During the 2006–07 English football season, Derby County competed in the Football League Championship.

Season summary Derby County finished the season in third place in the Championship, four points behind champions Sunderland and two points behind runners-up Birmingham City. With new ownership, Derby had been able to compete in the transfer market for the first time in a number of years, with Luton Town's Steve Howard becoming the club's first £1 million signing since François Grenet six years previously and, alongside captures from Premiership clubs such as West Ham United's Stephen Bywater and Fulham's Dean Leacock, manager Billy Davies began shaping a side capable of competing at the right end of the table. This wasn't apparent from the off, however, and a return of just five points from the club's opening six fixtures did not hint at instant success for Davies, leaving influential and creative players such as Tommy Smith and Iñigo Idiakez to depart the club prior to the closing of the August transfer window.

However, a 1–0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers on 12 September proved a catalyst as the club lost only four of its next 27 fixtures (a run which included winning all six league fixtures in November and an eight-match winning streak of six league and two FA Cup games from 30 December to 10 February). After a 2–2 draw at home to Hull City on 10 February, Derby were six points clear at the top of the table and had strengthened for the promotion run-in with the signing of Tyrone Mears, Jay McEveley, Gary Teale, David Jones, Craig Fagan, Stephen Pearson and Jon Macken for a combined £5 million. However, a 2–0 defeat away to Plymouth Argyle in the fifth round preceded a notable wobble in results and the club recorded a return of just six points from the next five games, conceding top spot to Birmingham City after a 1–0 defeat at St. Andrews on 9 March. A resounding 5–1 win against Colchester United (by far the biggest win of a campaign which saw victory by a two-goal margin or greater on just six occasions) looked to have put the club back on track, but, after taking just 12 points from the next ten fixtures, the club slipped out of the automatic promotion places altogether and a 2–0 defeat at Crystal Palace in the penultimate game of the season confirmed a 3rd-placed finish and entry into the 2006–07 Championship playoffs.

Derby defeated West Bromwich Albion 1–0 in the play-off final with a goal from Stephen Pearson to return Derby to the topflight of English football for the first time in five seasons.

Striker Steve Howard, who was also Derby's top scorer that season, was awarded the Jack Stamps Trophy as Derby's player of the season. Defender Darren Moore was named in the PFA's Championship Team of the Year.

Kit Spanish company Joma remained Derby's kits manufacturers, and introduced a new home kit for the season, the first time since 1998 that Derby had not used the same kit for two seasons running. The Derbyshire Building Society continued sponsoring the kits.

Final league table

Results Derby County's score comes first

Legend WinDrawLoss

Football League Championship DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 6 August 2006 SouthamptonH2–221,939S Johnson, Peschisolido 8 August 2006 Stoke CityA0–220,013 12 August 2006 Hull CityA2–115,261Oakley, Smith (pen) 19 August 2006 Norwich CityH0–022,196 26 August 2006 Colchester UnitedA3–44,574Lupoli (2), Peschisolido 9 September 2006 SunderlandH1–226,502Oakley 12 September 2006 Wolverhampton WanderersA1–021,546Howard 16 September 2006 Preston North EndH1–122,220Howard (pen) 23 September 2006 Sheffield WednesdayA2–123,659Peschisolido, Howard 30 September 2006 Southend UnitedH3–022,395Lupoli (2), M Johnson 15 October 2006 Plymouth ArgyleA1–313,622Lupoli 17 October 2006 Queens Park RangersA2–110,882Bisgaard, Howard 21 October 2006 Birmingham CityH0–125,673 28 October 2006 Cardiff CityA2–217,371Howard, Barnes 1 November 2006 BarnsleyH2–121,295Barnes (2) 4 November 2006 West Bromwich AlbionH2–125,342Oakley, Barnes 11 November 2006 Coventry CityA2–119,701Stead, Howard 18 November 2006 Luton TownA2–09,708Stead, Howard 25 November 2006 Leicester CityH1–028,315Stead 29 November 2006 Ipswich TownH2–122,606Howard, Lupoli 2 December 2006 West Bromwich AlbionA0–120,494 9 December 2006 Leeds UnitedA1–020,087Barnes 16 December 2006 Crystal PalaceH1–023,875Jones 23 December 2006 BurnleyA0–012,825 26 December 2006 Wolverhampton WanderersH0–231,920 30 December 2006 Plymouth ArgyleH1–025,775Bisgaard 1 January 2007 Preston North EndA2–119,204Howard (2, 1 pen) 13 January 2007 Sheffield WednesdayH1–028,936Jones 20 January 2007 Southend UnitedA1–010,745Howard 30 January 2007 BurnleyH1–023,122Howard 3 February 2007 SouthamptonA1–027,656Howard 10 February 2007 Hull CityH2–228,140Teale, Moore 21 February 2007 Stoke CityH0–224,897 24 February 2007 SunderlandA1–236,049Barnes 2 March 2007 Colchester UnitedH5–126,704Jones, Lupoli, Barnes, Howard (pen), Barker (own goal) 6 March 2007 Norwich CityA2–123,462Jones (2) 9 March 2007 Birmingham CityA0–120,962 13 March 2007 Queens Park RangersH1–127,567Moore 17 March 2007 Cardiff CityH3–127,689Howard (2, 1 pen), Barnes 31 March 2007 BarnsleyA2–117,059Jones, Oakley 6 April 2007 Leicester CityA1–124,704Fagan 9 April 2007 Coventry CityH1–129,940Oakley 14 April 2007 Ipswich TownA1–224,319Oakley 20 April 2007 Luton TownH1–028,499Nyatanga 29 April 2007 Crystal PalaceA0–219,545 6 May 2007 Leeds UnitedH2–031,183Currie, Mears

Championship play-offs +RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersSF 1st Leg 12 May 2007 SouthamptonA2–130,602Howard (2, 1 pen)SF 2nd Leg 15 May 2007 SouthamptonH2–3 (won 4–3 on pens)31,569Moore, Best (own goal)F28 May 2007 West Bromwich AlbionN1–074,993Pearson

FA Cup

+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR36 January 2007 WrexhamH3–115,609Lupoli (3)R427 January 2007 Bristol RoversH1–025,033PeschisolidoR517 February 2007 Plymouth ArgyleA0–218,026

League Cup

+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR122 August 2006 Stockport CountyA1–03,394M JohnsonR220 September 2006 Doncaster RoversA3–3 (lost 7–8 on pens)5,598Howard, Moore, Lupoli

Players First-team squad Squad at end of season

Left club during season

Notes

References