laan (a great buy by Jim Smith), Bruce Rioch,  Charlie George, Dean Saunders, Bobby Davison.

 Subs: Peter Shilton, Phil Gee, Paul Simpson.

My All Time Favourite Games:

 Jersey 4 Guernsey (Donkeys) 0

 During the 1997 Island Games held in Jersey – Guernsey and Jersey were drawn in the same group as Gibraltar, Greenland and a team from Finland who I cannot pronounce. Jersey beat the latter 4-1 then scraped through 2-1 against Greenland to set up the “big one” against Guernsey. The game kicked off at 6.00 p.m. at the Springfield Stadium, packed with over 4,000 people. I have never witnessed a more passionate crowd with flags flying, chanting and singing. Guernsey always picked local born players –Jersey on the other hand picked players who were born locally or from Scotland/England plus 2 excellent players with Portuguese and Madeira backgrounds. This has always been the norm – as long as the players have been have been registered for a full season in the local Leagues then they are fully entitled to be considered.  

There has always been a lot of rivalry between the islands – Guernsey taking their sport a lot more seriously than Jersey. Guernsey is less populated than Jersey and more in-bred so they probably have more fun at Birthdays and Xmas than the local Jersey people (I am only joking!). The game itself was brilliant – Jersey attacked from the kick off and by half time were 3 –0 up. In the second half Jersey had a player sent off but still managed a 4th goal. Best of all the locals got right behind the team. After beating Gibraltar 3-2, Jersey played Anglesey, managed by Chris Lawler, ex –Liverpool, in the final. Lawler had players who had played in Barry Town’s European Cup Winners Cup matches and 2 who were previously with Inter Cardiff. After a tense and tight game Jersey ran out winners with a last minute goal.

 England 1 Hungary 0

 This was England’s final World Cup qualifier in November 1981. They needed only a draw and I was there with 24 friends. Trevor Brooking scored the only goal and I remember the brilliant atmosphere with 92,000 fans all shouting for England.

 Derby 1 Liverpool 0

 This was my first game at Pride Park. I remember sitting behind the goal at the Mansfield Bitter end. Paulo Wanchope was outstanding, not only did he score the only goal he tackled and fought for every ball. That evening I was taken by my friends to the Baseball Bar and Grill where I met Lionel Pickering and Dave Mackay.

 Benfica U18’s 5 Jersey 1

 We held a competition last year between Jersey, Rangers, Man Utd and Benfica. The professional teams used their U18 squads. Benfica were the overall winners beating Man Utd 2-0 in the final.  The game against Jersey was very exciting with the Portuguese playing the type of football witnessed at Euro 2000. As there are 8,000 Portuguese living on Jersey the atmosphere was superb.

 Derby 2 Crystal Palace 1

Who can ever forget this game. I watched this one on the box at the Castle Green Pub  overlooking Gorey Harbour ( I took Justin and his partner Carolyn to this pub when they visited the island in June 2000). Jim Smith had arrived with no great expectations and after a bit of a sloppy start put some great results together and my friends over here began to take note of the mighty Rams. That van der Laan header and the final celebrations will live forever. Don’t ask me how I got home that night but I can tell you that I reminded all the doubters that night.

 I watched 6 games at PP last season and to be honest some very poor ones besides the win over Wimbledon and the draws with Sheff Wed and Newcastle (great atmosphere). I witnessed 3 defeats the hardest being against Leeds United when I thought we played well and were cheated out of a point. Once I have 20 games under my belt I can give a true account my favourite Derby games.

 I may be across the English Channel and closer to France, but I visit when I can and I am Derby till I die. In case any Guernsey supporters read this - my comments about your island are all a bit of fun –if there aren’t any reading it then I mean every word..ha ha.

Please feel free to send your own versions of the above to WCR  c/o:-

WCR@dcscwcb.derbycounty.co.uk