The BBG without a shadow of a doubt. PP is another souless new ground. The atmosphere at the BBG was electric and yes the facilities were rubbish but it was brilliant. I remember the night when Trevor Christie scored against Rotherham from the spot to gain promotion back to the old second division absolutely mental r&r

Loved the BBG when a teenager singing on the popside. However the place was primitive, the toilets disgusting (that is if anyone bothered to use them). Seeing all the game was nigh on impossible unless you were over 6ft 3. Getting out was murder as we were crushed into a tiny exit, we emerged like corks from a bottle. Then there was the ever present threat of violence as the layout was impossible to police. The police were a threat themselves and I have been beaten with a truncheon just making my way out peacefully. Pride Park is an altogether more pleasant if less atmospheric experience.

BBG for me. I don't think PP is souless, I think it's a fantastic stadium and something to be proud of, but you can't re-create the pure football feeling of that amazing old ground.

bbg without hesitation,the toilets..who cares,the crowds great and magical atmosphere

I actually think Pride Park is a superb ground, modern, well sited with all the facilities required. The Baseball Ground on the other hand could hardly have been more difficult to get in and out of, had basic facilities and with 35-40,000 downright dangereous.............It was however a truely magical place with an atmosphere I have never experienced elsewhere EVER. European nights on the Popside were awesome.............a complete $hithole by comparison to Pride Park but in every other way the BBG was unique................I find it hard to explain it's sheer beauty but I have memories that could fill a book. Shadows and ghosts, tears and treasures...............shussshh, if I listen carefully I can still hear the haunting sounds and take in those smells of yesteryear............oh, happy, happy days!!!

wish i had to place to comment on the BBG more, but unfortunately age deprives me

i was only about 8 when my old man bought me a season ticket in the C stand so i do not remember too much!

But i do remember when we beat Palace in the final game of the season to get promoted under the Bald Eagle and Mclaren! Sat in the Ossie End when Deano picked the ball up and ran at the defence curling a beauty past Nigel Martin!!

then running on the pitch jumping on the dugouts at the final whistle, brillient!!

A nice ramble there ram,never got to see a match @ bbg,but on my first visit to pride park from ireland,turned up to bbg and was let in and took in a tour by the youth team coach,gee'd up a few of the irish lads,told them to be proud to be wearing this great jersey,went up to the famous penalty spot,plucked a few blades of grass,sucked in the air,and then f..ked off for ale,happy days,

If anyone is remotely interested I might post a few memories of the halcyon days of the old BBG, like my first visits, sneaking in, the Clough & Taylor years, european nights, queing all night for tickets, the local pubs and the pre-match ritual, other memorable games and occasions..........maybe others can add their own recollections oof the famous old ground for the benefit of those less fortunate not to have experienced her beauty and magic?

Go for it!

See now ya might understand why when ya call our shed it don't bother us one little bit. As ya know the old Trent End was something out of non-league fottball but the atmosphere was brilliant.

Started watching the Rams in my early teens with my Dad in the Normo upper. The smell of pipe tobacco...lovely. The atmosphere was frightening at times and intimidated the opposition. You could see some players physically wilt from it.

Promoted myself to the popside with my mates and stood in the Columbo. Hearor (Sharples). Great times and a fight could break out anytime and any place just to keep you on your toes.

I like PP and as I grow older I like life to be easier so it suits me. Bus from the club to PP and back to the club. simple. Lets not dumb down PP too much, remember Southampton in the playoffs. We can create an atmosphere in there too. It rocks when we all jump together, sadly it's not often enough.

Iwas - I'm with you on this! What was it about old grounds and pipe/cigar smoke?

My 1st BBG game was with my Granddad, a reserve team game against Blackpool I think in 1970ish. I was a wee lad and couldnt see teh ball except when it was hoofed up in the air, but remember the tobacco smell clearly.

The atmosphere at PP is nothing like it was at the BBG but that's not the ground's fault, its ours! We do not show the same passion for the game that we used to except on odd occasions like So'ton.

First game I saw was Swansea then Town in 1963. The BBG was almost empty. Only about 8,000 in. main thing I can remember is how close the players were. Could see the blood trickling down their legs after a tackle.

The legend that the BBG became really started in league cup replay against Chelsea when we were in the 2nd division and Chelsea were a top first division side. Chelsea took the lead and when we came back the whole of the BBG was rocking. Noise coming from all sides, even the Shaftesbury Crescent side stamping their feet.

From then on the BBG became a place opposing players hated, especially taking corners near the kids enclosure. Being covered in gob is not what most players relished.

Remember taking bits of the pitch after the 1975 Carlisle game and the Fulham game which was stopped early as the supporters were all on the pitch. This effectively saved us from relegation and prevented Fulham's promotion. Not the most sporting of memories but an illustration of what a bear pit it was.

It has to be the bbg for pure entertainment and atmosphere in the popside.
Then i had a good view from my seat in the normanton upper apart from 1 post of course.
Pride park of course does have the better pitch and every seat has clear view of the pitch.
My vote would still go to BBG!

Iwas touched on something there. The smell of pipe tabacco the winter night matches.

The BBG was a ground that touch the souls of many not just Rams fans. Pundits of 50 years plus and travelling fans from every corner have spoken with great affection of the old place.

It was a unique ground for lots of strange reasons fromits choice of location to how it was developed. What became was an intimate pressure cooker of footabll passion.

I'm not old enough to remember the heady days of euro footie but was a season ticket holder from 1981 with my Dad and my beer crate. Through the normo end key club days, too my first game on my own with my mates few beers into the war that was the popside.

Although my heart as I type this flutters with memories and smells, like Gordon Cowans tearing Stoke to pieces on a sunday April Saturday ( now there will be a name many even hardcore Rams fans may have let slip from their minds), to the hell of the Maxwell years.

However football has changed so so much from those days, and although my love for the BBG is endless and will always make me sad to not seeing the mighty black and white grace its green (irony) lush (downright bull---t) pitch. It makes me even sadder to see what the place became.

That said Pride Park is a wonderful ground and far from souless and can when the mix is right produce some absolute cracking atmospheres, 3-1 Arsenal anyone.

Times have changed yes I would love to relive some of those craking nights at the BBG but PP aint all that bad and regardless its about the 11 on the pitch not the ground they play in.

5 's though for a decent little article.

My father would have said that the trip to Wembley in '46 was his happiest memory; my husband, some of the dogged, muddy battles in the old third division north; my elder son remembers best staying behind with his friends, singing "Always look on the bright side of life", after the game which saw us relegated to the third again in 1984.

Experiences with little in common, other than the claustrophobic, intimidating, uncomfortable, unhygienic and totally iconic BBG

3-1 arsenal was my first derby game and what a game. the only time i went to the bbg was for a restart interview not long after moving to derby. unlike most on here i was never that into Football when i was a kid so didnt start supporting the rams till my twenties, coming from Hull i was into the rugby and can totaly understand why the atmosphere must have been better at the bbg. when your packed into a stand like sardines jumping up and down singing, chanting and goading the oppo you cant beat it. Then when you score the whole crowd serged forward thats what used to make the atmosphere better in the good old days. its like being at a gig! I would always rather go and see a band standing up in a crowd going for it than sitting down in some big arena.

Cough cough, the name says everything
There's no comparison between both grounds, in my opinion. The BBG beats Pride Park hands down, it wouldn't even lace it's boots.
Atmosphere was much better than Pride Park. I can remember one particular game (of many which there were many) was the game against Crystal Palace, where we beat them 2-1 Van Der Laan header. I remember being in the C Stand (season ticket holder) all the players came out of the tunnel to the biggest roar which went on for most of the game, but what did make me laugh, the ref blew the whistle for the start of the game, and none of the players could hear it due to the noise from the crowds, you could see the players reactions putting their hands to their ears saying we can't hear you.
Right after the game most Derby fans including myself, went to celebrate Derby winning 2-1. We met up with some Crystal Palace fans, yes they were disappointed at the result, (we all know why) but they said to us Derby fans that's one of the best games and atmospheres they have ever witnessed, they were saying it was down to us Derby fans that we won . I could go on all day about the BBG, my very first game 1970/1971 season at the BBG 4-4 against Man UTD, with me standing on my crate in the Ozzy end. Still miss it today

I can recall so many happy (and not so happy) memories of the Baseball Ground but, for me, those European nights were the best. The superstars of European football seemed different in the days before media saturation and Sky TV. I remember hardly sleeping for days before Benfica and Eusebio came to the BBG and standing on the Paddock from maybe 5.00pm (several of us kids sneaked into the ground at maybe midday and hid under the stands until we heard the clicking of the turnstyles before we dared venture out to the terraces). I don't know why I was so nervous I remember Derby thrashing Benfica 3-0 in the best match I can recall, Eusebio hardly got a kick due to Roy Mac.................I swear that you could have heard the noise of the crowd on the moon and even as a kid I relished the look of fear on the Benfica players faces.

21st October 1961 9 years old, Derby Co. 2 Liverpool 0.My first visit to The BBG. No wonder I was hooked for life! Policeman lifted me up and sat me on the wall that separated the Normo End and the Vulcan St .Bill Curry got shoved into the pop side railings I think by Ron Yeats .Chelsea league cup replay,never been in a crowd like that,before or since.Standing in the popside with thousands of Spurs and Derby fans as we demolished Tottenham 5-0 on Mackays first game against them,and being amazed at how little trouble there was.Climbing over the popside turnstiles after car broke down and missed the first 2 goals v Benfica,and so many weds nights with the rain lashing down on that mudbath of a pitch seeing some of the best footballers in the world play as though it was on a billiard table.I shall be celebrating 50 years following the Rams this year,would love to think I will have similar memories to reminisce about from PP in the not too distant!
.

I 1st went in 1982. Rotherham match stands out for me. The Leeds game when we got promoted to Div 1 in 1987 is and higlight. Shef Wed at home in the FA Cup in both 1986 and 1993. We were 9 mins away from the semi-final against Sheff U Forest at home in 1983 FA Cup game was 1 of my first games.
If we can be a suvvessful team again even in the championship with a full house the atmosphere will improve at PP. We've had too much rubbish since we've been there

Smell of tobacco smoke IWAS. Very poetic and as i recall true because i was sitting next to you. You were a bit young to be smoking a pipe tho. I don't know why my dad let you. lol
Fantastic atmosphere especially on a Wednesday night.
It can't be judged against pp tho as it was the terracing that made the BBG.

my first game was in the boys end against stoke city in the 70s with gordon banks in goal

Games that will be engrained in my memory for all time.

The Rams V West Brom 1979 Old First Divison:

My first game. On a Pop crate in Vulcan Terrace.

The Rams V Rotherham errrr 1984/5???

Promotion to the old second division. Crushed against a blue crush barrier on the second tier of the Vulcan Terrace right on the corner as you walked in. There was a young lad stood next to me who was in great discomfort, if that was you I felt for ya that night. Was breathless for 90 minutes and the noise coming from the crowd was immense. When Christie slotted home I feared for me life. Old man saved the day and put his hands either side and pushed back. I managed to catch my breath to enjoy the final whistle.

The Rams V Man U 1989/90 2_0 Say no more, Man U paraded their new Chairman in front of their big away support. Although for the 90 minutes that followed we barely heard a peep out of them. Columbo Terrace, halfway up and level with the penalty spot! Great place, for what was real chanting and to bait the away fans

The Rams V Sheffield Wednesday April 1989, two weeks after the Hillsborough disaster, and the huge barriers were taken down for the first time in years. Finally, we could see all of the pitch and enjoy the action. 1-0 to us I think, Saunders with a late one. Great atmosphere!

Again The Rams V Sheffield Wednesday. League Cup 1990/1? Derby trail by one goal from Dalian Atkinson after 88 minutes. Then Saunders and Goddard turn it on...............................2-1
I think the Owls fans were quite glad there wasn't long left in the game, it was an absolute DIN!

The Rams V Arsenal (eventual English Champions)
Derby written off before tha game. No chance of a result. Great opener from Ian Wright I think. Then Hebbard and Gee ...............well say no more :D
2-1
Cue catcalls of F444444444444444444K off from the Columbo Terrace.

I'd better stop I think Im not even well into the nineties yet

Having spent the last few hours in B&Q purchasing various items so Mrs Sad_Faced_Socialist can re-vamp the living room I have given this subject much thought since my last post.

We are trying to compare an internal combustion engine with 18th century french cheese production.

The point being we are trying to compare two things that in reality are not compareable.

Regulations have changed

The people watching football has changed.

The demographic of football watchers has changed.

The sport itself has chnged.

Basicly everything has changed. The BBG represents a time when we look back and see something better, and in some ways it certainly was. However like so many times we look back we see things with rose tints.

We were (most of anyway) were younger, the country we lived in was a different world were what Saturday afternoon stood for is so very different for what it stands for today. You would have never found a prawn sandwich at the BBG in the 60's, 70's and 80's and maybe that is the main point.

Yes I too would say the BBG would and should win in a hands down comparison, but really that would be unfair to both grounds.

Pride Park has its place in modern football in the same way The Baseball Ground has its place in history.

I have felt games at Pride Park and no not the same way as I felt games at the BBG but fundamentally the fans are so very very different.