Derby County: Fans and MPs frustrated by more silence as 1 February deadline looms

We're halfway through another week and fans of Derby County still have no idea whether they will have a club to support in the coming weeks.

Supporters groups are demanding answers from the EFL, and indeed the club's administrators, after a proposed meeting which was set to take place on Tuesday.

The radio silence will be of some concern, considering the good news that appeared at the back end of last week, where a bid for the club was tabled by the Binnie Brothers of Carlisle Capital, thought to be in the region of £28 million.

It is also thought that two other bids from former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley and former Rams Chairman Andy Appleby, remain possibilities. 

All eyes are on 1 February- that's the date Derby were reportedly given to prove they had funds to last until the end of the season.

But in an interview with TalkSPORT, The EFL Chairman Rick Parry insisted that the League was not imposing a "deadline' where proof had to be given by a certain day.

This alludes to what I wrote in a previous article, where I suggested that the EFL could work around its own rules and be flexible to ensure a founder member does not get expelled.

But what this does create actually is more uncertainty. 

What is February 1st if not a deadline? If it's a starting point, what needs to happen by then? Do Derby need to show a preferred bidder by then or simply give a rough indication that it has money to last for the reason of the season? Linked to all of this is the legal action by Middlesbrough and Wycombe.

Parry said that the Boro action is nothing new and isn't a stumbling block to things moving forward- the administrators had previously disagreed saying it was preventing them from naming a preferred bidder as no one seemed willing to take on the extra risk. 

However, at the very least it is an added complication and any bidder for Derby would need to have the funds to pay this, if legal action is successful. Either way, that part of the puzzle needs to be solved. 

Meanwhile Derbyshire MPs have called for a meeting between the EFL and the administrators for the end of the week in a bid to break the silence and try to move things forward. 

With rumours of transfer interest in Captain and star man Tom Lawrence, whether or not there is a hard deadline, time is ticking on the club's finances.

Speaking of dates, an interesting one is 18th April 1903. On that day, Derby County lost 6-0 to Bury in the FA Cup final.

In what an ironic twist, Bury were expelled by the EFL in 2019 after a failed takeover and a lack of funds. The club still exists- albeit on paper, meanwhile a phoenix fan led club plays in the North West Counties League- Eight Divisions below Derby. 

A cautionary tale of what could and still may happen.