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Baseball Ground time capsule unearthed

(taken from DERBYCOUNTY MADNESS)



By Ian Hayes

The last event in the history of the Baseball Ground took place on Monday 22nd September 2003 as ex Rams star and manager, Roy McFarland helped to open a time capsule buried in 1992 to commemorate the very first game played on the Baseball Ground site in 1892

Time Capsule unearthed

Monday was a sad day for me as it mark what now must be the final time I will visit the Baseball Ground.

The event was the unearthing and opening of a time capsule, placed under the Baseball Ground pitch at the Osmaston end in 1992 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Derby County playing at the ground.

Roy Macfarland was on hand to supervise the unearthing, as he was eleven years ago when the capsule was buried.

The down pour of rain and the consequent mud was a poignant reminder of bygone days at the Baseball Ground. Memories of Hector, Hinton and Gemmill ploughing through the mud came flooding back.

The time capsule was raised from its mudy resting place and opened. Inside were reminders of a decade ago. First to come out was a Subbuteo game, closly followed by a toy gas van, I guess as the capsule was made of Gas pipe they insisted on that going in. A football, a mug, various programmes and peperwork from the time were taken out of the capsule. Roy McFarland picked up the shirt of the 1992 season and showed it to the waiting press. A full kit was there but Mr McFarland was mystified as to why there wasn't an away kit in the capsule also.

After the press had interview Mr McFarland it was time to go and the now seatless and gutted stands will be a sad memory for myself as I walked over the pitch for the very last time, taking with me two inches of Baseball Ground mud on the soles of my shoes.

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Micky Sheehan x