The man behind the idea joins Sam Rush in pouring the concrete for the plaque that will commemorate the Rams' fallen heroes

The concrete pouring for the memorial plaque that will be erected at the iPro Stadium ahead of the Sky Bet Championship fixture with Wolves has taken place this afternoon as the Club look to honour their fallen First World War heroes.


This year marks 100 years since the start of the Great War and after being initially suggested by Ken Wilson and taken forward by Anton Rippon, Derby County have teamed up with Evans Concrete to construct a 5ft by 4ft cast concrete plaque.


The plaque, which has been made with white Spanish dolomite, will bear the names of six former players of the club who died in the first world war.


They were:


- Thomas Benfield (Leicestershire Regiment)

- George Brooks (York and Lancaster Regiment)

- Reg Callender (Durham Light Infantry)

- James Stevenson (Highland Light Infantry)

- Bernard Vann VC (Sherwood Foresters)

- Fred Wheatcroft (East Surrey Regiment)


The Club invited Wilson down to accompany Sam Rush, Derby’s Chief Executive, in taking part in the pouring of the concrete.


Speaking to Rams Player, Wilson said: “It was beyond my expectations; I would never think that anything like this would happen.


“It’s a great credit to the club that it has happened in the space of a few months. It’s credit to the management and the staff at Derby County and I fully appreciate it.


“I’m also a long time Derby County fan and my grandfather took me with the next door neighbour to the Baseball Ground.


“He had a ticket in the B Stand and he persuaded the gentleman on the turnstile to let me crawl underneath to attend games.


“The heritage of the club is important, we don’t forget the past, we live in the present and look to the future of the club, but the past is all part of the life blood of the town, the city and the county.


“All the generations of Derby County supporters down the years would appreciate the kind of occasion we have had today.”


The memorial will be the second concrete construction that Evans Concrete have worked on for the club.


The seating area and plinth around the Brian Clough & Peter Taylor statue was also put together by the company and Garry McBride, Chairman of the Club partner, is hoping the final product will make everyone connected with the Rams ‘very proud’.


He added: “This one now is a memorial is for a completely different thing, maybe it’s even more solemn, but it makes you realise how it was when they was taken for war.


“When you look at the Derby County team now and the young players, it is difficult to imagine how it must have been, not just for Derby County, but the supporters and everyone involved to see those young people being taken away at such a young age.


“It will be there for a very, very long time and concrete is a material that you can mould and make into something quite unique, as this memorial will be.


“I hope people appreciate it, but I jumped at the chance when we had the opportunity, I know Ken had made the suggestion; Derby County mentioned it to me being this industry.


“Hopefully, we have used our techniques and expertise to produce something that everybody will be very proud of.”


Behind the scenes footage from the concrete pouring can be seen on Friday’s Rams In Focus.


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