The unadulterated joy of thousands of people across Derbyshire had to be seen to be believed when Derby County won the Division Two championship in April 1969. Fans flocked into the streets to cheer their Rams heroes and packed the Baseball Ground to the rafters to celebrate with the players. Here, Pat Parkin recalls the euphoric atmosphere which gripped the county after Derby gained promotion in style after a record-breaking season.

THERE have been bigger and better stories in Derby County's history, but the day in April 1969 when the Rams shook off 16 years in the wilderness of lower division football will be etched in the memories of long-term fans forever.

Top of the Second Division doesn't sound all that great – especially in these times of millionaire players in big-time Premiership clubs and European football – but players and supporters all agree that 1969 brought a magical time to the Baseball Ground.

It was a year which marked the beginning of Derby's halcyon days in the big time of British soccer.

Of course, it was the arrival of Brian Clough and Peter Taylor which had started the roll.

They had taken over in 1967 following Tim Ward's departure after what he described as five of the unhappiest years of his football career.

They arrived from Hartlepool with a great reputation and much promise but their first season was not as successful as Ward's last one – their Rams' team made 18th place in the old Second Division, while Ward's team reached 17th. Not a great deal to cheer about there, then.

It was, Clough said later, sickening during that first season to sit and watch home defeat after home defeat.

But months after that awful season ended came the signing the dynamic duo believed would make a real difference – the workhorse and Spurs and Scotland legend Dave Mackay was enticed to the Baseball Ground. Other great signings included John O'Hare, Roy McFarland, Alan Hinton and John McGovern. Soon the team began to gel. The management duo gradually brought together a talented squad – one good enough, they hoped, to take them into football's top flight.

As the Evening Telegraph's sports journalist at the time George Edwards wrote: "The transformation has been fantastic, amazing and unbelievable."

Not 12 months before, Derby County had seemed incapable of beating bad teams. Even at the Baseball Ground, they looked like letting in a goal every time the opposition attacked. Nine months down the line the Rams were top of the league and on their way into the big time.

Not only were they the inspiration and driving force behind the team, the Clough and Taylor magic also helped to transform the club financially. Only a couple of seasons previously, £20,000 of season ticket sales had been considered satisfactory, now there was talk of £100,000 worth . That was no mean sum 40 years ago.

Being in the crowd at the Baseball Ground during the 1968-69 season was an incredible experience for fans.

The leadership of the old war horse Dave Mackay was inspirational but everyone in the squad played their part.

Young central defender Roy McFarland was turning out to be a force to be reckoned with, wee Willie Carlin was dominating in the middle and John McGovern, John O'Hare, Alan Hinton, Ron Webster, John Robson, Les Green, Colin Boulton and Frank Wignall were all making a great contribution to the overall team.

These were the newcomers signed by Clough and Taylor but equally there was great input from established players like Kevin Hector – nicknamed the King – Alan Durban, Ron Webster and Colin Boulton.

In that final season in Division Two, Derby won 26 matches, drew 11 and lost just five. On the way to that remarkable achievement they scored 65 goals.

Many of those came in the final 11 matches of that memorable season during which they won 10, drew one and slotted in 25 great goals.

No wonder their supporters were prepared to queue endlessly for tickets.

Even with promotion secured, the Rams continued to play outstanding football.

By April 5, they were mathematically home and dry, top of the league and promoted after they slammed in five goals against Bolton Wanderers in a 5-1 Baseball Ground victory.

Goals came from Kevin Hector, Frank Wignall, John O'Hare and Willie Carlin and, six minutes from time, the 30,684-strong crowd went wild when Roy McFarland put in the fifth to give them their highest league score of the season. That was when the champagne began to flow and it continued to do so throughout April, 1969. During that month the Rams also notched up wins against Sheffield United, Millwall, Norwich and Bristol City.

To add to Derby fans' delight, arch rivals Nottingham Forest, who were in the First Division, were beaten 3-1 by Manchester United – a team which included Bryan Kidd, Denis Law and George Best.

Derby's final match on April 19, 1969, was the icing on the cake when they finally bade farewell to Division Two in championship style.

The atmosphere at the Basball Ground was electric. A full house of ecstatic supporters cheered their heroes, who did a lap of honour before the game. Then the Rams gave Bristol City a lesson in football, winning 5-0, with a hat-trick from Alan Durban. The final goal of the game and the season was put away by Kevin Hector.

After a day of jubilation, skipper Dave Mackay was presented with the 1969 Division Two cup by Football League Chairman, Len Shipman. Mackay raised the trophy high for all the fans to see the just reward following a record breaking season for the Rams.

It was heady stuff. Celebrations went on throughout the weekend of April 19-20 with players, everyone connected with the club and, of course, the fans joining the revelry.

Two days later the Rams team set out on a triumphal tour of the county on an open- topped bus and Dave Mackay made a balcony appearance at Derby Council House alongside Mayor, Mrs Edith Wood.

People came out in their thousands to greet the Footballers. Star player Kevin Hector wrote in his weekly Telegraph column. "It was the most memorable week of my life. Our supporters really surpassed themselves."

Some 40 years on, the memories are as sweet as ever.