THE 2007/08 Premier League season will be remembered for many things. Manchester United's last-day title win, Mourinho's exit, the arrival of Fernando Torres, the return of Kevin Keegan. And not least, but definitely last, Derby County.

Amid the Grand Slam Sundays and the cut-throat competition between the oligarchs and the billionaires, Derby have given us all some light relief. A throwback to when football was fun.

Derby's plight was forgotten about when it became clear they were certain to be relegated, some time in August.

But marvel at these statistics. Played 38. Won 1. Drawn 8. Lost 29. That's 29 - a figure so ludicrously high it would be spelt out in capital letters as 29 (TWENTY NINE) on the Grandstand videprinter so you could be sure it wasn't a misprint.

There's more. Goals for 20. Goals against 89. Points 11.

By the end of September, seven teams already had enough points to finish above Derby if they lost every game for the rest of the season.

Luckily for Manchester City - the side who started like Linford Christie but finished like Mark Lewis-Francis with two dodgy hamstrings - they were one of those seven.

Derby were the loveable buffoons of the Premier League season, spreading joy where there was misery and tension.

If your side was doing badly, one look at the table cheered you up.

Everything's all right, we're still 23 points above Derby.

Had a bad day? Lost a game you should have won?

Worry not. Put the radio on. Derby have lost 6-0 at home to Aston Villa.

If your team was struggling for form, all you needed was a home match against Derby to sweep away all your troubles.

Then there were the interviews.

After Derby's board wisely decided that they could not possibly get any worse if they disposed of Billy Davies - the man who so miraculously got them promoted in the first place - Paul Jewell arrived to inform us that the Rams were in fact doing much, much worse.

Every week, Jewell would tell us in as many words, Look, I admit it, we're rubbish and we know we are. I'd get rid of all of the players if I could but the tea lady says she doesn't fancy marking Didier Drogba. Why won't you all just let me suffer in peace?' There was a day not so long ago when Jewell was regarded as one of the best managers in the country. A man who quit Wigan when he did not have to leave.

Now he is manager of Derby. A man who has delivered five points in 24 matches. Reputation ruined.

And a side that can lose 4-0 at home to Reading on the last day of the season is a side to be admired.

They did not want to go out with a whimper, they wanted everyone to remember just how bad they were.

The Premier League will miss Derby. Some might suggest they should be granted an indefinite stay in the top flight. Don't worry lads, you're exempt from relegation.

But somehow I suspect that's the last thing Derby want right now.

* There has rarely been a more inappropriate renaming of a ground than St Helens' decision to refer to their Knowsley Road home as the GPW Recruitment Stadium.

The GPW Recruitment bit is fine - I'm long past tutting when a sponsor takes over the name of a ground. It's the idea of labelling ramshackle Knowsley Road as a stadium' that I object to.