NIGEL Clough says that Burton Albion playing Derby County in a league fixture is still "surreal", but the Brewers will be looking to pick-up a result against their local rivals on Saturday.
There have only been three previous league meetings between Burton and the Rams. Clough’s side won the inaugural Championship meeting between the two sides last season, when the Brewers won 1-0 at the Pirelli Stadium.
Two meetings at Pride Park have followed since, with a 0-0 draw coming last season before Derby managed a narrow 1-0 win at home in December of this season.
Before Burton Albion were promoted to the second tier, the fixture was generally only played during pre-season, something which not only Clough remembers fondly, but also ex-Brewers boss Neil Warnock, who is currently at Cardiff City.
He said: “Neil Warnock, every time we see him, talks about the times in the Bass Charity Vase when we used to play Derby and were five or six leagues below them. To be playing in a league match is still quite surreal for anyone who has supported the club for 20-odd years.
“We are playing them in a league game and we will see if we can show some pride and try to get a result. It is a game that we are going to try to win and enjoy.”