Jack Bowers smashed the club's goalscoring record with 37 league goals in 1930/31 and 39 overall, at more than one per game.

Derby were continuing to sit solidly in Division One, never threatening honours but not looking like going down, and in 1932/33 Bowers extended his goals-in-a-season record to 43 in all games.

That tally still stands today.

Derby were FA Cup semi-finalists that season, where they lost 3-2 to Manchester City, and in the quarter-final the Baseball Ground's attendance record was broken again when 34,218 witnessed a 4-4 draw with Sunderland.

That figure was beaten once more the following season when Wolverhampton Wanderers were beaten 3-0 in front of 37,727 - this after a double-decker stand at the Osmaston End had been completed.

Bowers suffered a knee injury in 1934/35 so Hughie Gallacher came in for what now seems a modest £2,750, but he was soon filling his boots with 23 goals in his 27 games that season.

Derby finished second again the following year and the attendance record was smashed again as 37,830 were present to see Nottingham Forest beaten 2-0 in the FA Cup.

The Baseball Ground was really coming to life with the Normanton End stand now open.

Jobey was still in charge at the end of the decade as Derby finished sixth in 1938/39, only for football to be interrupted due to war once more.

In September 1932, Jack Nicholas had embarked on a run that saw him play an amazing 328 out of 331 league games up to the end of 38/39.

There was still more to come from the inspirational defender.