31 July 1976 - The Wonderful Paulo Wanchope

On 31 July 1976, Costa Rican striker Paulo Wanchope, scorer of the greatest goal in Derby County history, was born in Heredia.

He started his career with his hometown club Herediano in 1993, then joined Derby in 1997 for a transfer fee of £600,000 after impressing in Costa Rica's qualification campaign for the 1998 World Cup. On his debut for the Rams, he scored a wonder goal against Manchester United that Derby supporters later voted the greatest goal in club history.

In the summer of 1999, Derby sold him to West Ham for £3.5 million, but he spent only one season there before moving to Manchester City for £3.65 million. Although he was a fan favorite there, injuries limited his playing time and he scored a total of 27 league goals in four seasons. He then played for six different clubs around the world before retiring from club football in 2007.

He continued to play for Costa Rica until 2008, however, and finished as the team's all-time leading scorer with 45 goals in 73 appearances. Although Rolando Fonseca later passed that mark in 2011 with 47 goals, Wanchope remains second on the team's all-time scoring table.

17 April 1897 - Aston Villa Makes A Move

On 17 April 1897, Aston Villa opened Villa Park as league and FA Cup champions, having already secured the Double.

Their new home, originally named Aston Lower Grounds, was their third one, following Aston Park (1874-76) and Perry Barr (1876-97). It was formerly part of the Aston Hall estate of  Lord Thomas Holte, built on the location that used to be the kitchen garden, which had subsequently been converted into an amusement park and all-purpose sports ground. Villa signed a long-term lease to rent the ground for an annual fee of £300, then commissioned the construction of stands with a capacity of 40,000 people.

Construction was still ongoing when Villa played their first match there, a 3-0 win over Blackburn Rovers. It was a meaningless match for the hosts, who had already secured their second straight league title (and third overall) and had won the FA Cup. They didn't lose a game there until a defeat to Sheffield United in January 1898. Since then, Villa has won four more league titles there (1899, 1900, 1910, 1981).

The record attendance there is 76,588, set during a sixth-round FA Cup match against Derby County, while the record as an all-seater is 42,788, set during a league game against Liverpool in 2009.

4 October 1990 - The Death Of Peter Taylor

On 4 October 1990, Peter Taylor, who won a league title and two European Cups as an assistant to Brian Clough, passed away while on holiday in Spain. He was 62.

Although best known for his abilities as a manager and scout, Taylor enjoyed a lengthy playing career with Coventry City (1950-55), Middlesbrough (1955-61), and Port Vale (1961-62). Then, in 1962, he took his first managerial job as player-manager for Burton Albion and spent two seasons there before leaving to join Hartlepool as an assistant to his former Middlesbrough teammate, Brian Clough.

Taylor and Clough spent ten of the next twelve seasons together, including six and a half years at Derby County where they won the league title in 1972. Their only time apart was from 1974 to 1976, when Taylor took charge of Brighton & Hove after Clough left for his ill-fated spell at Leeds United. They reunited in 1976, when Taylor joined Clough at Nottingham Forest and the pair proceeded to win two European Cups (1979, 1980).

In 1982, Taylor left Clough and returned to Derby County, managing them for two seasons before retiring in 1984. During that second spell at Derby, Taylor signed winger John Robertson from Derby without telling Clough in advance. The signing created a rift between the two men, who never spoke to one another afterward, a fact deeply regretted by Clough after Taylor's death.

In 2010, Derby County commemorated Taylor and Clough with a statue of the pair outside the ground.

15 September 1976 - Derby's Daily Dozen

On 15 September 1976, Derby County secured the biggest margin of victory in club history, beating Finn Harps 12-0 in the UEFA Cup.

The match came at opportune time for Derby; after having won the league in 1975, they finished fourth the following season and started the 1976-77 season by going winless in their first five matches. Those results left them in nineteenth when Finn Harps arrived at the Baseball Ground for the opening leg of their first-round UEFA Cup tie.

It turned out to be a treat for the Derby faithful, who watched as the home team easily outclassed the visiting Irish side. The goals rolled in from Charlie George (3), Leighton James (3), Kevin Hector (pictured) (5), and Bruce Rioch (1), including a handful that were created when Derby players stole the ball off a throw from the Finn goalkeeper. Hector's five goals set a Derby record for a European match, while the margin is the club's largest across all competitions.

Although Derby's winless streak in the league stretched to eight, they proceeded to win the second leg against Finn, but by the much closer scoreline of 1-4. Unfortunately for them, they were eliminated in the next round by AEK Athens, 5-2 on aggregate.