Derby president Sam Rush has condemned the actions of some Rams supporters following the defeat to rivals Nottingham Forest, saying the post-match events have ''brought shame on our club.''
Saturday's game at the iPro Stadium, which ended in dramatic fashion with Derby-born midfielder Ben Osborne scoring in injury-time to snatch a 2-1 victory for Forest, was marred by an incident immediately after the final whistle when a fan got on to the pitch and tried to throw a punch at Reds defender Kelvin Wilson, before confronting a handful of other visiting players.
The supporter, who ran on from a Derby section of the stadium and through a line of stewards, appeared to swing for Wilson and was then tackled to the ground by the defender's team-mates.
He was then surrounded by stewards and dragged away from the Forest players, who were celebrating their comeback victory at the home of their fiercest rivals.
In another incident, Forest owner Fawaz Al-Hasawi claimed that a club car had been vandalised, with two tyres deflated, windscreen wipers broken and a personalised number plate wrenched off.
The Kuwaiti businessman tweeted pictures of the Mercedes-Benz Viano with the words: "Very professional! But in the end I don't mind at all! The three points are more important!"
In a statement on Derby's official website Rush said: ''It is just over two years since I joined Derby County and I am proud of the progress that we have made during this time.
"We have been recognised both locally and nationally for the achievements of the club both on and off the pitch. It is truly an exciting time to be associated with the Rams as we continue to build a unique club based on strong principles. We are aiming to be successful but we will do it the right way and act with class at all times.
"Our success is very much influenced by our style. Creating an environment which attracts good players, staff and fans is critical. How we conduct ourselves, both on and off the pitch, has a direct bearing on this.
"The events which unfolded, following our disappointing result against our local rivals on Saturday, have brought shame on our club.
"Even the Derby Telegraph carried on Monday morning the title "Disgraceful". I know that the vast majority of Derby fans are equally appalled by the callous act of a thoughtless individual seeking to attack a player on the pitch and similarly those who chose to vandalise the Forest chairman's car after the match.
"We can only apologise for those individuals who mistakenly call themselves Rams fans. To these people Derby County Football Club will not tolerate this type of behaviour, under any circumstances. We will seek to permanently exclude from our club anyone who thinks this is even close to acceptable."
Meanwhile, Derbyshire police say a 23-year-old Derby man was arrested in connection with the pitch invasion and that he has been released on bail.
Source: PA
