Don MASSON

When Tommy Docherty arrived to manage Derby County in September 1977 he quickly set about restructuring the club with a series of surprising transfer deals. Within a month fellow Scot Don Masson, a thirty-one year old international midfielder with 14 caps to his name, had arrived at the Baseball Ground from Queens Park Rangers in an exchage deal that saw Welsh international Leighton James, nine years his junior, move to Loftus Road. Once settled into the side, Masson played alongside Bruce Rioch and Gerry Daly in a combination referred to by Docherty as his three "Van Gogh's". With County failing to find any real consistency in their play it seemed to be an ill advised comment. After winning just six games after the turn of the year, they finished their 1977/1978 First Division campaign in twelth place - an improvement of just three positions on the previous season.

Masson made twenty-three appearances in the league and scored in a 3-1 home defeat of Wolverhampton Wanderers in April 1978. He also tallied FA Cup goals against Southend United and Birmingham City as County made it through to the fifth round only to go down 3-2 at home to West Bromwich Albion. When Docherty again set about shaking up his side before the start of the 1978/1979 season Masson rejoined Notts County, his previous club prior to Queens Park Rangers, on a free transfer. He had worn the "Rams" shirt on just twenty-six occassions. Whilst financially it was obviously a poor deal for Derby; James had joined them in a £300,000 deal, the criticism Don received from the supporters was excessive given the fact that his time at the Baseball Ground was disrupted by a period of enteritis which weakened him considerably in the final months of the season. (Mike Cockayne)

1977–1978    Derby County    23    (1)
1978–1982    Notts County    129    (11)
1981             Minnesota Kicks (loan)[3]    24    (2)
1982–1983    Bulova    ?    (?)
1983–1984    Kettering Town    6    (1)