It’s the end of the black-and-white knuckle rollercoaster ride!

Here, in his latest monthly column reflecting on the news over the past month, our Press and PR Executive Robin Johnson looks at the headlines.

Bill Shankly, the legendary former Liverpool manager, is reported to have once said: “Football isn’t a matter of life and death, it’s more important than that.”

For some people, it really is.

For the absolute die-hard Derby County supporters out there, the death of the club would’ve left a massive void in their lives – a void that would’ve been almost impossible to fill.

With this in mind, when you consider what has been happening with the Rams over the last 10 months or so, you can appreciate why emotions ran so high at times.

It has been a rollercoaster ride of such white-knuckle proportions that no theme park in the world would’ve been allowed to open it to paying customers.

But now, thankfully, the nightmare is over. Derby County has been saved. Oh, how I’ve longed to write that sentence!

Last Friday, Marketing Derby Bondholder Clowes Developments sealed a deal to buy both the club and the company that owns the stadium, meaning the Rams can now move forward with a clean slate. (Read the full story here.)

As a lifelong Derby County fan, I am ecstatic – and not just because the club, which for so long had been staring into the abyss, will continue to exist.

While for some of us it wasn’t a matter of life and death, the precarious situation the Rams found themselves in did make us think about what Derby County meant to us, both as individuals and as a city.

Marketing Derby played an important role in bringing Clowes and the Rams, both of them Bondholders, together.

Our managing director John Forkin brokered the introduction of David Clowes into the process, first to buy the stadium – and the rest, as they say, is history.

Of course, the hard work starts now as the Rams look to rebuild and challenge for promotion from League One back into the Championship.

I’m hopeful the Rams can do it – but if they don’t, at least there will still be a Derby County, and that is something that we should never lose sight of after all we’ve been through.

Anyway, apparently some other news happened in June, so let’s take a look at it.

As well as Derby County, we also had some other good news on the football front as plans were lodged for a new ‘football hub’, which will be a huge boost for the sport in the city at grassroots level. (Read the full story here.)

I hope it will be as impressive as the recently opened Moorways Sports Village, which already appears to be doing a roaring trade. And this is something that will be discussed at next week’s Derby Property Summit. (Read the full story here.)

Of course, last month saw the official start of summer.

No, I didn’t make it down to Stonehenge for a dance around the stones to mark the summer solstice – although I did have a hop around the rockery after dropping a sun lounger on my foot.

The warmer weather is here (well, at least while I’m writing this) and some of us are venturing out to the park or taking a countryside stroll.

Perhaps it’s a legacy of the pandemic, but many of us seem to value our natural spaces that bit more.

And it’s interesting how this shift is colouring the thinking of those planning out how our towns and cities should look and feel going forward.

That colouring is moving from grey to greens and blues – seeing areas and developments, particularly in urban settings, designed with nature in mind.

And this is something that will be discussed at next week’s Derby Property Summit. (Read the full story here.)

In June, Marketing Derby announced details of this rather special annual event, which will showcase all the latest developments taking place in the city and county.

This year’s theme will be the ‘repurposing of place’ and we have some top speakers lined up – so, don’t hang around, book your place now!

The summit will take place at QUAD, to the backdrop of the urban forest that has been installed in the Market Place. (Read the full story here.)

As a Rams fan, I wouldn’t normally welcome anything to do with a ‘forest’ in the city centre, but, on this occasion, I will make an exception!

Anyway, Derby already appears to be doing a pretty good job in bringing more trees to the city through a special initiative to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. (Read the full story here.)

The property summit will cover many of the city’s forthcoming key developments – among them will be the University of Derby’s City Masterplan.

In June, a key part of that plan received planning permission – the new Derby Business School. (Read the full story here.)

It is part of a wider vision the university has, not just for the city, but also the county, to be a driving force for regeneration and job creation.

The university intends to deliver this in partnership with other organisations, following the launch of its Civic Agreement. (Read the full story here.)

The university has a key role to play in shaping the future of the city – something which Derby City Council is very much focused on at the moment following the launch of its Ambition Document.

It is seeking our views on what a future Derby should look like – and I would encourage you all to get involved and have your say. (Read the full story here.)

Of course, as well as the Derby Property Summit, Marketing Derby has also started inviting entries for another of its key annual events – the Food and Drink Awards! (Read the full story here.)

We have some cracking places to eat and drink across the city – and county for that matter – so, if you want your favourite to win, start nominating!

Finally, a story that jumped out at me in June was about Morgan Sindall Construction completing the multi-million pound rebuild of Ravensdale Infant and Nursery School, in Mickleover. (Read the full story here.)

The school had to be rebuilt after being devastated by fire. It was great to be able to see the happy, smiling faces of the kids as they returned to their fabulous new buildings.

It just goes to show that out of adversity can come something good.

Speaking as a Derby County fan, I believe that more than ever now.

Anyway, have a safe and productive July and I look forward to catching up again soon.