You’ll be hard pressed to find an English football owner who is as popular with his club’s fans as Derby County’s David Clowes.

Since completing his ownership of then-League One Rams on July 1, 2022, which had been in administration for nine months, the East Midlands club has grown from strength to strength both on and off the pitch.

One thing revealed at the club’s February Supporters’ Board meeting was Clowes’ reaffirmation of his intention to continue paying the club in accordance with previous arrangements.

Given that there were reports of many interested parties attempting to execute a buyout of Clowes as recently as November 2025, this new news is obviously significant.

Shaun Woodward, FLW’s Derby Fan Pundit, discussed what this means for the team moving forward.

David Clowes’ new Derby County pledge is ‘great news’.

Woodward applauded the news that Clowes will continue to oversee and fund the club, eliminating the possibility of a hurried takeover.This is fantastic news for all Derby fans because it means that, in the long run, the club is in good hands,” the Fan Pundit told FLW, adding, “If David Clowes decides it’s time to hand over the reins to someone else, he’ll do so when it’s the best deal for Derby, not just because he wants out.”

In late 2024, the Telegraph reported that former Pilot Clowes was willing to sell up to 80% of the club in order to attract foreign investment.

However, following subsequent discussions with the Supporters’ Board in November and December of last year, the Rams’ owner reiterated that stability and integrity will remain fundamental to any future ownership decisions.

As previously stated, at the time, interest was expressed by parties including John Textor and James Bord, the latter of whom has recently withdrawn from his plans to purchase already relegated Sheffield Wednesday.

Keeping that in mind, Woodward continued: “I think, it gives us stability, and it gives David Clowes kind of the power to actually take his time in finding the right buyer for the club over the next few years – rather than rushing something through and not getting it right.””It’s a win-win for Derby, and it’s a brilliant opportunity for us to consolidate now for the next couple of years without worrying about ‘is he going to sell?’ – and if he does sell, we’ll know it’s to the right person, because he could actually subside running the club for a number of years.

“Exciting times coming for Derby County following a fresh David Clowes update.

Regardless of Clowes’ pledge to continue funding the club, Derby fans have a lot to be excited about in the future, particularly in terms of transfers, which were also discussed at the aforementioned meeting.

The transfer strategy of buying first-team players cheaply and then selling them high for a profit is still being pursued. While we haven’t seen any of that yet, the Patrick Agyemang transfer rumours for £20 million or more, as well as the £15 million Jacob Widell Zetterstrom claims, could become reality this summer.

Woodward stated, “What he’s [Clowes] achieved at Derby in a short space of time has been amazing, and he’s also willing to back the club sensibly.””We’ve got some great assets now, and hopefully we can make some money off of them and reinvest, which I’m sure David Clowes will want to do, to put us in an even stronger position for next season.”It’s exciting times, and I’m glad to hear David Clowes isn’t in a hurry to sell.”

Finally, only the owner will know when the moment is perfect to sell, but I’m sure every other Derby fan agrees with Woodward on this update, especially after earlier interest from Textor and Bord raised some concerns.