Derby owner Mel Morris claims he has put the in-debt Rams into administration to attract buyers

Derby owner Mel Morris claims he has put the in-debt Championship club into administration because their financial plight is putting buyers off

  • Derby owner Mel Morris has taken criticism for putting them into administration
  • Morris has claimed that would-be buyers have been put off by their £50m debts
  • Rams manager Wayne Rooney is one of the figures to have questioned Morris 


Mel Morris has claimed Derby are in administration because it is the only way the Championship club can attract a new owner.

The Rams have been deducted 12 points, sending them to the bottom of the table, and face a further nine-point penalty from the EFL for alleged breaches of spending rules.

Administrators Quantuma are now in control of the club and say there are up to six parties interested in buying Derby.

Troubled Championship side Derby have been placed into administration with debts of £50m

Manager Wayne Rooney has voiced his concerns about the way the situation has been handled

Manager Wayne Rooney has voiced his concerns about the way the situation has been handled

Manager Wayne Rooney this week hit out at Morris for his handling of the situation yet Morris, who had owned the club since 2015, expects buyers will now come forward.

‘I could see that many people we were in discussions with were simply not going to do a deal unless a critical event occurred,’ said Morris. 

‘So what do you do at that point?

Owner Mel Morris has tried to find a new buyer of the club amid the club's deepening crisis

Owner Mel Morris has tried to find a new buyer of the club amid the club’s deepening crisis

‘But with that level of total debts, shareholder loans, everything, you have to draw a line in the sand.

‘A large number of parties that were interested before are still interested today. I don’t see any major challenges in finding someone who will want the club and stadium.’

Derby’s debts are thought to total £50million, though the administrators are confident they will fulfil their fixtures this season. They play at Sheffield United today.

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